Chapter 1 - A Fresh Start

Jesse’s knee was fucked. At least, that was what the doctors had told him; although not in so many words. It meant that everything he had worked towards, for almost his entire life, was ruined. He’d ridden through college on a full sports scholarship and played football professionally. He was in the prime of his life, with big money starting to look tantalisingly close. Yet, that was never to be. It was both the best and the worst news that Jesse had ever had. But in either case, he knew that his entire future had just shifted onto an entirely different course.

Heading back to college seemed like the most logical choice for him. Unlike many of the other athletes he’d met over the years, he knew he had a good head for academia. Plus, at twenty-three, he still had a great chance of making a good career for himself. Then, without the added stress of training and games to play, Jesse knew he would also have plenty more time to really make a go of things and excel; taking on a PhD and three years of hard work ahead. His family thought he was insane. The injury had happened so recently, they thought he needed time to get used to things and try out other options. His younger brother was also trying to go professional and they wanted Jesse around to support and coach him. But Jesse had done things their way for far too long. He’d felt his father’s firm hand at his back throughout his adolescence, guiding him in a direction he had inevitably taken. Now that was all over, and it was time for Jesse to do something that was purely for himself.

Jesse had enjoyed staying in the dorms the last time round and believed that going back was probably the best decision for him. But whilst there was no way he was going to share a room with anyone again, he hadn’t quite realised the vast difference in maturity that he felt, in his mid-twenties, surrounded by people who, on paper, were only a few years younger than him. Being so much taller and built than the other guys, Jesse was well used to the impressionable young men following him around like some sort of god. representing everything they wanted to be themselves. He was also well experienced with the unsubtle flirting from girls; flicking their hair and gazing at him with longing. Jesse just wished that they would all leave him alone. They all looked at him; his broad chest, large biceps, athletic form and strong, masculine features, assuming him to be something that he wasn’t. They presumed that they knew what he would like, how often he liked to party, how much beer he could down in one go.

They knew the stereotype of the football jock, but no one knew Jesse. Not really.