----*----

Turns out that Dr. Cullen is only in his early thirties. He had a friendly manner about him. "You must be Liza."

I nodded, suddenly shy. "Yep, I'm the blue Swan."

He chuckled at my joke. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, sir. Charlie's just exaggerating." I went into a coughing fit then. "Honestly, I'll be okay." I covered my mouth. "Really."

He suddenly went serious. "You smoke." That was not a question. "I assume you know the risks involved."

I nodded; my anger apparent. I had no doubt that Edward told him. Stupid boy. He really doesn't want to be on my bad side. "I'm trying to quit." Of course, you probably already know that.

"Has your CP been acting up?"

"My 'spaz-die'?" That's my word for it. CP sounds too vague (it really is, ask Wikipedia). "No. The fall was a freak accident." It's the kind of thing Bella would do.

"May I?" I nodded. He straightened my right leg and then my left. They didn't go completely straight, but I was expecting that. "Could you lie down for me, please?"

"Sure," I know the drill, doc.

His hands were ice cold. I was expecting it, but it surprised me. He pretty much tested all of joints. How far my legs go into the air, ankle angles, and hip rotation. The last one surprised him. "Okay. Go ahead and sit up."

"Well?" I didn't hide the malicious in my voice. I know what you're about to say, dude.

"You walk on your toes." Another statement, but he hadn't seen me walk yet. Man, I'm going to kill Cullen. "Have you considered wearing splints?"

I rolled my eyes. The large plastic braces were the devil's favorite instrument when it came to me. "I wore them until I was twelve."

"I think your father needs to hear the next few things too." He opened the door. "Charlie, come in."

Charlie looked concerned. "What's wrong, Dr. Cullen?"

"Well, Charlie, I'm surprised that her doctor in Phoenix didn't suggest some of this. It's almost too late for treatment." He took a deep breath. "Or at least free treatment."

I sat there, numb. I'd never heard the words 'too late.' It was like I had something terminal. And I knew I didn't. Still, I started to cry.

"Are we going to have to call Renée?" Charlie asked me directly.

I didn't answer. Oh my god; I'm in trouble.

"First off, your daughter, quite clearly, smokes."

Charlie growled. "You are so grounded."

"I know, Dad." That Cullen kid better not cross my path.

"But, Chief Swan, I think Liza needs surgery. And soon. There's a good doctor at the children's hospital in Seattle. She'll need to stop smoking before I refer her." His kind gold eyes focused on me, then. "If you gain any weight, you might have to go into a wheelchair."

My tears turned to sobs. "Daddy…" No, it felt like a death sentence. This can't be happening.

"Are you sure?" Charlie asked, suddenly angry with the doctor instead. "Are you saying my daughter's going to be crippled," he said it like it was a bad word, "for the rest of her life?"

"If we aren't careful, yes."

----*----

I didn't go to school the rest of the week. I couldn't even think straight. Renée cried with me that first night.

"Oh, baby, I wish I could be there. I wish I could hold your hand."

I found myself comforting her. "Mom, it's not cancer. I'll live." I'd left the smoking part out. "I'm going to be okay."

"But," I could hear her sobs, and my stepfather in the background.

"Is she going to be okay?" I heard him yell.

"Mom," I said, trying to sound confident like Bella. "Put Phil on the phone."

I imagined her nodding and passing the phone. "Eliza?" Phil asked, carefully. "Why do you want to talk to me?"

"I can't make her understand, sir." I always call him that. It's simpler. He's nice, but calling him 'Phil' makes him seem even closer to our age than he is. "I think she thinks I'm dying."

He didn't bother correcting me like he usually does. "Kiddo, I'll deal with your mom right now. What matters is if you can deal with this."

That's one thing I like about Phil, he understands. He lost a sister to cancer when he was younger. I always tell him he should be coach, not a player.

"Liza, you'll be okay, I promise. You'll be okay. Now, can I talk to your father?"

----*----

I went back to school on Monday morning. I walked across the lawn toward my Spanish class. "Liza?"

Stone boy was standing behind me. "Oh, greetings," what are you doing here? I think you'd know that I hate you by now.

"You've been crying." He looked smug, but concerned. "Want to talk about it now?"

I sat down, "I guess so. What do you want to talk about?"

He sat down beside me, with unforeseen grace and speed. "Why are you in Forks?"

"Do you mean 'you' as 'Isabella and I' or 'you' as in 'just me'? Because if you mean both of us, I'd like to tell you that I can't read her mind. Telepathy is not a trait I wish to possess." Try to get past that vocabulary, Cullen.

Stone boy laughed. "You don't like being a twin." Another Cullen who made statements rather than guesses.

"Well, of course not. Who would? Bella's this prefect, Advanced Placement, Shakespeare-loving, homebody. I'm an angry, nicotine-addicted, viola player. We're not exactly similar." I took a breath. "Oh, and I saw your father the other day."

He nodded. "I know and I apologize."

I rolled my eyes. Let the pity party begin. "So, you want to know why I'm in Utensil Town; right?"

He nodded.

"Okay, so I was dating a boy named Francisco. We weren't the best behaved kids in school. There are very few poor neighborhoods in our district, and he moved down the street from us. I fell for him instantly, and we did some things I'm not proud of. Got that? 'Cause I'm not going to tell you if you ask again."

He nodded again and tapped his head. "I've got a good memory. So you sent yourself here to get away from Francisco." Another assumption.

"No," I replied. "I was sent here by the police. I'm a criminal that they almost charged as an adult. They gave me a second chance. Thought maybe I was just some weak little kid." I'd never explained this fully to someone, not even the judge.

"Francisco made you do something." Another non-question.

Lots of things, actually. "You could say that." We went farther than planned. Way farther than planned.

"You let him cross the line."

Oh god, can you read me that easily? I put my head in my hands. "I've never shown anyone this before. Mom couldn't even guess." I took a deep breath, and pulled up my shirt shelves. My tattoos stood out like ink on a page. "I was in a gang."

I watched his face, and he looked grim. "You were frightened and didn't know what to do."

I nodded. "I've never felt so guilty. Everything felt wrong. I felt wrong." I started crying. "I'm worthless." I saw a murder.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Liza." He carefully put his hand on my exposed shoulder. "But you really should tell Charlie."

I snorted. "Yeah and be sent to military school? Who do you take me for?" The bell rang. "See you later."

I walked into class, crying as I rolled the shelves back up. I'd never been so honest with someone. What was it about Edward Cullen that almost drove me to squeal? I wasn't supposed to show anyone my other side. I wasn't going to be Ducky anymore. I promised myself that before I came to this dreary place.