My next class was math. I loved math. Growing up I was taught many different languages, but in math everything was always easier. I could learn it in English and completely be in a daze as the teachers tried to teach it to me in another language. I could choose not to care, because I already knew what I had to do.

Walking towards my math class I noticed the same girls from the bus ride to school, and thought of course they would go here. This time, however, I did not see the girl they had picked on. I thought maybe she decided to go home or simply that she was in another class. As I entered my class, I looked around and sure enough there she was, I should have guessed that a girl like that wouldn’t be too far away from her so-called friends. There she was in the back, looking nervous as she tried to explain to some students that the seats they wanted were already taken. The group of students began with the usual “you can’t save seats”, and “where are their stuff if they are here?” Not wanting to get involved with another problem, I sat two seats in front of her; one of the only seats available and away from all the chaos. After the bell rang and the teacher walked in. The girls came inside a while later and told the teacher that they were in the restroom but that they were already here before the bell rang, and simply created lie after lie and excuse after excuse. The teacher, not wanting to deal with this issue much further than what it had taken, asked for their names with all seeming intents on sending them somewhere else, but as soon as she heard their names she seemed to get nervous and just told them to sit down.

Watching them walk up the rows of seats, I overheard one of the students say “so that’s her” and another student reply “yea has to be, no one else could make a teacher that nervous”. Fighting my curiosity, I took a closer look at those girls and could very well see that they were some of the more wealthier students. The main girl had on some Gucci, and Michael Korhs, but even then I knew that I had more. Not that it mattered but when in doubt I knew I could put her in her place if it ever came to it.

The group finally sat down, and the teacher began to explain the rules and expectations of the class. She concluded with “…and that’s the whole spiel”. She explained that if we started class today with a lesson that we would be able to get ahead from the rest of the other classes, something that she made very clear she wanted to do. So she picked a random person and asked if we should start today. At first I thought she chose me, but very quickly realized that she picked the girl two seats behind me. At first, her eyes filled with inspiration, then filled with nervousness as she looked around to her so-called friends. She was able to mutter that it would be great if we could get ahead.

The teacher unable to hear her very well asked her to speak louder, which the girl wasn’t able to hear because she was distracted by the mutters of her friends telling her to tell the teacher no, to start later. “Miss El…” the teacher began and was interrupted with the girl saying “no lets… lets just start on another day”. The girl looked down and seemed disappointed at herself.

Then I got up and spoke up, “no, lets start now”. The teacher asked “excuse me?” And I continued “she said that we should start today, but then her friends told her to say something else,” so I looked at them “and I agree with her first response. We should start today, its obvious you want to and she wants to and even I want to. We are in the special class for a reason, we should have the mentality of wanting to get things done as fast as possible and being the winners should be our motto.” Everyone began to get riled up, and gave their yea’s in agreement and vigor.

Once again that thought came in my head, I would no longer be invisible in this classroom. I had shown some of my colors and they caught like fire. I quickly sat down and the teacher took control and excitedly  said “then lets get started”. She proceeded by testing us with a quiz from the first chapter of our book. I finished it rather fast, and while feeling proud of myself I couldn’t help but overhear those same girls telling the thinner girl that since it was her idea to make the class start today with a lesson, then she should give them the answers. She meekly replied “but that would be cheating” and the girls insisted. Once again without thinking and without hesitation I told the girls “shut up!”. The whole class turned around and I continued “if you girls really belonged here then you wouldn’t need to cheat off of her”. I could feel their eyes grow in disbelief and the rest of the class’ eyes on me.