Polly held the phone to her ears. The ringing was nearly deafening, but only because she knew she was about to be in trouble. She knew her uncle would yell at her for the disappearance act she pulled.

Her back met the solid wall, and she slid down until she was seated on the hardwood floor of Lennard house. This was a phone call she didn't want to make, but had to. A phone call she never thought she'd be making.

She was a good girl. She wasn't someone who ran away.

"Hello?" Her uncle's voice made her stomach twist. He'll get rid of you just like your own parents did, the voice inside her head told her, but she tried to block it out.

"Uncle, it's me. Polly." Her voice was shaky, worried. Her head was spinning from lack of air, so she took a deep breath to manage the tingling in her fingers and toes, to manage her spinning head. The darkness of the room made her feel more grounded, though.

"Polly? Where on Earth have you been? I've been callin' all around-"

"I went to see mom and dad." Her voice was a whisper, as though she had committed a crime. There had been no reason for her to return home. No reason for her to want to see the very people who abandoned her. But, Kenzie was right; she needed closure.

Her uncle hesitated to answer, and the long pause made Polly uncomfortable. It made her feel again like she did something wrong, like she'd gone behind her uncle's back to see her parents who hadn't cared about her from the beginning. Like she had thrown her uncle's kindness back in his face. Because if it came down to it, and she had gone to see her parents and they had rejoiced and welcomed her back into their home, she may have gone back.

But, then again, she probably wouldn't have returned to them. No matter how much they had missed her.

"How are they?" Her uncle asked, but she knew he didn't mean it. She knew he was saying it to be polite, in the way that he had to be. His voice sounded sad, like he knew how hard it had been for her. Polly didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky.

"They have a new kid. They replaced me after they'd gotten rid of me." The tears came fast, and her voice crumpled in the way that she knew her uncle heard her crying. It was painful for her, painful to think about how her parents hadn't missed her, not even a little bit. As soon as she left, her parents had moved on.

"Polly, when are you coming home?" Her uncle's voice was urgent, because he wanted to see her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and hug her tightly to show that someone cared about her. He cared about her.

Her shoulders shook with her sobs. She didn't know the answer to that question, because she was needed here. She needed to help, because this wasn't about her anymore. This was about the broader world, the people who needed her to be strong and stand against Minny's father.

"I don't know," she hiccuped into the phone, "my friends need me right now. I'll talk to you when I do come home, but I'm doing something bigger than me. Bigger than my problems."

She didn't know how to explain it to him. How to tell him she was fighting the hate of those who were different. Fighting the hate directed at people like her.

When she looked up, Tanner stood in the doorway, his arms hugging himself tightly. His face was sad, like a lost boy that Polly once knew at his camp. He looked forlorn, like despite his older age, he was just like her: lost and frightened.

She hated that she empathized with his expression. He was a monster, the person who had ruined her life. When she looked at him, she saw the pain he inflicted on her. She saw the whips, the knives, the tears mixed with the blood on her body. But, she also saw a boy trapped. A boy forced into a job he didn't want. A boy blindsided by the love for his gay mother and the nightmare that followed her death.

"Polly, I'm worried about you, and I'd feel better if you were home," her uncle pleaded with her, his voice worried. She knew she was being a bad niece, making her uncle and aunt worry about her, but she couldn't help it. She was needed here, and if she went home, she knew she'd cry even more.

"I know," she tried to say evenly, "but you have to trust me. Please."

Tanner came over to crouch in front of her, the dark room around her illuminated by the open door that he'd just come through. He was in front of her, his eyes wide and honest, and his fingers brushed her cheek, rubbing away the tears.

She flinched against his fingers, and then let out a sob. She couldn't help it; she could only remember the fact that she'd been replaced. Her parents had gotten rid of her and had immediately moved on. Moved on without her. Hadn't bothered to check in on her, to get her back, to save her from the hell she'd been thrown into.

But, neither had Tanner. Yet, there he was, wiping away her tears like he suddenly cared. Like he was trying to make up for the mistakes that had ruined her life.

"Polly, please get home safe. Please." Her uncle begged her on the other line, but she was no longer focused on his words. She was focused on Tanner, on his fingers, on his facial expression. The lines around his eyes suggested he was tired, perhaps of fighting, perhaps of being evil. He looked worn, older, thinner.

She hung up the phone without answering. "Tanner, leave me alone. Please."

His touch on her shoulder was platonic, like a worried friend. "Polly, you just saw your parents, and you just witnessed how they had moved on without you. Despite your hatred for how they treated you years ago, I know you were secretly wishing that they had missed you. That they had regretted what they did to you. I know you're heartbroken."

He was right, and she hated that about him. She hated that he knew everything without even trying. It was who he was, who he'd always been. But, she thought about who she'd prefer to be there with her, and he was the last person on her list. She wanted Kenzie, she wanted Minny, and she even wanted Tom. But not Tanner.

"Tanner, leave me alone!"

He gripped both of her shoulders in his hands, and leaned towards her, his face serious. "Do you think you'll ever forgive me?" His voice wavered, sad and tragic. But she didn't feel bad for him.

She stood up, out of his grip. "You abused me for years. I hate you, and I always will!" Her voice was shrill and loud, and she knew everyone in the house had heard her. How could they not? But, she didn't care, because she knew she was in the right. No matter how much Minny and Lennard loved their brother, she never would.

"But I'm trying to be good!" He yelled back, his body shaking in anger, or perhaps frustration. "I'm trying to correct my wrongs! It was a mistake, and something I was forced to do, but I understand my part in it. I understand what I did was wrong. But please, I'm trying. I'm really trying."

Tanner hated this about himself. He hated how weak he sounded in front of Polly, but it was true. He was trying to fix the broken parts of himself, the parts that had ruined the lives of many people in his camp. He was doing it for him, not for anyone else, but he wanted Polly to understand. He wanted her to see how hard he was trying to correct things.

He knew it was a long shot. He knew he had no chance. But he wanted to try.

"You two seem to be having fun, but we have a guest, and you're being distracting."

Polly looked up to see Lennard standing in the doorway, one hand in his pocket, the other on the head of the strange girl beside him, who was crouched down in a non-threatening way. The sight of the two of them together made Polly see just how important she was to her, even if she looked more creature than girl, and he looked more man than boy.

"Guest?" Tanner asked, curiosity painting his tone of voice, echoing Polly's thoughts.

Lennard gestured his head to the hallway behind him. "Join us in the dining room, and you can find out for yourself."

The two left the doorway, but Polly and Tanner stayed for a moment in the dark room, wondering if they should end the shouting match and go into the rest of the house. But Polly knew what she looked like, knew her face was red and wet from crying. She didn't want to see anyone.

"I know where the bathroom is, so you can get cleaned up," Tanner offered, his voice softer now that he wasn't yelling at her. He offered her his hand, but she ignored it, moving past him and into the hallway. She waited for him to show her the way, and he did so wordlessly.

When she shut herself in the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror and cringed. She looked like a mess, like someone who was crazy. Her face was blotchy, her eyes were swollen, and she felt like crying all over again.

She didn't. Instead, she took a deep breath and splashed cold water on her face. She dabbed it dry with a towel, waited, then repeated. She did this until her face had regained normal color, and she looked alright.

And by alright, Polly really meant that even if she wasn't going to fool anyone, at least she looked less crazy and more sad-teen-going-through-a-lot.

She left the bathroom, and was surprised to see Tanner standing there, waiting for her to reemerge. It wasn't much, but the action didn't go unnoticed. It made her feel less like an alien and more like she belonged in this strange household. Like she wasn't about to walk into the dining room as an outsider.

When she did enter, she made eye contact with Gryphon, the boy who had tipped her uncle off about Elliott. She was surprised to see him there, but even more surprised when he flinched away from Tanner.

Lennard sat at the head of the table, his girl beside him in a chair. Gryphon sat at the other head, looking uncomfortable as he sat in the straight backed chair. Minny, however, had an open seat beside him, and she rushed to his side, happy to find someone she was comfortable with.

When she sat down, Minny placed a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, but said nothing. She would talk to him afterwards.

At the head of the table, Lennard grinned. "Now that we're all here, I'm excited to announce that Gryphon will be joining the team. Polly, say hello to your new partner-in-crime."

* * *

Hello my skeleton children!

Sorry about posting chapters late/at weird times/never

I'm still here! And still writing haha

How do we feel about Tanner? Should Polly forgive him? Should she never forgive him?

And Gryphon: how do we feel about him joining the team?

Okay. Love you all, XOXO