Scene 1 – Classroom
The teacher walks in carrying a stack of papers.
Teacher:
— "Alright, class. Today we'll begin the project presentations. I want each group to show what they prepared."
Some students cheer, others groan.
Claws adjusts his notebook and looks at the group.
Claws:
— "This is it. Let's do it together."
Mateus (muttering):
— "If this goes wrong, it's on you."
Diego:
— "Relax. It's gonna go wrong anyway."
---
Scene 2 – At the Front of the Class
The group stands in front. Some classmates whisper, others chuckle.
Rafaela (whispering to Isa):
— "Breathe. You'll do great."
Isa grips her notebook tightly, trying to look steady.
Claws:
— "Our theme is 'Citizenship in Everyday Life.' We chose to talk about a very common problem: bullying."
The room grows unusually quiet. Some students look skeptical.
Lucas:
— "We picked this theme because we've all seen it happen, inside and outside school. And we know that, a lot of the time, it seems small… but it never is."
---
Scene 3 – Isa Surprises
Isa steps forward. Her voice is still soft, but clear.
Isa:
— "Bullying isn't just teasing someone. It hurts, even if it's called a 'joke.' The ones who go through it carry it for a long time. We wanted to show that citizenship is also about taking care of each other, not turning our backs."
The classroom falls into absolute silence.
Even Diego looks impressed.
Rafaela shows her drawings: classmates helping one another, a student standing up for another.
Rafaela:
— "These small actions make a difference. That's citizenship too."
---
Scene 4 – Class Reaction
Some classmates clap, others snicker.
Student 1 (from the back):
— "Ughhh, moralists!"
Student 2:
— "What a boring talk."
Mateus (clenching his fists):
— "Say that again, I dare you."
Claws (holding his arm):
— "No. This is exactly what we're talking about."
The teacher raises his hand.
Teacher:
— "That's enough. Well done, group. You brought up an important theme. Congratulations."
---
Scene 5 – Closing
Back at their desks, Diego smirks.
Diego:
— "I'll admit… it wasn't that bad."
Rafaela:
— "That's as close to a compliment as we're ever gonna get."
Isa stares at her notebook, but for the first time, she smiles openly.
Lucas notices and smiles too.
Claws looks at them all, thoughtful.
The group isn't perfect, but somehow… it works.
End of Chapter 5.