[Verse 1]
Fifteen and flying far from the pain,
July the seventh, memories in the rain.
Found my grandma, sweet and strong,
Hialeah nights where I still belong.
Cousin once kind, but now so cold,
Secrets and drugs, stories untold.
He played it cool, but he was lost,
Paid for his choices, paid the cost.
[Chorus]
This is the story they never see,
The truth behind the school marquee.
They teach us books, not how to survive,
In a world where bullies thrive.
I walked through fire, tears in my eyes,
But somehow, I still rise.
Still rise…
[Verse 2]
Sophomore year, started to crack,
Grades fell low, joy held back.
One friend stood when others fled,
But pain and silence filled my head.
Junior nights, after school grind,
A teacher cruel, no peace to find.
"Kick me" taped behind my back,
By the same ones who should have had my back.
[Chorus]
This is the story they never see,
The truth behind the school marquee.
They teach us books, not how to survive,
In a world where bullies thrive.
I walked through fire, tears in my eyes,
But somehow, I still rise.
Still rise…
[Bridge]
Senior year, my breaking point,
Offered shame in every joint.
Fists to the stomach, tears on the floor,
They laughed, they beat, they wanted more.
Touched without consent, called dirty names,
A puppet to their twisted games.
Even teachers failed the test,
They taught me nothing but how to suppress.
[Verse 3]
They said to dream, to aim so high,
But never taught how not to cry.
How to say “no,” how to stay strong,
When right around you feels so wrong.
I skipped the prom, I stayed alone,
Wrote my pain in a broken tone.
But I made it out, I crossed that stage,
With scars that filled a thousand page.
[Chorus]
This is the story they never see,
The truth behind the school marquee.
They teach us books, not how to survive,
In a world where bullies thrive.
I walked through fire, tears in my eyes,
But somehow, I still rise.
Still rise…
[Outro]
Now I stand, twenty and free,
With memories that won't define me.
Aunts who lifted, gave me light,
Held me close through darkest night.
Still got wounds, but I’ve grown strong,
My voice is clear, my heart belongs—
To those who fight, who fall, who cry…
But in the end… we still rise.
MyHidingReality
