At half seven the doorbell rang. I looked nervously up at Eric. I wish my parents had been able to stay to say goodbye, but they both had to go to work.

"I'll answer the door," he said, getting up.

When he returned, he came in with Dr Rachel Ruiz who asked, "You ready to go?"

"Yes. Are you sure I don't need anything?"

"Just yourself, now say goodbye to your parents and Eric, then we must get going."

"Good luck," Eric said, ruffling my hair. Then, turning to Rachel, he asked, "Do you have an address that I can contact David at?"

"I'm glad you asked," she said, handing him a card. "This is special PO Box number; we don't allow visitors so we don't give out the address of the school. As you can see, there is an emergency non-geographic phone number. That is constantly manned, but must only be used in conditions such as death of a family member."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to you parents?" she asked, as I walked towards to front door.

"They had to go to work," I replied wearily.

"Oh," was her only reply, as we walked to her car. "Why don't you sit in the back, so you can be company to Helen?

"Okay," I said, sliding into the back and buckling up my seat belt.

Five minutes later, we drew up outside Helen's house and Rachel left me to collect her.

I watched as I saw the whole family at the door, and Rachel handed over the emergency contact details. They were all hugging Helen goodbye and reluctantly Helen joined me in the back of the car. As Rachel drove off, I watched, as her parents and brother waved to her till the car rounded the corner out of sight.

Helen sat there stony faced, looking expressionlessly out of the window. I could see she was trying to keep her emotions in check. I learnt the hard way that trying to keep in your emotions just leads to issues later, so I unbuckled my belt, moved into the centre seat and gently held her. Soon, I felt her body relax and quiver slightly. I just held on and gently stroked the side of her arm.

Rachel shifted her driving position, so she could glimpse what was happening in the back. I saw her face in the rear view mirror give a slight smile of approval, and then she shifted back into her original driving position.

After twenty minutes driving, we were on the motorway heading south. The smooth driving and constant hum of the tyres against the road surface lulled both Helen and I to sleep.

My eyes fluttered open and I slowly sat up. I'd slept with my head against Helen's shoulder. I glanced through bleary eyes at the clock on the dashboard and saw I'd been asleep for nearly two hours. I looked out of the window and saw why I'd woken up. We'd just come off the motorway and had stopped at a junction.

"Are we nearly there?" I asked quietly, trying my best not to wake Helen.

"No, we've got to pick up another student. We should be there in about half an hour," Rachel replied in a whisper.

The constant slowing down for junctions soon awoke Helen from her slumber. She yawned and gave a small stretch, which I thought was a bit cute.

When a few minutes had passed, Rachel pulled into a supermarket car park and parked in a relatively deserted area. When the engine was stopped, she turned round and spoke with us both, "The student we're going to pick up was originally scheduled to be picked up by someone else. However, due to the person picking them up being ill we must do it."

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"Have any of you ever heard of the term transsexual?"

"No," I replied, wondering where this conversation was going. I began to understand that the recruitment had been meticulously planned, and Rachel had a good understanding of how we would react before we did.

"Yes," said Helen a bit reluctantly.

"When did you learn about the term? And if it involves another person then please don't mention their name," Rachel asked Helen.

"About two years ago. I was worried about a friend and did a bit of research," Helen answered.

"And did you think the term fitted that person?" Rachel asked.

"I think so, but it is difficult to tell."

"Do you think the term also fits you?"

"NO!" exclaimed a shocked Helen.

"Sorry, but will somebody please explain?" I asked, confused. "What does transsexual mean?"

Rachel looked pointedly at Helen, who eventually got the clue, "It is where somebody has the mind of the opposite sex of the body."

"Oh," I replied. "Are you saying that the student we're picking up is a transsexual?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "Sam is a transsexual. One thing that you will learn about Hayfield Hall is that you can be anything you want. In life, people are straight jacketed into acting as society expects. However, that doesn't suit some people, and they have a conflict with what they are comfortable with, and what people expect. That conflict leads to issues with education and other potential issues, such as self harm or even suicide."

"Are you saying I'm transsexual?" I asked.

"Are you?" she asked. "Only you can decide what you want to be, or how you want to act. Were you happy how you were expected to act at school?"

"No," I replied. "But that doesn't mean I want to be a girl."

"No," Rachel replied, "It just means you need to be in an environment where you can be who you want to be, without somebody calling you a pansy or beating you up."

"Was I the one you did the research about?" I asked Helen.

"Yes," she said, bowing her head, worrying what I was going to say. "Sorry."

"Is Sam a boy or a girl?" I asked.

Rachel just smiled and said, "That's up to Sam to decide. Now, the single most important rule at Hayfield Hall is that nobody makes fun of anybody else. Tolerance is of the utmost importance. Do you both feel you can be tolerant of Sam and the others?"

"Yes," we both replied in unison.

As we drove on, I didn't notice the beautiful scenery. My mind was full of thoughts. Was I a transsexual? Would I be better off as a girl? What was Rachel implying when she asked Helen if she was a transsexual? Oh, this is so confusing. Helen just held my hand and occasionally murmured something comforting to me. I wasn't upset or anything, I was just confused. Why didn't the thought of somebody questioning my gender upset me?

My thoughts were interrupted as we pulled outside of a rundown block of council flats. The walls were daubed with graffiti and the ground covered with broken glass. There was nobody in sight, but it felt like a thousand eyes were watching our every move.

"I'll go and get Sam," said Rachel. "I might be ten minutes, depending on certain things. Now I'm going to lock you in, so don't panic. If you need to open one of the doors, just pull the leaver and that door should unlock."

With that said, she disappeared into the concrete jungle, leaving us alone. We silently sat there for a few minutes, watching cars drive slowly past. We noticed a boy on his bicycle riding slowly past the cars trying to see if they were locked. I shivered slightly with fear, as he peered in, and Helen held me to overcome my anxiety. She made me feel so safe, held in her strong arms. It was as if two years hadn't passed. She was again looking after me, just as she'd always done.

"All okay?" asked Rachel cheerfully, when she returned. I gently wriggled out of Helen's comforting arms.

"No problems," I said, as Sam got into the front passenger seat.

"Hi Sam, I'm Helen," introduced Helen.

"And I'm David," I said, finally free of Helen's arms. I peered slightly at Sam and wondered whether Sam was a girl or a boy. After a few moments of study, I decided I couldn't tell. Sam sure must have got a lot of stick in an area like this.

As we departed we passed a huge building sign posted GCHQ. Hang on; wasn't this place supposed to be top secret? Yet there were big signs identifying it. Soon after passing GCHQ, I noticed a hotel to the right and it rather looked like something from a soap opera that Mum used to watch reruns of. "Sorry Sam, but that hotel we just passed looked rather like something from an old soap."

Sam looked embarrassed at understanding what I was talking about, "Yes, that was used for outside shots of Crossroads in the early 1980's."

Not bad for two children who weren't even born when it was shown.

We passed the motorway junction without getting on to it. "Are we nearly there?" I asked.

"No," Rachel replied. "Since we're in the area, we will call in on an old friend's house for a spot of lunch."

I saw Sam start to shake slightly and Rachel said, "Sam, Kelly Baxter has operated as an adviser to companies on transsexuals for years. Last year she took in somebody who was forced, by a horrible accident, to assume the identity of a girl. I was involved earlier on in the case. If Kelly is not helping somebody, she sometimes helps out at the school. Sometimes, she even accompanies us as an added aide when we go abroad."

We went around the outskirts of Gloucester and started heading up a steep hill. All around was open countryside with views back towards, what I presume, was Gloucester. We went over the top of the hill and I saw another valley stretched out in front of us. Just as we started to head downhill, we turned right towards somewhere signed Holcombe.

"I hate driving down here in the winter," said Rachel. "It's always full of ice."

The road now was very narrow and I don't know what we would have done if we'd seen another car coming towards us. Eventually we turned right into a driveway. There ahead was an impressive looking building, which Rachel stopped in front of.

A woman, in what looked like her mid forties, came bustling out and gave a loud squeal when she saw Rachel. They were soon embracing each other as if they'd not seen each other in years.

We all got out of the car and followed Rachel into the house. Lunch was delicious. It was only a simple quiche but the taste was exquisite. My taste buds lit up for the first time in years.

"Better than what your parents cooked at home?" asked Kelly as my face lit up.

"Much," I said, as I savoured the feast in front of me.

"This is nothing," she said, smiling a smile rather like Rachel's. "One of the things Hayfield Hall strives to do is make students comfortable in any country in the world. The school cooks often create many delights from around the world."

I'd been watching Sam, who had been very tense at the beginning. As the meal had progressed, Sam had relaxed and looked to be enjoying being accepted. Nobody had mentioned Sam's gender, and after being in Sam's company for a few hours I was still no closer to being sure what gender Sam was.

After we'd helped wash up, we all got back into the car for the remainder of the journey. We journeyed for another two hours and eventually we drove through a village called Heath and Reach. What a strange name for a village. Once we'd passed the village centre, we turned onto a small track about half a mile down the track was a pair of iron gates standing about twelve feet tall. As Rachel pressed a button, the gates slowly and majestically swung open.

The wheels of the car crunched against the gravel track. In the distance, I saw the main building, which looked about two hundred years old. There were two wings on either side that looked like they'd been recently added.

Rachel parked her car in a small car park to the right of the main entrance. When the engine stopped Rachel announced, "Welcome to Hayfield Hall. Never to be mistaken with Hayfield Manor; that's a hotel in Ireland."

We followed Rachel through the main entrance into the hall. The building looked like it used to be a small stately home. The oak panelled walls gleamed from the bright glistering chandeliers. The thick plush carpets made me want to take off my shoes and walk bare footed. I expected a butler to appear to take our names.

"As you can see," said Rachel, suddenly transforming into an impromptu tour guide, "the main building is kept in its original splendour. This is for several reasons, the primary one being the agreement with the owners. Other reasons will become apparent as time goes on. The main house is where you will eat and relax. Any activities, such as orchestral recitals, will occur here. The new building on the left is the living quarters, which we will visit next. The new building on the right is the classrooms where any learning activities occur. These learning activities might not just be school work."

"First, let me show you where your years lounge is. After that, I will show you to your bedrooms. There you can shower and change into some clean clothes. When you're ready, we will all meet in the lounge no later than six."

We were first shown into the lounge. Each year had its own lounge and there was a big room for occasions where the whole school could be present. There were mostly settees that sat two people, but there were also some which sat three and some singles. On the wall above the fireplace, was a huge sixty-inch plasma television.

"There is full terrestrial and satellite television here and in your rooms. Satellite television is not just the standard Sky system, but we have feeds from television all over the word. This is very important when you do languages studies. The only channels you won't be able to receive are the pornographic ones."

"Is this funding due to-", I started to ask, thinking of the vast cost a system like this must cost.

"Yes," interrupted Rachel, firmly signalling this wasn't something to be discussed.

"What about radio?" I asked.

"Same as television," she replied. "Accessible from here, or your room, is an extensive range of channels. A complete list of stations, there country of origin and language is listed on the halls computer system."

We walked towards the sleeping wing. "Each person has their own room with private bathroom. Each bedroom has a single interconnecting door to link with their study partner's room. Sam, your study partner will be here in the next nineteen minutes. David and Helen, you are study partners."

"Nineteen minutes is a bit precise;" Helen queried, and then laughing slightly asked, "Have all the cars got tracking devices in them?"

"Yes," replied a serious Rachel, as she walked towards what looked to be a state of the art computer system. The system appeared to already be booted and she placed her eye to what looked like a microscopes eyepiece. Dr Rachel Ruiz flashed on the screen and then was replaced with a menu. A few clicks later, a map showing the current location of the car was showing.

Sam and Helen just stood there mesmerised, as the red dot moved up the trunk road about seven miles away. I just smiled. Yes, this certainly looked like it was going to be an interesting school.

"The computer systems are interconnected across the site with a high speed internet connection. There are a few restrictions for the first few weeks but most of these are rescinded once you have settled in."

"How fast?" I asked, getting excited.

"I'm not a geekette," she responded humorously. "You can ask this question in your computer studies lesson on Thursday. Oh yes, there is a special computer network for extreme computing such as hacking etc. You got into enough trouble last year, hacking into the school computer system, without repeating that here."

"Yes Rachel," I said humbly. Damn, they did do there homework.

"Now, before we leave Sam, there is something that needs to be covered. I have to register you onto the computer network," she tapped a few buttons. "Okay Sam, you go first. Put your right eye to the iris reader."

Sam did as asked and the computer responded verbally. "Iris scan complete."

The procedure was repeated for both Helen and me. "Now Sam, can you sign in. All you have to do is place your right eye to the scanner."

Sam did as asked and was soon seeing a student screen. On the top left there was an icon called "To do" which was flashing.

Sam pressed the icon and it brought up another screen with just one option, "Menu Selection".

Shown was a large selection of dishes. I couldn't believe how many items were shown. "The menu choices are specific to each person. There are a many overlaps but each person has their own diet. If you choose a high protein lunch, the choices for the evening will reflect what is needed to give a balanced diet. If the person is a vegetarian, then only vegetarian dishes are displayed."

We left Sam and walked down the corridor to our rooms. "This is your room David," she said opening a door. It was the same plush room as Sam's was. A large king sized bed in the middle of the room, with very neutral sheets. Against the wall was a two-seat settee and next to it was a round table with two chairs. Rachel opened a door on the right hand side of the room exposing, what I presume, was Helen's room. It was identical.

"Clothing was covered with Sam last week," she said, "so I saved this for now. If you open your wardrobe doors and step in, you will see a wide variety of clothing. On the left is typical male clothing, on the right female, and at the far end androgynous clothing. What you wear is up to you. All clothing should be your size."

Helen suddenly dashed into her room and I heard her open her walk-in wardrobe. "I've got the same," she exclaimed, walking into the room. "Aren't there any differences?"

Rachel paused for a second and thought. "Yes. In the top right draw next to the bed, you will find a special top to compress your breasts. David has a gaff, which is used to hide his penis and a pair of false breasts, without the adhesive. If you ever want to try them that is up to you, but the adhesive is only provided when you've been shown how to attach them properly by the school nurse."

Helen and I blushed at the mention of our bodily parts.

"One other difference is the toothbrushes. David has always used a manual toothbrush, where Helen has an electric one, as she has done for the last two years. What you wear is up to you and how you act is also up to you. If you want to try living in an opposite role then there are classes we can arrange to help you. For instance, if David decided to have a go at living as a girl, there are lessons in makeup, hair and deportment."

Helen and I looked around in amazement. I'd gone from a small bedroom which I shared with my brother, to a huge bedroom with all the clothes that I could ever need.

I was brought back to my senses by Rachel saying, as she departed, "Don't forget to be in your years lounge by six. In your bathroom, you should find a black bag. Please place all your current clothes, including underwear and shoes, into the bag and post it down the laundry chute. While you're at the school you should only wear what is provided. Oh yes, don't forget to do your meal choices."

When Rachel was gone, I just sat on the edge of the bed and wondered what all this was about. It has been implied that the tests showed I was a girl at heart, but was I? I'd never thought of it before. I looked up to ask Helen a question but she'd disappeared into her room. As I got up, I heard what I though was a sob. Since the door was still open, I looked through and saw Helen on her bed holding on to a pillow, looking very distressed.

I wandered in and walked up to her. "What wrong Helen?" I asked, gently putting my hand onto hers.

"Nothing," she said, furiously wiping her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Helen," I said, lying next to her on her massive bed. "You can tell me. We're both going through major upheaval. I think they buddy people together to overcome these issues. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I've never been away from home before without my parents," she said, as she started to cry again. I wrapped my arm around her and snuggled close. "I'm not going to see my parents again till I leave school and I'm scared. The only person I know is you and there are many things I don't understand. It's like we're prisoners here and nothing makes much sense. There is a lot of talk about gender issues but I'm not like that. I'm happy being a girl."

I held Helen till she calmed down. "I think there is a lot more to this place than were being told," I said. "I think a lot of the security is for our safety. I'm sure things like this will come up in the meeting. If they don't, then why don't you ask?"

"Okay," said Helen sitting up. I rubbed my arm, which she'd been leaning on, attempting to restart its circulation

"If were quick at getting ready then we might get a chance to explore a bit," I said sitting up myself.

"That sounds good," she said. "Now scram, while I take a shower."

I laughed and headed back to my room, shutting the interconnecting door as I passed through.

When I came out of the shower, I donned the fluffy white robe. It reminded me of the films where people in posh hotels are always given robes like these and invariably tried to steal them.

After a few minutes of looking, I found the draws containing underwear. There was a wide selection ranging from ultra feminine to very masculine. Whatever next? I picked out a pair of my usual male briefs and pulled them on. I refastened my robe and went to look what was in the wardrobe.

I glanced at the male selection and there was everything from formal attire to casual. There was even a dinner jacket with a fancy shirt. What sort of things does the school get involved with? The female side had a similar range including cocktail dresses. This must have cost a bomb. As I glanced across at the clothes, I noticed that even the casual clothes were smarter than what I normally wore. There didn't appear to be a pair of faded jeans or outrageous shirt in sight.

I chose a light pair of fawn trousers and a dark blue short-sleeved pure cotton polo shirt. For the first time in many years, I wore new clothes and since they were not hand-me-downs, they fitted me perfectly. I wondered about footwear and at the end of the closet, I found it. I found a comfortable pair of cushioned shoes that looked like they would match the outfit. I glanced to the feminine side and there was a large selection of shoes ranging from flats to bright red high heels. How could girls wear such contraptions?

As I was dressed, I walked to the connecting door and knocked. Instantly the door swung open and there was Helen. She giggled, "I was just about to knock."

"Did you see all the clothes?" she asked coming into my room. "Those cocktail dresses must have cost a fortune."

It had taken longer to get ready than I'd hopped and we wouldn't have time to explore. I hope that later we'd have chance.

When we entered the lounge, there were a few people there already. Sam, seated on one of the settees, was chatting away with one of the other new students.

"Let's say hi," suggested Helen.

"That sounds friendly," I said, beginning to revert to the uninhibited time before the last two years of hell.

"Hi Sam," we said in unison.

I asked, "Is this your partner?"

They both nearly chocked on their drinks that they were sipping.

"Sorry, is this your study partner?"

"Yes, this is Richard," said Sam. "Richard, meet Helen and David."

"Hi Richard," Helen and I again said together. I'm going to have to stop doing that.

"Have you come far?" asked Helen.

"Carlisle," he replied. "It was quite a journey."

We didn't have time to chat more as the room went quite when Rachel and five other people appeared.