"It was almost worth getting beaten up," he replied enigmatically. "What do you mean?" I asked, surprised by his comment. "I've never worn girls' clothes before," he explained, "it feels so right" I smiled back at him, looking sweet and pretty in Sioned's white, frilly blouse and black skirt. The Price to Pay - Vol. 4.6 - Parents by Alys

I held onto my seat in the back of the ambulance as it went over another pothole on the approach road to Casnewydd, the city of continuous roadworks. I held Seren's hand as he lay back on the trolley.

"Not long now, Seren," I said, smiling at him, " soon be at the hospital"

"Thanks for coming with me, Celyn," Seren responded, quietly.

"It's OK." I said.

The journey had taken a lot longer than I had expected, partly because Mrs Jenkins, the head of lower school, had been undecided at the best course of action after the assault on Seren. As a result we were entering Casnewydd on the way to the hospital, Ysbybty Frenhinol Gwent at the peak of the Friday rush hour, or maybe better described as Friday gridlock time.

"Bloody roadworks! Don't know why the council don't leave things as they are instead of constantly digging everything up," said John, the paramedic, as he looked out of the window at the almost stationary lines of traffic in all directions.

"You OK, son?," John asked Seren.

"Yes thanks, just aching a bit," Seren replied.

"Won't be long now, once the doctor have checked your bruises and the bump on your head your parents can take you home again," stated John, before giving Seren a friendly pat on the shoulder and returning to talk to Anna the ambulance driver.

I hoped that Seren's parents would be there at the hospital when we arrived. They had been contacted about the assault but had refused to collect him until after school. Siá´n, Sioned and myself had kept Seren company in the medical room until he had fainted and Mrs Jenkins had decided that he had better go to hospital for a check up.

"Are you comfortable Seren, in those clothes?" I asked him a few minutes later when I noticed that he was adjusting the borrowed items.

"It was almost worth getting beaten up," he replied enigmatically.

"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised by his comment.

"I've never worn girls' clothes before," he explained, "it feels so right"

I smiled back at him, looking sweet and pretty in Sioned's white, frilly blouse and black skirt. These had been the only spare clothes that any of us had had, that came close to fitting Seren, to replace his ripped school uniform. He had refused the offer of spare boys' clothes from Mrs Jenkins when she had arrived to take charge.

"You look nice," I said.

"Thank you Celyn, but I'll never be as beautiful as you," he responded, looking at me with complete adoration in his eyes.

"Don't be silly, Seren, I know that I look OK but there is no way that I am beautiful," I replied, feeling embarrassed at his reaction towards me. I turned away to look out of the window of the ambulance at the setting sun's last red glow over the water of Má´r Hafren.

The ambulance began to move forward a little quicker, if walking pace as opposed to tortoise speed could be regarded as much of an improvement. A few minutes later I was accompanying Seren as his trolley was wheeled into a cubicle in the hospital. After thanking the paramedics we were joined by a middle aged, friendly looking nurse whose name tag said Mrs Susan Williams.

"Hello girls, did someone have an accident in school?" she asked, smiling, as she read the paramedics notes.

"I guess you must be Seren? It says Seren Rees here, the surname is a bit hard to read. Is that right" she asked looking at her patient lying on the trolley.

Seren nodded his head.

"Oh and according to this report you're a boy?"

"Yes," responded Seren in a tired voice.

"These were the only clothes that would fit him," I said trying to provide a credible explanation.

"I'm sure," responded the nurse, her voice full of doubt, "I'll see if I can find something more appropriate for you to wear in a minute, and who are you young lady, are you his sister? I'm assuming you're not his brother"

"No, I am not Seren's sister," I replied ignoring the jibe in the nurse's remark, " I am someone in the school sixth form that he came to for help when he was assaulted"

"OK, do you know if his parents have been contacted?" she asked.

"Yes, they should be here very soon"

"Right young man, can you tell me where it hurts?" she said turning back to Seren.

She examined Seren and was happy that there seemed to be no limbs damaged, apart from the bruises but said that the doctor would have to give the all clear before he could leave.

My phone vibrated. I took it out of my bag and read the message.

U ok? Sion xx

I replied

Yep, still at hosp, can u pick me up? Cel xx

"Nice phone, Celyn," commented Seren when he noticed me sending a message.

"Yes, I like it, it's compact and easy to use. It was Siá´n wondering how we were getting on."

"Is it strange?" he asked.

"What?"

The phone vibrated again.

C u outside in half an hour? Sion xx

I quickly replied

kk, Cel xx

"That Siá´n is your boyfriend, even though he knew you, well you know...before," explained Seren.

"It just seems to have happened, not sure why. It must be the hormones, I guess, we never fancied each other before," I responded.

"I wish I could have hormones," he said wistfully.

"Have you told anyone?" I asked.

"Until today, only you." Seren replied.

"What happened today then? You wouldn't tell us earlier" I asked.

He paused for a little and then looking away from me he spoke quietly.

"There were these boys, from year 9, saying bad things about you"

"Oh, what do you mean?"

"I was on the yard at lunchtime, just walking around and I saw this group they were pretending to get booked for snogging, like you did in the game, and laughing and calling you.....I don't want to repeat it." Seren said haltingly.

I began to feel guilty about what had happened to Seren.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I shouted at them and then they chased me into the woods. They hit me a few times and then one of them asked me if I wanted to be a girl too and I said yes, they went mad then and ripped my clothes and hurt me a lot"

I squeezed his hand and smoothed his hair, the first tears started rolling down my cheek.

"I'm so sorry Seren, this is all my fault for my selfish snog with Siá´n on the field." I said.

The curtains parted and a thick set man in his late forties, followed by a small thin women with a thin smile, walked into the cubicle.

"Alright lad, what have you done now?" asked Seren's father brusquely.

"And who are you, love?" he asked me, staring at my breasts through my thin blouse.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Rees is it? I'm in the sixth form in Seren's school, he came to us for help when he was beaten up," I replied, looking more at Seren's mother.

"Thank you dear," she replied, " what's your name?"

"Celyn, Celyn Morus" I replied.

"Thank you Celyn, that was good of you to stay with him," Mrs Rees responded," I hope that......."

"Oh you must be the fr....., the boy who is now a girl then?" Interrupted Seren's father, rudely.

"I suppose you are responsible for Seren wearing a skirt. I don't know what the world's coming to." he continued offensively.

"Well now, there were no other clothes available to fit him and I assume you wouldn't like your son to have to continue to wear rags, here's the bag with them in," I said angrily, dumping the black bag with the ripped clothes at the Apeman's feet.

"Goodbye Seren, hope you feel better on Monday, nice meeting you Mrs Rees," I said before walking out of the cubicle before I said something that I would have regretted to Mr Tolerant.

It was a welcome relief when Siá´n's car pulled up outside the hospital ten minutes later.

"Hi Siá´n," I said as I leaned over to kiss him," thanks for coming"

"Hey you too," he replied while moving the car back into the line of traffic.

"Something wrong?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

I explained the incident with Seren's father.

"What a bastard," Siá´n said," never mind I've got some news that will cheer you up"

"What's that?" I asked.

"Sioned, Meryl and eight others of the Biology class went to see Franklinstein and told him that they were quitting Biology and wouldn't come back unless he apologised publicly to you."

"Wow what did he say?" I asked, smiling as I imagined the scene of the delegation confronting him.

"He went absolutely ballistic!"