"Well, sorry to be nosey," said Dionne very hesitantly," and I didn't really remember everything from the assembly, but do you still have a ...you know what, a thingie.....?" "A thingie?" I asked. "Yes you know," she said looking suggestively at the top of my legs. The Price To Pay - Vol. 4.12 - Answers by Alys

I sat in my temporary prison, staring at the mobile phone that had failed so far to bring me a response to my numerous text and phone messages.

Neither my Mother or my Father had replied yet, I looked at my watch and wondered if I would be spending the night in a police cell. There was a little over half an hour left before Jean's deadline expired.

I heard the noise of the rest of the team leaving. I cursed my bad luck in sticking to my usual routine and deciding not to have a shower straight after an evening training session. It would have been harder for Erica to make the accusations if I had been naked in front of the rest of the team. As I waited forlornly for some response from my family I pondered Jean's reaction in not giving me an opportunity to explain myself before locking me in her office.

I heard the door key turn, I hoped Jean hadn't already called the police as there was still almost half an hour before her deadline was reached.

The door to the office opened and Jean stepped into the room, looking much less antagonistic than earlier. She pulled out a chair and sat down opposite me. She looked at me for a few seconds as if unsure what to say. When she did eventually speak I was very surprised by what she said.

"Celyn, listen, I'm sorry for not letting you give your side of the story earlier, and for locking you in."

"Why?" I asked, unsure how to react.

"There is a lot going on here, that you don't know about," she said a little mysteriously," why don't you tell me more about yourself and then I'll explain how things work here."

For the next ten minutes I briefly outlined my story, including full details of my football career to date.

"I'm so sorry, and you had an offer from Man U too, that must have been hard to take," she said after I had finished.

"I was bitter for a while," I responded," but someone I met briefly showed me the importance of making the most of what life has offered you."

"It's good that you can be so positive," she commented," listen, come on down to the bar so that we can talk in a more relaxing environment. I need a glass of wine to unwind too. If you like I could get you one of their tooth destroying puddings, they are really nice and probably good for you, in small doses. I know that this isn't sufficient to completely apologise for earlier but....."

"I'm not sure," I said interrupting and still not sure how I felt about what seemed a complete volte-face," my Mum will be here soon to pick me up"

"I could give you a lift home," she suggested.

My mobile phone rang.

"What's up Celyn?" my Mother asked," I was just leaving to come and pick you up, sorry I didn't reply earlier I was in the garden clearing some of the autumn leaf fall"

I considered my options for a second and in the end sticky pudding triumphed.

"Oh Mum, it was just to to tell you Jean, the coach, said she will drop me home," I replied.

"That's great, Celyn, that will save me quite a bit of driving. I'll see you later then"

"Thanks for that Celyn, for giving me a chance to explain. I'm sure you'll enjoy the pudding" said Jean.

Ten minutes later we were sat down at a table in the quiet bar, Jean was sipping her glass of Cariad*, while I slowly savoured my hot treacle sponge pudding with cream.

"Celyn, let me say how much I am sorry for what I did. There are reasons for it," said Jean, speaking thoughtfully but clearly with sincerity.

"I'm sorry Jean, I can't think of anything that justifies locking me up for over half an hour. I feel like I've been treated as a criminal. In fact I was wondering if I would end up in a police cell tonight," I responded with the anger obvious in my voice.

"Yes, you are right, Celyn, it is hard to justify what I did and I understand your anger. This is the situation though. Erica made a very serious accusation against you and I panicked and felt I had to appear to be taking a hard line on you in front of her"

I opened my mouth to protest at her comments. She held up her hand, palm facing me.

"Wait, Celyn, before you say anything else, let me explain why," she said quickly," you need to be aware that Erica's Dad is the main sponsor of the team, he is also the chair of the committee that runs this sports centre. He also has many friends on the committee, his word carries a lot of weight.

I put my spoon down and concentrated on trying to understand the internal politics of Casnewydd Ladies AFC.

"On top of that his company pays my salary as part time coach and I work for one of his friends' companies in the city," she continued," it wasn't wise to make Erica an enemy as you did by taunting her in training, I understand why you did it though, she can be a dirty player as she is not really up to standard, although she has some strengths"

We sat in silence for a few minutes while I finished my pudding and considered whether I wanted to carry on playing for Casnewydd after my less than pleasant introduction to the team. On the other hand I knew that any hopes of playing for the school depended on being registered by a woman's team outside of school. There didn't seem to be any other option but to try and overcome the disastrous beginning.

"I understand the situation and why things happens. I am not happy at all about it though," I said," but assuming I carried on coming to training would I get to play?"

"If you want to continue to train with us I would love to put you in the team. You are the best girl player I have ever seen, of course I completely accept what you say about your legal gender. But the only fly in the ointment would be getting Erica on your side and I'm not sure how you could do that."

I finished my delicious pudding while Jean downed the rest of her wine. I considered how I could possibly befriend someone who clearly hated me already. Then an idea crossed my mind.

"Who's the team captain?" I asked.

"Jenny....Jenny Thomas, although she is off for a few weeks with a pulled hamstring muscle." Jean replied.

"Who's the captain on the pitch then?" I asked pursuing the point.

"I usually chose the player on the day," answered Jean, raising her eyebrows a little at the questions.

"OK I've got an idea, for the next match chose Erica as captain and play her as the centre forward," I said.

"What! she can't play as a striker she is much too slow and she isn't very tall." she responded.

"She can kick the ball pretty hard though," I stated.

"Yes," agreed Jean.

"Then play her up front and I'll create some goals for her," I explained.

Jean looked startled at the idea, but in a few seconds she had worked out my logic.

"Well yes that might be an idea, you certainly have the ability, I saw that earlier. Thanks for the suggestion, let me think about it." she said.

With that we left and made our way to her car. Jean entertained me on the way home with stories of other women's teams she had played for and managed. She also mentioned the prejudice, she had experienced, against women's teams in the male football clubs.

"I don't think they'll ever take us seriously until one of the top football clubs has its first woman player," she concluded as we reached my house.

I bade her farewell and she promised to phone me the next day to discuss my idea further.

"You have some fun, then, at training" said Siá´n, laughing, the next day in the car as he drove Seren and myself to school.

We had decided that it was too much hassle to go out of our way to catch the bus with Seren and now that his Mother was prepared to make a generous contribution for petrol costs the three of us travelled to school together. She had told us that it was well worth it to avoid Seren being bullied.

"It didn't feel like fun at the time," I said in reply to Siá´n's comment. I felt a little bit annoyed with him for not appearing sympathetic.

The rest of the journey passed in silence as Siá´n concentrated on driving in the driving rain and I sat and thought over the events of the previous evening, which I had not told my parents, fearing their reaction.

We were soon in school making our way to our relevant lessons. By lunchtime, after some stimulating academic sessions, the strangeness of my first training session with Casnewydd ladies had receded and by the tenth retelling in the sixth form common room had seemed to belong to another world of bigotry and ignorance that I had forgotten still existed.

I met Seren for lunch, Siá´n joined me and soon two girls from Seren's class, Dionne and Ffion had come along too. Seren had already told us that he had confided his TG nature to them and they had been supportive.

We ate our lunch, the usual uninspired, but filling meal.

"If only Jamie Oliver would chose our school for his next project," I said as I picked at my mostly tasteless Lasagna.

"I dunno," said Siá´n," I don't think we need Jamie Oliver, I think my Mum could do better"

We all agreed with Siá´n.

I heard some whispering and noticed Dionne and Ffion discussing something furiously.

"I can't ask that!" said Dionne a bit louder than she expected.

"What is it?" I asked, " what can't you ask? Don't worry us sixth formers are here to help you, don't be shy"

"Well, sorry to be nosey," said Dionne very hesitantly," and I didn't really remember everything from the assembly, but do you still have a ...you know what, a thingie.....?"

"A thingie?" I asked.

"Yes you know," she said looking suggestively at the top of my legs.

Three things happened in quick succession as realisation hit me like a wet sponge on the face. I burst out laughing, my chair overbalanced and fell to the floor with a clatter, almost taking me with it. I grabbed the table to stop falling, causing everyone's drinks to spill. I gained the instant attention of the whole canteen as everyone stopped talking to look around for the source of the noise.

My loud comment, "You mean my dick?!", echoed embarrassingly around the almost completely silent canteen.

* http://www.welshholidaycottages.com/food/llanerch-vineyard.htm