School was strange now that Polly was a 'celebrity'. After Tanner had gotten big because of the election, so had she. And so had her sexuality.

"Hun, you don't have to go if you don't want to," her aunt said to her the morning after a rather huge speech from Tanner the previous night. Polly didn't dabble on social media, but her younger cousin had promptly shown off her twitter feed. It had been full of people commenting about Polly.

"No fair!" Jenny complained from her seat at the table. "Why do I have to go? I'll probably be bullied too."

Polly's aunt gave her daughter a dark look. "Jenny, if you keep this up, you'll be grounded. You understand? I'll have you walking to and from school, and I'll have you locked up in your father's office with nothing but homework. You are not going through what Polly is going through. Stop trying to pretend you have it bad, because you don't."

Jenny looked down at her plate of food, sullen.

"I'm fine. I don't mind going." After all, this was what Polly signed up for. So what if she was out of the closet? She was strong minded, and a little bullying was not going to destroy her. Especially if Kenzie had anything to say about it.

When she arrived at school, she expected stares and hushed whispers, but so far things were fine. And when she got to her locker, Kenzie was already there waiting for her, a smile on her face.

"You're chipper this morning," Polly observed, opening her locker to grab a textbook for first period.

"I'm ready to lay it on some people if they have anything to say about us."

Polly couldn't help but laugh. "You're always ready for a fight."

Kenzie flipped her purple hair over her shoulder. "Of course I am. And if anyone has anything to say about you, I'm here to help. Trust me, you and those animal shirts are non-threatening, but I'm definitely scary when I want to be."

It was true; Polly didn't really have a violent bone in her body. She was like a rug that people walked all over. Kenzie, on the other hand, was strong and fierce.

When she shut her locker door, Polly reached for Kenzie's hand. "Well, I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess. We've missed a few days of school, though. Do you think anyone noticed?"

Kenzie beamed. "Well, my absence was definitely noticed. But, you're not as big of a deal as I am. Sorry, babe. You're dating a star."

Polly grinned at the joke, immensely thankful for Kenzie's sense of humor at a time like this. She'd been expecting rumors and rude comments when she entered school that morning, but so far, all she'd had to deal with was Kenzie.

When she rounded into her first period classroom, things were continuing on an upward bound. There, sitting in class, was Minny. Grinning. He wasn't in a uniform, and he wore a backwards baseball cap on his head. Completely and utterly Minny.

She squealed, forgetting the other students in class. "You're here? Why are you here?"

She swung into the seat next to him, ignoring her usual seat in front of him. The girl who usually sat there paused when she entered the classroom, as though she didn't know where to sit, and then slid into Polly's old seat.

"I quit school. I don't live with my dad anymore, and he can't control me. Anyway, he was using you as a reason to not fight with him, and everything is out now. He holds nothing over you, and nothing over me."

Polly reached out and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad."

He laughed, releasing her from the hug. "You won't be fighting this alone. I'm here for you; we all are. Tom too."

Warmth radiated from her chest as she looked at him. "So far so good. No bullying-"

"Well, if it isn't the local queer."

Her head snapped up, and she look a guy in the eyes. She didn't recognize him, though that didn't mean anything. She didn't know a lot of students at this school, and they had no real reason before to approach her.

His flaming red hair and his smirk made her blood boil. "Well, if it isn't the local douche."

Minny was quiet beside her, not expecting that response from the calm, timid blonde girl beside him. Polly had never been brash before, at least not in front of him. Perhaps Kenzie was rubbing off on her.

The redhead laughed. "Still better than being gay."

Polly stood up calmly, pulling the strength of her aunt's words and Kenzie's attitude with her. She smiled at him, calculated and cold. "Thing is, I'm gay and I'm happy. I have a rockin' girlfriend, a loving family, and plenty of supportive friends. You, however, will always be alone because no one likes people with pisspoor personalities. Now, you will apologize and sit down, or I'll go straight to the principal and fill out a bias report. That's right, the type of report that could get you expelled if you aren't careful."

Before the redhead could respond, Minny let out a loud laugh. "Last time I checked Jones, Coach Carlson won't let you play if you're involved in a bias incident. So, even if you aren't expelled, you won't be getting into college with that sports scholarship. What a shame, having pisspoor grades."

Other students laughed along with Minny, which only made the redhead's face turn the same shade as his hair. For a moment, he didn't want to apologize, but he knew he didn't have a choice. "I'm sorry you're gay."

Polly tilted her head and her smile widened. "Try that again."

The redhead rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry I said something that hurt your feelings."

Polly flipped her hair over her shoulder, standing straighter. "I guess I'll just go to the principal if you don't want to stop being a douche. Doesn't bother me if I fill out some paperwork." On the inside though, it did bother her. She hated that she had to stand up for herself because other people didn't care about being decent human beings.

"Listen, I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry I was rude, and I'll go sit down and mind my own damn business."

Polly sat back down, pleased with the apology. "Now Jones, if I find out you've been spreading nasty rumors, or being rude to others, I'll have to give the principal a visit. Because I have absolutely no tolerance for bullies. And I refuse to be bullied as well. Understand?"

The redhead grumbled as he sat down, arms crossed and eyebrows drawn in a scowl. But, Polly didn't care. In fact, she would probably visit the principal anyway, as a precaution. If there was something she didn't like, it was being walked on and pushed around. Mistreated. Abused. And she wasn't about to let a fellow peer do that to her.

"Kenzie would be proud," Minny whispered to her, and he was serious. Polly and Kenzie were different people, but right then, Polly had stood up for herself the same way Kenzie would have. It made Minny proud.

"Kenzie would have beaten him up," Polly whispered back in a giggle. But, giggling aside, Polly knew that this was going to become her new life. Defending herself against those who looked down on her. Pretending their striking words didn't hurt. But, if her childhood taught her anything, it was how to be strong.

After class, Kenzie had plenty to say to her about the redhead, but Polly let it flow from one ear to the other as she walked the halls. She knew that with the election coming up, she had plenty to do. She had to present some speeches. Her and Gryphon both needed to present speeches.

But, one thing at a time. "Polly, I'd like to see you in my office." It was the Principal, and Polly knew it probably had to do with missing school. Or, perhaps it had to do with her sudden appearance in the media.

When she entered his office however, it was neither. Sitting in the two chairs in front of the desk were her parents. Both mom and dad present, with a baby in their arms and a young girl on their laps. She felt sick all over again, bile rising in her throat at the sight of her family. Her parents. Her siblings.

"No," she said, stumbling back, fear thick in her voice. She shook her head violently, imagining how they found her. Who called them. Who told them. And then, she realized, it'd been her. All along. She told them she was living with her aunt and uncle.

"Polly, please," her mother pleaded, standing from the chair. The baby was in her arms, but was quiet this time. Unlike when Polly had visited her house.

"I have nothing to say to you," she was shaking now, in the doorway, close to bolting. "I said everything I needed to say at your house."

"Our house," her mother corrected. "But, nevermind that. We've seen you on the television, Polly. On the news, in the election. Isn't it crazy that Tanner is running?"

Her mother's attempt at small talk was making her palms sweat and her heart beat hard in her chest. She wanted nothing to do with this family anymore. And if her parents came all the way here to tell her what she already knew, then she couldn't help but wonder why anyone would abandon their daughter and then come back for her years later.

"What do you want?" Her voice sounded like the cry of a trapped animal. In some ways, she felt like one, backed up against the door.

Her father stood, holding their small daughter to his chest. She buried her face in his shirt, just like Polly used to do. It made Polly recall all those sweet memories before they found out she was gay.

"People are talking about us, Polly. You've told the entire nation that we basically abused you."

"You did!" Polly's voice sounded shrill. "Are you joking? You called me devil child for weeks. You let me into a camp where I was tortured. You've ruined my entire life, all because you hated that I liked girls. And I'm not afraid to say that on live television."

The Principal stood against the wall, wondering when he should intervene. He didn't get the chance before Polly's father walked up to her, a deadly look in his eyes. "Our friends are talking about us, Polly. Our daughter is bullied at preschool. Soon, the baby will be as well. Is that what you want for your siblings?"

She pressed back against the door, remembering the fear she felt as a child. How her mother had spit in her face about being gay, going to hell. How her father had suggested the camp. How both of them had ruined her completely.

"It's what you wanted for me!" She shrieked, bursting into tears. All pretences of being strong were out the window. "You let me be tortured. I was beaten with a whip. I was sliced open, bleeding on a cot. I was starved, electrocuted, abused. And you think I care about my siblings, who were born to replace me?"

When Polly looked at the young girl, she did feel an ounce of sympathy that both of her siblings would suffer the life of being children born to their parents. She hoped for their sakes that they were both straight, perfect children.

"But you wouldn't know that, would you?" She sneered at both her parents. "You don't know anything about me, after you abandoned me. I'm bullied right here at school, but oh yeah, you gave up on me so you don't care. I went through hell and back, but you don't care."

She was on a roll, now. She looked right at the principal. "Just so you know, I was bullied this morning. Someone who goes by Jones. I don't stand for that, so I stood up for myself. But don't think I won't fill out a bias report if you don't take bullying seriously." She had no idea if the principal took it seriously or not. She knew nothing about the man.

The little girl looked at her from her father's shirt. "Mommy and daddy said that you're a bad person."

She ignored the girl. "I never want to see either of you again. I never want to see you here at school. I never want to hear from you. I'm going to go back to my house, and I'm going to forgot I saw you here. And I'm going to tell everyone on television just how bad you two really are. And I hope they take away my siblings and put them in a safe home, where they can live without being sent to torture camps."

Polly opened the door and left, slamming it shut. Kenzie was right there, in a chair, clearly waiting for Polly. She burst out of the seat and rushed over to the crying blonde, wrapping her girlfriend in her arms. "Polly, holy shit, are you okay? Are those your parents?"
Polly didn't even answer; she cried into Kenzie's shoulder, holding her girlfriend tightly to her body as she remembered all of the horrible things her parents did to her. She didn't want them to stumble into her on their way out, either.

"Let's go. I don't want to ever see them again." She didn't even look back as she left the office, heading towards the bathroom where she could cry freely without lingering gazes from students and teachers.

* * *

Surprise visit from her parents. ooooooh

It's almost Friday, and I'm pretty excited for that. Who else is?

I love you all! XOXO