[Verse 1]
My backpack weighs more than books today
A folded note I hide away
They laugh when I answer, laugh when I speak
So I count the tiles beneath my feet
[Pre-Chorus]
I tell my mother, “I’m okay”
Then wash the whole afternoon away
[Chorus]
I’m still growing, don’t make me hard
I’m not a target, I’m not a scar
If I go quiet, please stay near
There’s a little girl underneath this fear
I’m still learning the shape of my name
Don’t turn my mistakes into a game
[Verse 2]
A grown-up voice says, “You should know”
But nobody tells me where to go
The mirror keeps changing without my say
And every promise feels far away
[Pre-Chorus]
I draw a door beside my bed
A place where no cruel words get said
[Chorus]
I’m still growing, don’t make me hard
I’m not a target, I’m not a scar
If I go quiet, please stay near
There’s a little girl underneath this fear
I’m still learning the shape of my name
Don’t turn my mistakes into a game
[Bridge]
I’m not too small to understand
I need a voice, I need a hand
Not a cage, not a perfect face
Just somewhere safe to take up space
[Final Chorus]
I’m still growing, but I’m standing tall
You don’t get to name me after all
If I go quiet, please stay near
I can tell the truth when you let me hear
I’m still learning the shape of my name
And I won’t carry somebody else’s blame
[Outro]
My backpack weighs less today
I leave the folded note halfway