RAE wakes up to the sound of her phone buzzing. She grabs it from her nightstand, still half asleep. The screen lights up with messages from her friends and some school drama. She smiles slightly—at least her day isn’t starting with Minky and Niki’s mocking. She gets up, walks to the window, and stares out at the street below.

The sound of her sisters arguing downstairs breaks the silence.

MINKY
(yelling from the bottom of the stairs)
“I swear, Rae thinks she’s all that now, but we all know she’s just faking it. She’s a joke.”

NIKI
(defensive, but sarcastic)
“She’s not worth it. Who cares if she’s rapping in her room like it’s gonna solve everything?”

RAE
(under her breath, to herself)
“Whatever, Minky. Whatever, Niki. I’m done.”

She grabs her earbuds and plugs them in, hitting play on her music. The familiar beats hit her ears, and she lets herself breathe, tuning out the drama downstairs. With a determined look, she starts jotting down lyrics, her pen moving quickly across the paper.

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN – SAME MORNING

RAE walks downstairs to find her sisters at the kitchen table. Minky gives her a quick, disdainful look before turning back to her phone. Niki doesn't even bother to acknowledge Rae as she grabs a cereal box.

RAE
(taking a deep breath, walking past them)
“Don’t think I’m scared of you two anymore.”

Minky’s eyes narrow. She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms.

MINKY
(snarky)
“Oh, really? You’re so brave now, huh? You think you’re special because you’ve got some rap lyrics? Newsflash, Rae—this ain’t no fairytale. You’re still just the little sister.”

NIKI
(smirking)
“Yeah, little Rae. Keep dreaming. You’re nothing but a joke.”

Rae doesn’t flinch. Instead, she turns to them with a calm smile.

RAE
(firm, cool)
“I’m not dreaming. I’m done letting you walk all over me. Keep talking, but remember—nothing lasts forever.”

She grabs her bag and heads for the door, not giving them the satisfaction of another word. As she steps out, she hears them laughing behind her.

CUT TO:

EXT. OUTSIDE RAE’S HOUSE – LATER THAT DAY

RAE walks down the street with her headphones on, head bobbing to the beat. She’s feeling the music now more than ever. As she passes by a park, she sees a group of her classmates gathered around, talking loudly.

One of them, JAMIYAH (14), spots Rae and sneers.

JAMIYAH
(mocking, loud enough for Rae to hear)
“Hey, it’s Rae, the girl who thinks she’s a rapper now. What’s next, huh? You gonna rap about how you’re the queen of the school?”

The group laughs, and Rae’s heart pounds. Her instinct is to keep walking, ignore them—but she stops herself. She’s done running away.

RAE
(turning to face them, voice low but confident)
“Funny, I don’t need to be the queen of anything. I’m just tired of being the joke. So you can laugh all you want, but at least I’m doing something real with my life.”

JAMIYAH steps forward, her smirk never leaving her face.

JAMIYAH
“Real? Please. You can’t even stand up to your sisters. What makes you think you can stand up to me?”

Rae holds her ground, keeping eye contact, fists clenched by her sides.

RAE
(calm, with a dangerous edge)
“I’m not scared of you, Jamiyah. And when I’m done, you’ll be the one looking like the fool.”

The group goes silent for a moment, unsure of how to react. Rae turns and walks away, leaving them in her dust. As she walks, she pulls out her phone and starts recording herself rapping again.

Her words hit hard.

RAE
(rapping as she walks, to the beat)
“Don’t care about the haters, don’t care about the lies,
I’mma stand tall while they fall from the skies.
I won’t back down, I won’t be their fool,
You wanna mess with me? I’ll show you who’s cruel.”

She stops at the end of the street, staring out at the open road ahead, as if something’s shifting inside her. She’s no longer just the girl they pushed around. She’s Rae, and she’s going to rise above it all.

CUT TO:

INT. RAE’S ROOM – NIGHT

RAE is sitting at her desk, headphones in, scribbling more lyrics. She’s gotten lost in her thoughts. The sound of her phone buzzing distracts her. It’s a message from her old friend, MAR-VELL.

MAR-VELL (TEXT):
Yo, girl, where you at? You been quiet lately. I know we don’t talk much anymore, but don’t think I’m gone. Hit me up when you can.

RAE stares at the text, her heart stirring. A smile tugs at her lips as she quickly types back.

RAE (TEXT):
You know I’m always here. Let’s catch up soon. Got a lot to talk about.

She hits send and returns to her rapping, letting the words flow.

RAE
(rapping aloud, to herself)
“I’ve been through the fire, I’ve been through the rain,
I’m never turning back, I’m breaking the chain.”

She pauses, looking at the lyrics, then nods to herself. She’s ready for what comes next.

CUT TO BLACK.

END OF EPISODE 2