I don't own Twilight, I do own a sore back from shovelling snow. If I owned Twilight I would also own a snowblower or a yard boy.

Chapter 2

Two days after the accident Bella went back to school. Her father, Charlie, had to drive her to school in his police cruiser until her truck could be fixed. There was a bit of body damage and busted tail lights, but other than that her truck was fine.

Most of the kids there, not just the gossipy ones, came up to her and asked after her injuries. They wanted to know exactly what had happened to her and if she had any information about Tyler. They wanted to know if she was going to have him charged for the accident and the damage to her truck. They grew tired of asking Bella questions when she gave them little information. Broken wrist; no, she hadn't heard about Tyler; no, she wasn't having him charged, it was just an accident. She did not give them enough to fuel the gossip mill.

Her few school friends were still nice, Angela helped her with her locker and at lunch. Bella was rather happy that she did not have to participate in gym, even if she had to write an essay instead. For Bella, it was an okay school day.

After the following weekend, things started to change at school. Her school friends, who would smile and say 'hi' in the corridors, stopped being friendly. Angela still sat with her at lunch but was more distant with her. People started to whisper as Bella walked by them in the hall, and stop whispering suddenly whenever she walked into a classroom. Bella endured a week of this before she found out the reason why.

Mike Newton, Tyler's best friend and cohort, had driven up to Seattle to visit Tyler at the hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Crowley were still reeling from the diagnosis they had been given about Tyler. They told Mike that Tyler may never be the same. He was having trouble speaking, would forget words, or use the wrong one. He was quick to anger and frustrated over the smallest things like a wrinkle in the sheets or the blind being to far away from the window. The nurses had him up and walking but his gait had changed. Instead of the confident strut he always had, he was shuffling his feet, almost dragging his right side.

They were looking into a rehabilitation facility for him. It could be months before he came home and even then, there was no guarantee that he would improve. They worried about seizures and learning difficulties, how he would cope at school. If he could even go back to school.

Tyler was completely and irrevocably changed by one accident.

When Mike got back to Forks he called all Tyler's buddies and girlfriends, telling them about Tyler. Telling them how much the accident had changed Tyler's life. How unfair it was that Tyler, the king of the school was stuck in rehab, struggling to recapture his life. How unfair it was that Bella, school nobody and mouse, was fine like nothing had happened. Intellectually, most of the group knew it wasn't Bella's fault, Tyler had been speeding and skidded on the ice. However emotionally, well, most teenagers are not emotionally rational. The group decided that everyone at school needed to know about Tyler and Bella.

The decision was made to freeze Bella out. Some had wanted to get revenge for Tyler, but cooler heads prevailed.

The biggest phone tree Forks had ever witnessed happened that weekend. If you wanted to have any friends at Forks High, you ignored Bella Swan.

Some kids didn't really want to, but couldn't stand up to the majority. In a small town, where everyone know everything about you, it can be hard to stand up for what you think is unfair. Bella was already mostly ignored anyway.

Angela Webber had the hardest time with the idea. She didn't have many friends at school and she was graduating a year early anyway. She only had to survive at Forks High for a few more months. She decided to continue sharing a lunch table with Bella, and ignore everything else. It would be fairly easy for her to do.

Bella noticed the change in everyone but didn't have the courage to ask why. She just resigned herself to her friendless state. She still had her sporadic email exchange with Alice and that would have to do. At least she had one friend. She didn't tell Alice anything about what was happening at school. She didn't want Alice to get the idea of dropping her as well.

Bella made sure that her emails to Alice were full of questions, questions Alice would have to answer. Questions about Alice's favourite topics, the fashion projects Alice was working on, the music Alice listened to and the most favourite, Alice's relationship with her boyfriend Jasper.

While Alice did not know the full story of Bella's confession of love for her brother, she had accepted Bella's request not to talk of him. Bella had told her that they had gotten into a fight and that it was all Bella's fault.

So, Bella spent the rest of her junior year in relative isolation. Her summer was spent cleaning her father's house, cooking his meals, washing his clothes and working shifts at Newton's Outfitter's.

Mike Newton tried everything he could to get his parents to fire Bella but they refused. She was a good worker, responsible and conscientious. He was able to make sure she got the worse shifts, late nights and early weekend mornings. Bella didn't mind the shifts, it got her out of the house and helped pad her college fund. Mike made sure to never speak to Bella unless his mother was there and he had no choice.

The resumption of school did not thrill Bella. She was ready for the purgatory that was her senior year armed with the mantra of 'one more year'.

She didn't know it was going to be the most interesting year in her school career.

AN: Wow. So a couple of people were wondering about the pairing. This is not a poly story, Bella is the main character. The other two...one is for friendship, the other for romance. If you really want to know, send me a PM, I'll give you a smart ass answer.