Polly felt the absence of Minny in her classes. At first, she didn't take particular notice, but once day three of his absence rolled about, she became confused and concerned. Not that Minny was her friend; she was shocked to find him absent for so many days. Plus, despite what Kenzie said, Polly wanted to be Minny's friend. Something about him intrigued her, to the point where she felt drawn to his tall form and his charming smile.

He wasn't the kind of person Polly would necessarily be friends with. He was a jock, and didn't particularly care about school. He was too cool for her, that was for sure, and he hung around other boys who were equally as cool as he was.

Polly wasn't attracted to him, obviously, but she was intrigued.

There was something about him that screamed learn about my secrets! but Polly was afraid of secrets. Afraid of opening someone up and learning too much about them. She was afraid of becoming friends with people. She was afraid of abandonment and trust.

She blamed it on her parents after they abandoned her. Polly could remember it vividly, how it felt to be released from camp with nowhere to go. Doctor Higgins hated the thought of letting her go; it hadn't been his idea. No, it had been his father's idea, and Doctor Higgins hated it. And while she called her parents, she felt the chilling glare coming from the man who had ruined her life.

Her parents never answered. She called and called, but got no response. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere to stay.

And then, like a miracle, her uncle called. Told Doctor Higgins that Polly could come home to them. And Polly didn't think twice, though she probably should have. She'd never met her aunt and uncle, which she still didn't understand. They never came to Thanksgiving, or Christmas dinner. They never visited at Easter, or any holiday. In fact, Polly didn't exactly know of their existence.

But they knew about her. And they loved her either way.

Polly, however, was still scarred. And how could she not after going through what she had? Abandoned by her family, abused by a man her parents trusted, and treated like a dog for liking the same sex. Polly wasn't exactly ready to trust.

But something about Minny made her want to trust him, at least long enough until she didn't need to. Polly didn't picture living in this sleepy town forever, and her friendship with Kenzie and Minny wouldn't last forever.

For now, she just wanted to know where Minny was, and why he hadn't attended school.

She was sounding like a freak and she knew it.

Kenzie slid into the seat next to her at the lunch table. "Hey loser. Why the long face?"

Polly looked over at Kenzie, just staring for a moment. It was like she'd lost her voice, even though Polly knew her vocal cords worked just fine. There was something about Kenzie that made her incredibly nervous, like she suddenly couldn't formulate words or thoughts.

"Minny," was all Polly could get out. You sound positively stupid, Polly. Knock it off!

"That idiot again? Don't tell me you're developing a crush on him. Come on, Polly. You must have better taste than that!"

Polly nearly choked on her sandwich. "You think I like Minny? Ha, yeah, alright." I have perfect taste, Polly thought. I like you!

"Well, why else would you be thinking about him not being in school? And why do you hang out with him? He's such a douche."

Polly didn't agree. She couldn't see how Minny was a douche, or how he was rude. He seemed fine to Polly, maybe a little standoffish, but nothing that Polly thought was unbearable or offensive. In fact, Polly was beginning to believe that Kenzie's hatred for the boy was from past feuds.

"Not to me," Polly bit into her sandwich to try and defuse the conversation. She didn't like where it was headed, especially because she liked Minny.

"Well, golly gee, might as well get married now!" Kenzie threw her hands up in mock celebration. Polly had never seen Kenzie so upset before, and wondered why Minny was so horrible in Kenzie's eyes.

"I don't see why it makes you so mad. Why can't I be friends with Minny?"

Kenzie looked at her for a long moment, making Polly squirm in her seat. It was the type of look that was uncomfortable and drawn out, and it made Polly feel awkward many times over. Kenzie seemed to have perfected the look down to a T, and Polly almost felt like apologizing for sticking up for her budding friendship.

But, Kenzie backed down before Polly could. "He's just not who you think he is, alright?"

"I don't think he's anybody. I don't know him," Polly pointed out, her fingers digging into the soft bread of her sandwich. "but I'd like to. He seems cool. Can't I figure out whether or not I like him on my own?"

Kenzie leaned back. "Yeah, I guess you can. I'm sorry for projecting my feelings about him onto you. It wasn't intentional." Except Polly felt that it had been very intentional. That Kenzie didn't want Polly to be friends with Minny.

But, in the end, Polly didn't exactly want Minny to come in-between whatever she had with Kenzie, because Polly was selfish, and all she wanted was Kenzie. The way her heart stuttered every time she even looked at the girl told Polly that she was in too deep, but Polly tried not to care. Because even with Doctor Higgins reminding her that she wasn't supposed to like girls, Polly couldn't listen. She couldn't look at Kenzie without feeling what she did. It really wasn't her choice.

And Kenzie, well, Kenzie liked Polly. The moment she laid eyes on the girl, Kenzie felt a connection. There was just something about Polly that made Kenzie giddy and excited, like a child on Christmas. But, she had to play it cool, because Kenzie was positive that Polly had a crush on Minny. And despite how she felt about Minny, Kenzie knew that Polly enjoyed his presence. A little too much, for Kenzie's liking.

But, there was nothing she could do if Polly liked Minny. In fact, Kenzie was getting nowhere by trying to keep the two apart. She was helpless, because she knew Minny liked Polly. And knowing Minny, he could get any girl he wanted in this school because of who he was. Because of the crowd he hung with. Because he was just Minny.

"You know," Kenzie added, once she sensed the uncomfortable silence. "The homecoming dance is coming up. Are you going?"

Polly was in mid chew, so she just stared at Kenzie with wide eyes. For a moment, it felt like Kenzie was asking her to the dance, but Polly knew that was probably impossible. Had to be.

"I don't know." Polly admitted after she swallowed.

"Well, you can come with me. We'll have a girls night out." Kenzie added a wink, but she formed her words to sound completely platonic. As much as she'd love to take Polly to the dance as a romantic gesture, Kenzie knew that would never happen. So she'd take the next best thing: friendship.

Polly felt her heart stop at her words, though. She's not being romantic, idiot! She means as friends!

But still, Polly savored those words for a moment, dreaming that liking Kenzie wasn't strange or wrong, but perfectly and completely normal.

"Isn't it kinda late?"

"Yeah. They pushed the homecoming dance back a couple of weeks. But we can still have fun, you know. We could knock the socks off the boys." As if Kenzie wanted to knock the socks off of boys. She only cared about impressing one person, and she sat right there, across from her.

"I guess I'll go." Polly's voice wavered, uncertainly. "I don't own a single dress, though."

Kenzie brightened. "I have tons of dresses, if you couldn't tell. You can totally borrow one from me."

Hands slammed onto the table from beside Polly, and her head snapped in that direction. She stared up at a boy she'd seen with Minny before, and just blinked up at his unruly hair and his crooked smile. He looked like a typical popular boy, and Polly knew one when she saw one. But, his focus wasn't on her.

It was on Kenzie.

"I would love to borrow you for the dance, Kenzie. What do you say? You, me, a nice ride in my Camaro..."

"How about no thanks." Kenzie flipped her colorful hair over her shoulder.

"I think you'd have fun," the boy protested, but Kenzie was done with the conversation he was trying to initiate.

"No, I wouldn't. But I think you'd have fun if you asked fake boobs over there." Kenzie gestured to a girl sitting a few tables down with her shirt pulled low enough that it looked as if her breasts would spill out at any moment.

The boy was momentarily lost in his gaze before looking back to Kenzie. "Thanks," he said dryly. "but I'm asking you because I like you."

For a moment, Polly felt like she'd lost her date before it was real. While the boy in front of them was characteristically a playboy, he seemed genuine in his request to take Kenzie to the dance.

But, the moment didn't last long. "Thanks," Kenzie mimicked. "but I'm saying no. Better luck next time."

With that, Kenzie stood from the table and waggled her fingers at the boy and Polly before she moved towards the trash. Polly felt elated that Kenzie was keeping her plans, but she did feel bad for the boy beside her.

He glanced over at Polly, giving her a sad look. Then, his mood lightened slightly. "You're Minny's friend."

Polly was taken aback. "Uh, yeah I guess."

The boy cocked his head to the side. "Did he already ask?"

"Ask what?" Polly gathered her things into her backpack, ready to leave for class. The bell would ring any moment, and while Polly wasn't thrilled for class, she was excited to go home soon.

"Ask you to the dance. I'm guessing he hasn't yet."

Polly's neck snapped up to look the boy in the eyes. "Dance? Why would he ask me to that?"

"Because he likes you? I don't know." The boy was uncomfortable now as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, clearly realizing that Minny hadn't asked yet, and maybe never would.

"Well, Minny hasn't been in school for the past few days. I doubt he's asking." And Polly would have to say no anyway, so she was hoping he wouldn't ask. Because that would make everything so much more awkward between the two of them, since Polly didn't like him romantically. She hoped he didn't feel the same, either.

"Forget I've said anything," the boy said hastily as the bell rang. "Minny will have my head if he knew I even talked to you."

Polly let out a laugh. "Why would he care if you talked to me?"

The boy looked like he might say something for a moment, but instead he shook his head with a laugh. "I'll see you around, Polly."

She didn't get a chance to ask his name, so she just watched as he moved back to his stuff, packing it away while his friends laughed at him about something. It was a heartwarming scene, and made Polly wish for once she had more friends. Or really, just more people who cared about her.

She tightened her grip on her backpack, sending one last look at the boy and his friends before moving out of the cafeteria and back into class, feeling utterly helpless about her feelings towards a certain purple haired girl.

Why couldn't I have been born normal? She asked herself disdainfully. Why was I born this way?

And she was born this way. There was no doubt in her mind that she didn't have a choice. She didn't willingly choose to like girls and be an outcast. Honestly, it was something her mind and heart decided on their own, and unlike her parents and Doctor Higgins loved to say, she didn't have a choice. She couldn't just stop liking girls.

That just wasn't how this worked.

Besides, the trauma she suffered through was enough to make her wish she was normal, yet her feelings towards girls had not changed. She hadn't changed.

And Polly believed she never would.  

* * *

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MY SKELETON CHILDREN

LET US ALL REJOICE IN THE NEW YEAR. 2016, HERE WE COME.

My resolution is to keep it real, keep it honest, and keep on writing. What are yours?

Interesting fact: someone messaged me the other day asking me why I call you guys my skeleton children. I hope you guys understand the reference - after all, you ARE reading this story, which is the sequel to The Skeleton Boy.

But honestly, it goes deeper than that. One of the meanings of that book (there are many) was that people are all but skeletons - we're all the same. Gender doesn't matter. Race doesn't matter. Nothing matters - we're all equals. We're all skeletons. And so, you are my skeleton children, because we're all equals, and we should take a stand for that. Because just like Elliott, just like Polly, and just like Mary, we're all the same on the inside. Our gender doesn't matter. Who we love doesn't matter. And what our status is doesn't matter. We are ALL the same on the inside. All equals.

So I guess thats why I call you my skeleton children. 

Long authors note, but needed. 

I love you all. Let us show the world what being a skeleton child means. 

Add a hashtag in the comments that YOU think matches what being a skeleton child means!

XOXO

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