"So, what was up with yesterday?"

Polly sat in the passenger seat of Tom's car, mistified that she was even there, in his car, in her own driveway. He had come to pick her up for school, as if it was his duty to do so, when it wasn't.

Polly wasn't arguing, though. The walk to school was long, and with Doctor Higgins here, Polly didn't like the thought of walking anywhere, alone.

She tucked her feet under her as she buckled herself. The leather seat underneath her warmed from the seat warmer, and Polly took notice of how clean the car was. So unlike how she remembered her father's car being. So unlike anything she really remembered from her childhood. This car screamed security and money. Her family did not.

Polly sent a look to Tom, a look that was something close to a warning. She didn't want to talk about it to him, nor did she really want to be in the car with him. But, she figured Tom did save her yesterday, bringing her home, and he'd been nice enough to offer to bring her to see Minny, too.

Polly figured that Tom had no motive other than to be nice. She usually wasn't as trusting, but seeing him yesterday, seeing him not recognize Tanner, made her feel better about him. He was as clueless to this as Minny appeared to be.

"Why are you picking me up?" She asked instead of answering, her gaze falling out of the window to the foliage they drove past. Fall meant that the leaves were slowly turning into colors unlike their normal, green selves, and Polly was fascinated by the changing of the leaves.

"Minny asked me to." Tom paused for a moment, then released a breath. "He's worried about you, you know."

Polly didn't know how to feel. She wanted to trust Minny, but things were just too coincidental for her to be comfortable with him. She liked Minny and enjoyed his presence, and when they parted ways yesterday, things seemed to be fine. He explain things to her, and she explained things to him, and they'd parted ways feeling like they were okay.

This morning, Polly wasn't so sure she felt the same way.

"There's a lot you don't know about. A lot I'm not comfortable sharing, either."

Tom nodded his head, understanding. His oxford shirt, which was not unlike the one he wore yesterday, was pressed and looked crisp. The sleeves weren't folded up to his forearms like they had been yesterday, but he was wearing nice pants. Polly noted that he looked like he also belonged at the prep school Minny now attended.

"Are you rich?" The words slipped past her mouth without her consent.

Tom laughed at her question as he pulled into the school parking lot. "A little, yeah. My parents are pretty well off. Why?"

Tom turned the car off but didn't get out. He just looked over at Polly, taking in the sight of her long blonde hair and her baby blue tee shirt that had a cat on it this time. It was a very Polly-esque outfit.

"You just dress nice. That's all." Polly took sudden interest in her fingernails.

Tom gave her a lopsided smile, not that she was looking. "I like looking nice. It brings in all the girls."

When Polly looked over to lightly smack his arm, his eyebrows were waggling in a jokingly way. She hit him anyway, scoffing at his choice of words as she opened the car door. The action was very intimate, she realized, in a way that was very friend-like.

She wasn't really friends with Tom, but it struck her that she could be.

Tom got out of the car as well, laughing loudly. A few other students in the parking lot looked over at them, but it didn't bother Polly as she reached for her backpack. She unzipped it, feeling the bite of the fall air on her bare arms, and she reached for a sweatshirt.

The two of them walked into the school together. Tom had an easy smile on his face, but Polly didn't wear smiles so easily. However, at the sight of Kenzie in the front entryway of the school, a smile did flirt across her face.

Kenzie strode towards her, smiling as well. "Hey, Polly." Then, she turned towards Tom, and offered a different smile. A weary smile. "Hi, Tom. I wanted to apologize for yesterday."

Tom just stared at her, nearly mute. Sure, he'd been pissed at her yesterday for what had gone down that morning, but Kenzie was hard to stay mad at. That, and he'd had the biggest crush on her for years. That wasn't something that died easily.

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry, too. I overreacted." Tom's reply was nervous, but Kenzie acted as though she didn't notice it. She placed a manicured hand on his shoulder and patted it, friendly and albit awkward.

"Want to eat lunch with us?" Polly offered to Tom, because she figured that Kenzie would be there, and she actually did want to get to know Tom better. Not because he was Minny's friend necessarily, but because he was a good guy. And Polly wanted to get to know him better.

Tom wore another easy smile. "We'll see."

When Polly turned towards her locker, with Kenzie leaning against it, she felt like she was in a dream. After what had happened yesterday, Polly felt like something bad was going to happen, but everything felt so normal in the moment. She didn't feel like Doctor Higgins was here. She didn't feel like she wasn't normal.

"How was Minny, yesterday? I know you went with Tom to see him."

Polly paused and looked over at Kenzie, marveling at the tone in her voice. It sounded jealous almost, like Kenzie didn't like the thought of Polly with Minny and Tom. Which shocked her.

"Uh, fine. He seemed to hate his new school." And then we ran into his psycho brother who wants to hurt me. Yeah, things were just dandy.

Kenzie slammed shut Polly's locker door before the blonde could fully open it. When Polly looked over at Kenzie, wide eyed, she noted that Kenzie didn't look angry - she was smiling. Sweet as sugar and calm as water in a lake. It was very much unlike Kenzie that it threw Polly off. For a moment.

"You're hiding something from me, Polly. Usually I'm not a snooper, but I'm good at sensing lies."

Polly rolled her eyes at Kenzie in a showy fashion. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Suit yourself. I'll see you during lunch." And with that, Kenzie twirled away, walking down the hallway like she owned it. And for a moment, Polly actually believed she did, just by watching how others reacted to Kenzie. Girls and boys alike stepped out of her way and watched as Kenzie made her way down the hallway.

She was graceful and powerful. And it wasn't really that Kenzie was popular because she didn't seem to waste time talking to others at school. She kept to herself often, but it was the confidence she had that drew people to her, that made people like her. It was the confidence that made others look upon her and appreciate her presence.

Confidence was something Polly had none of.

She admired how it looked on Kenzie. She admired how Kenzie could dye her hair strange colors and wear stunning dresses and act that she didn't care what people thought of her. Polly admired that.

When Polly turned back to her locker, she finally opened the door, ready to grab the math book she'd left inside. However, when she opened the door, her math book was in there, but it wasn't the only thing in there.

When she opened her locker door, Polly stumbled back to let free the rat that had been perched upon her math textbook. Before it scurried out, however, it flicked it's tail at Polly and opened it's mouth to show off a row of pointed teeth.

Polly wasn't afraid of rats, so it didn't really freak her out all that much once it jumped from the locker and scurried onto the floor. When she looked at the note in her locker, the one the rat had been on, she felt dread fill her bones.

Devil child, devil child, what do I see?

A girl pretending to belong, that's what I see!

Smiles and secrets may keep you feeling safe,

But always know that you can't keep hiding in this place.

Keep playing a game of pretending to be normal,

And I'll keep watching and waiting for your downfall.

* * *

Lunch was uptight. When Polly arrived, she wasn't hungry. Just numb, and she felt like the only person she could show the note to was Minny, and he wasn't there, in the lunchroom. If Minny had been there, things would have been easier.

Instead, she was met with loud chatter, a smiling Kenzie, and a laughing Tom. Of course, Polly had no idea how Tom and Kenzie had gone from screaming at each other to laughing, but she didn't want to question it as she sat down, rigid and afraid.

Kenzie noticed it right away. "What's wrong?"

Polly teetered between telling her everything and bottling it up. She took in her surroundings, and decided here was not the time to spill the beans about her past. Instead, she shrugged. "I don't feel so good."

Not a lie, but not the truth, either. She closed her eyes and ran a hand over her face, tired of running and tired of being scared. She was just tired with everything - with holding back secrets, with liking Kenzie, with dealing with Minny's relationship with Doctor Tanner, with the compact in her pocket, with her parents abandoning her, with everything.

A headache was forming in her back of her head, a steady and dull ache. She felt the familiar itch to draw in her sketchbook, and then she felt a new sensation of want. She wanted to see her uncle and help with that case he was working on.

It had been a while since she last thought of Elliott Cole and his problems. For once, she wanted to focus on someone else's problems.

"Maybe you should see the nurse," Tom offered, squinting at her. Then, he looked at Kenzie and gave her a look that Polly didn't understand.

"Did I miss something between the two of you?" She asked, almost irritated.

Kenzie blew out a sigh, running her hand idly over the table top. "No, ugly here just cracked a joke before you got here. Why?"

Polly didn't believe Kenzie, and she knew it. Of course Kenzie knew, because she was the master of disguise and she knew how to read people like they were open books. It was one of her many talents, and it was something she was thankful for.

She knew Polly was skeptical. She also knew Polly was lying about something, but Kenzie knew better than to push her nose where it wasn't wanted.

Truthfully, Kenzie never hated Tom. The boy had always been nice to her, save for yesterday's fight, but she wanted to make things right. Because after Tom reluctantly told her what had happened yesterday, Kenzie was beginning to understand things.

She understood that Polly was afraid. That someone was possibly looking for her, here. It was all bits and pieces for her - she barely knew Polly. Their friendship was easy and comforting, and the two of them didn't know very much about each other at all. And perhaps that was what made it so easy - the whole not telling thing.

Kenzie knew this: Polly lived with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She didn't know why, didn't know where Polly's parents were or if they were even alive, and she didn't know why someone would be chasing Polly.

It occurred to Kenzie that Polly was running from someone.

But, looking at the blonde girl, Kenzie had trouble imagining Polly in any sort of danger. She looked too innocent, too sweet, too harmless to be in danger. Kenzie noted that it had to do with the clothes Polly wore, and her innocent, makeup free face. She looked the part well, and before now, Kenzie never considered that it might be a mask.

A protective mask, perhaps.

Kenzie's nature was not that of helpfulness. She often didn't extend her help to others, nor did she really like other people. She was used to people leaving, like her father and her friends, so she kept to herself most of the time. She preferred it that way. However, when she met Polly, she had felt something fierce inside of her.

She wanted to help Polly. She wanted to keep her safe. And Kenzie knew that Polly liked Minny.

Kenzie didn't enjoy that friendship, but Polly did, so Kenzie had to follow. And she imagined that befriending Tom would do her some good because Polly seemed to like him.

It was unlike Kenzie to do things for other people. She was a lone agent usually, focusing on herself, but Polly was different, and Kenzie wanted to help. If that included charming Tom into a friendship, then so be it.

Kenzie knew she didn't have a choice, because it was clear to her that Polly had her very own agenda. It was clear to Kenzie that Polly would be her friend, but that she would also continue to be Minny's friend as well, no matter what Kenzie said.

Kenzie wasn't stupid. She knew the answer to spending more time with the blonde meant playing nice with Polly's other friends. And since Kenzie was queen of masks and personalities, she felt that winning over the ugly faced popular boy wouldn't be so hard.

Especially because being friends with Tom had been a secret wish of hers since she was young.

Polly didn't have to know any of this. And Kenzie didn't plan on telling her.

Just like Polly didn't plan on telling Kenzie about her own secrets, yet. They wanted to come out, but there was a nagging thought in the back of Polly's mind that she didn't really know Kenzie, and therefor should really trust her. Though, this thought hadn't stopped her from telling Minny everything.

Now isn't the time. You're in a crowded cafeteria, and Tom is at the table. It was a sensible thought, but it didn't make Polly feel any better. The secrets itched to be told.

She turned to Tom. "Are we seeing Minny after school?"

Tom was taken aback by her comment that he just stared at her, almost in awe. Then, "If you want."

Polly very much did want to see him after school. She needed to talk to him. She had folded up the note from the locker and put in the compact, the one she carried in her pocket on all occasions now. Part of her was afraid if she set it down, out of sight, it would disappear.

"Of course I want to." The bell rung overhead, and Polly shot out of her seat. She just needed to survive two more classes. Only two, then she'd be free.

* * *

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