When Does Love Begin Pt. 01

Tall for a girl, he guessed she would be just a few inches shorter than his 6' 1". Her long dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a pony tail which allowed him to glimpse her profile and told him how attractive she was.

Sitting down her figure was a little more difficult to make out but he could tell she was slim and athletic.

"Can I help you, young man?"

The voice from behind the counter jerked him back from his distracted state.

"Oh right... yeah sorry." He smiled and glanced back at the girl who now had her attention rivetted on her phone.

"Pretty isn't she?" The woman serving smiled at him knowingly.

Jackson blushed, "Yes, yes she is."

"You're new around here aren't you?"

He nodded forcing himself not to turn back to stare at the blonde, "Yes, we've just moved in to..."

"Number 27?" The woman behind the counter finished his sentence for him.

"How did you know?"

"It's a small-town sweetheart. Everyone knows everyone around here."

The way she smiled at him told him that the comment wasn't meant as nasty and that the town was a friendly place to live.

"I'm Marjorie Williams, I own the Coffee Pot." She continued.

"Oh right.... Jackson, Jackson Maitland." He held out his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you Jackson." Marjorie grinned and grasped his outstretched hand, "Now what can I get you?"

After placing his order for two Cappuccino's Jackson stood to the side where he could see the blonde but she wouldn't notice him.

He was still there when the door opened and a brunette walked in, going straight over to her. The two of them clearly knew each other as they embraced like old friends and immediately settled into an easy conversation after placing their order with a young waitress.

A couple of minutes later he, reluctantly, left the café with the coffee's his mother wanted wondering who the girl might be and if he would ever see her again.

"Back." He shouted as he walked through the door.

"Did you get the drinks?" Emerging from the kitchen his mother asked.

"Yep."

Passing one across to her the two of them found some space amongst the chaos to sit down and take a break.

"This will take us ages to sort out." Jackson stated with a tone of irrevocability, looking at the mess that surrounded them.

"Once we get going it will soon be done." His mother said cheerfully, "But make sure you remember to fill in those forms for college."

"As if you'd let me forget." He grinned trying not to think of the mass of paperwork he had to take in to the admin office on Monday.

"What do you fancy for dinner? Chinese, pizza or fish and chips?" Changing the subject, she asked her son.

Jackson laughed, "Easy one mum, pizza every time."

Picking up her phone Melissa Maitland ordered their dinner while her son picked up the large brown envelope and, taking out the thick sheaf of paper, started to answer the various questions.

"Dinner will be forty-five minutes." She told him, going back out to the kitchen to continue unpacking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing in front of the mirror on Monday morning Debbie couldn't help but smile as she studied her reflection. Just as her mother had predicted she was wearing her favourite jeans, ripped at the knee and thigh, along with a scoop neck peach coloured top.

Her long blonde hair was tied back in a pony tail while the minimum of make-up emphasised her blue eyes.

"I'm off mum." She called from the front door.

"You're going in early?" Wiping her hands on a tea towel Christine appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"Yeah, I'm meeting Michelle and I need to drop those forms into the college office." Debbie grabbed her bag off the side and giving her mother a kiss on the cheek she set off.

Stopping briefly to collect her friend the two girls continued on towards the college.

"Have you thought about the dance?"

Debbie shook her head, "Not really, I've been too busy but I don't think I'll go."

"Oh, come on. You might meet someone."

She snorted derisively, "I doubt that very much. All the guys at college are from round here. In fact, we went to school with most of them."

Michelle chuckled, "True, but you never know."

"Will you go?" She changed the subject away from herself.

"Danny Griffiths has asked me so I suppose I could go with him."

"He's been after you for ages. I don't know why you don't just go out with him."

"I suppose I could." Michelle sighed ruefully, pausing as they reached the college gates.

The three four-storey brick building were situated around a square concourse with the sports field and a gymnasium situated at the back of the complex.

"I'd better drop these in to the office." Debbie grinned and waved the thick sheaf of papers in front of her friend, "Before I find myself in trouble."

"But you could go with Nathan if you wanted. I could get Danny to ask him to ask you." Michelle suddenly blurted out.

"Nathan Tanley? Tell me you're joking?" Debbie looked at her friend and exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong with him?"

"The guys only interested in one thing, getting his leg over."

Michelle grimaced, "Oh come on, he's not that bad."

"Really? Ask Tiffany Bateson. The bastard dumped her as soon as he got what he wanted." Debbie was getting angrier as she responded.

"Fair comment. I'll catch you later then Debs."

The pair separated and as her friend walked away Debbie pushed her way through the side door and into the myriad of rooms and corridors that comprised the main building. Her mind still filled with disbelief at her friend's suggestion that she go to the dance with Nathan.

Unfamiliar with the layout she had thought the administration offices were close to this end of the building but she had barely turned the first corner before she was lost.

"Shit!" She muttered under her breath and fumbled in her bag looking for the map all new students had been provided with.

Taking a moment, she studied the plan and quickly established that she had come in through the wrong entrance.

Cursing under her breath she started off again with her papers in one hand and a diagram of the college layout in the other. In her haste she was almost running now as she tried to orienteer her way through the maze of passageways before her first class began.

Focusing on the map more than looking where she was actually going she didn't see the figure in front of her as she turned into another corridor.

"Look out!" A voice got her attention but it was too late.

"What... oh shit!"

Not really expecting anyone else to be in the building she rushed around the corner and collided forcefully with someone hurrying in the opposite direction. The pair of them ending up on the floor with the papers they were carrying scattered all around them.

"You fucking idiot can't you look where you're fucking going."

Scrabbling to pick up everything she had she didn't bother looking up and simply cursed whoever it was she had run into.

"Now you've messed all my bloody papers up. It'll take fucking ages to sort them out."

"I'm really sorry. Are you ok?" The other person spoke again.

The fact it was a deeper voice startled her and she immediately looked up, straight into a pair of mesmerising blue-grey eyes, and simply forgot to breathe as her heart started to race.

"I err... I'm... fine... thanks." Stammering and trying to get her pulse rate under control, she stared unable to take her eyes off him.

She had never seen him before and she knew for certain she would have remembered him if she had.

He was obviously quite tall and she thought he was really cute with a mess of brown hair flopping forwards across his eyes. Eyes that had captivated her from the first moment she had lost herself in them.

"It wasn't all my fault." He stated simply.

The sound of his voice jerked her out of the trance she had been in and reluctantly tearing her gaze away from him she continued to randomly snatch up paperwork off the floor.

"Yes it bloody was. You're the one who wasn't looking where they were fucking going."

"Neither were you."

"Bloody cretin. You aren't supposed to be in here now anyway." Debbie continued on regardless, her heart still thumping against her ribs, "So it has to be your fault."

"That's a little unreasonable. You are in here to."

She knew she was partly in the wrong but her reaction to him had unsettled her and, desperate to get away, she continued her tirade.

"You're just a stupid arsehole. You need to look where you're going."

Standing open-mouthed he gaped at her as she started to walk away.

"Hey don't you..."

"No, I don't. You bloody idiot, keep your eyes open in future."

Throwing one last insult back over her shoulder she stormed away down the corridor leaving the cute guy staring after her.

As soon as she began walking away she felt guilty. She had been rude to him when, in reality, she had been as much at fault as he had. She wanted to look back, to see if he was watching her, but somehow she resisted and, while keeping her eyes fixed ahead of her, she added a little more wiggle to her hips.

It was when she reached the admin office that Debbie realised she was missing half of her forms and instead she had a pile of papers with the name Jackson Maitland on them.

'Bugger it.'

She thought to herself before she went in to try to sort out the mess she found herself in.

Explaining the situation, she got herself an increase on her deadline until the end of the day for getting her forms back. Then, with that done, she headed off to her first class knowing she would have to find her missing paperwork at lunchtime.

"Where the fuck have you been? You've missed all the fun." Michelle grabbed Debbie's arm as soon as she met up with her back at their first class of the day.

"At the admin office, why? What's happened?"

"Everyone's talking about him, well at least all the girls are."

"Talking about who?" Debbie asked, now thoroughly confused.

Her best friend stared at her as if she had just come back from outer space, "The new guy. Apparently, according to Abbey Greenwood, he's really hot although I haven't seen him myself."

"Do you mean Jackson?"

Michelle stared at her open-mouthed, "What... how do... you... his name's Jackson..."

"Yeah, I think it is if that's who you're talking about."

"What... you've not met him, have you?"

Debbie grinned, "Yeah, we literally ran into each other in the corridor a short while ago. I ended up on the floor trying to pick up all the papers we'd dropped."

"Oh my god! What's he like. Is he gorgeous like Abbey said?"

She laughed out loud at her friend's question, "I suppose he's cute-ish but the idiot knocked me flying and now he's got half of my paperwork and I have half of his."

"Cute-ish? What the fuck does that mean?"

"I guess it means he's ok but I wouldn't say he's exactly drop dead gorgeous." She knew she was lying as soon as she said it although, for the life of her she didn't know why.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Time to get up sleepyhead or you'll be late."

Rolling onto his back Jackson groaned. Every muscle in his body ached from the week-end he had just spent, unloading their belongings from the van on Saturday and putting everything away on the Sunday.

"Can't I start tomorrow instead?"

"Very funny and no you can't." His mother told him, "Breakfast in ten minutes."

Struggling out of bed he headed for the bathroom and a quick shower before getting dressed.

Taking slightly longer than the prescribed time she had given him he sat down and picked up the mug of coffee that she had poured out ready for him.

"Have you filled in all that paperwork?" Melissa asked, peering at him over her own cup.

"Yeah, I did the last of it yesterday evening." He confirmed, "I just have to go in a little earlier than normal to give it in at the office."

"Well, you better get a move on then."

Jackson sighed to himself realising he couldn't put off starting his new college any longer.

"Not sure what time I'll be back."

"If you're going to be later than six make sure you let me know." His mother told him.

"Sure mum." Collecting his things Jackson slipped out of the door.

It wasn't a particularly long walk and about fifteen minutes later he was standing outside the college. Pausing for a moment he surveyed the buildings. He had only been to the place once before; when he had enrolled and apart from a brief tour around the campus he had spent all his time in the admin centre.

Looking, he tried to remember the layout in the three four-storey brick buildings that were situated around the square courtyard. Of course, he remembered that there was a sports field and a gymnasium at the back of the complex.

'Admin office first.' He thought to himself and entered through the wrought iron gates

Trying to recall the layout from his one and only visit he thought he remembered that the administration offices were at the far end of building 1. Going in through the main entrance he went right and, after a couple of wrong turns, he found what he was looking for.

Taking in his completed forms Jackson spent a few minutes making sure he had everything filled in properly only to be handed another wad of papers that needed his attention.

"If we could have these back by the end of the week please Mr Maitland." The rather young and pretty assistant who had been dealing with him said, biting her lip coyly and fluttering her eyelashes.

Ignoring her attempt at flirting with him Jackson despondently gathered up the latest set of forms he needed to fill in and left the office.

Now he was lost. Needing to find his first class he pulled out the map of the complex he'd been given and started to walk, plotting his route through the maze of corridors.

Focusing intently on the map rather than looking where he was going he almost didn't see the figure in front of him as he turned a corner into another passageway.

"Look out." Stopping dead in his tracks he called out a warning.

"What... oh shit!"

The blonde girl he had seen in the café was coming the other way, clearly not expecting anyone else to be in the building she wasn't looking, and collided forcefully with him. The impact caused the pair of them to end up on the floor with their papers mixed up and scattered all around them.

"You fucking idiot can't you look where you're fucking going."

Sitting on his backside he stared at her as she scrabbled to pick up everything she had dropped without even bothering to look at who she had barged into. Simply cursing whoever it was who had had the misfortune to be in her way.

"Now you've messed all my bloody papers up. It'll take me fucking ages to sort them out."

There was no hint of apology or concern as to whether he might have been hurt in her voice, just a tirade of insults aimed at him.

"I'm really sorry. Are you ok?" Jackson finally spoke, keeping his tone soft.

She immediately looked up, straight into his eyes and as he stared back into the two vivid blue pools he forgot where he was.

"I err... I'm... fine... thanks." Stammering a response to him that he barely heard, the pair of them gazed at each other for several long seconds.

Seeing her up close he realised his assessment of her in the coffee shop had been correct, she was utterly gorgeous.

She was as tall as he remembered, probably just a few inches shorter than his own 6' 1" and with her blonde hair tied back he could see her face clearly for the first time. Her eyes were a deep blue and reflected a warmth that surprised him, given the way she had berated him, while her rather aquiline nose and wide mouth just added to her appeal.

He could feel his stomach forming into a nervous knot as he knelt just a couple of feet in front of his dream girl.

"It wasn't all my fault." Wanting to break the silence that had fallen over them he stated simply.

She stared at him and began to randomly snatch up paperwork off the floor.

"Yes it bloody was. You were the one who wasn't looking where they were fucking going."

"Neither were you."

"Bloody cretin. You aren't supposed to be in here now anyway." The blonde girl continued on regardless, "So it has to be your fault."

He smiled as he tried to understand her one-sided logic.

"That's a little unreasonable. You're in here to."

If he hoped for any sort of apology he realised he wasn't going to get one as she continued her tirade.

"You're just a stupid arsehole. You need to look where you're going."

Standing open-mouthed he gaped at her as she started to walk away.

"Hey don't you..."

No, I don't. You bloody idiot, keep your eyes open in future.

Throwing one last line back over her shoulder she stormed away down the corridor leaving him staring after her.

'What a bitch.' He thought revising his opinion of her; she might be gorgeous but she was an absolute cow.

Gathering up the remaining pieces of paper strewn around he kept his eyes fixed on her disappearing form, watching the sway of her perfectly formed bottom.

It was when she was gone and he started to organise the forms in his hands that he realised he was missing half of the papers he had been given. Instead, he had several sheets with the name Debbie Randall on them.

"Shit!" He murmured under his breath.

Knowing he would have to somehow find her to retrieve his missing forms while returning hers now filled him with a sense of foreboding. She hadn't been particularly friendly or approachable earlier and now he had to go and speak to her again.

He hadn't had many girlfriends in the past and those he had dated had all been fairly casual, even Kirsty hadn't been particularly serious. None had sparked any sort of romantic feelings, not like the obnoxious Debbie Randall, and he now wondered why he was so interested in her.

The same thought was still in his mind when he reached his first class.

"Hi. You must be the new guy?" The only person in the room held out his hand, "I'm Nathan."

"Jackson." He took the other boy's hand in a firm grip.

"Do you play football?" Nathan enquired.

"Certainly do. Played for my last college as a central defender."

"Well, if you're interested in trying out our trials are next Wednesday night."

With a smile Jackson nodded, pleased that he was already breaking the ice, "I'll do that, thanks."

"Oh, and there's a fresher's ball on the seventeenth. Great chance to find yourself some young fresh meat, if you get my gist." Nathan smirked meaningfully.

"Are you going?"

"Might do, there's a particularly tasty little blonde I wouldn't mind getting a piece of."

Jackson wondered if he meant Debbie Randall, and found himself feeling unexpectedly jealous if it was her that Nathan was talking about.

"Maybe, I'll see." He left things open and found himself a seat as the class began to fill.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Coming to eat?" Michelle asked as their last session of the morning ended and the lunch break started.

"No, I better go and find Jackson to sort out these papers."

The brunette grinned at her, "Oh, its Jackson now is it?"

Debbie blushed, "Well, that is his name and I kind of need to apologise."

"What for?"

"I was really rude to him earlier and it was partly my fault that we ran into each other."

"Maybe I should come with you." Michelle suggested hopefully, "Just in case he's rude back to you."

"I'm sure I'll manage." Debbie chuckled and collecting her things strolled out of the classroom.

Unsure where to look for him she decided to start in the college cafeteria and was pleasantly surprised to find him sitting alone in the far corner. He was reading a book with the tables nearby filled with girls trying and failing to get his attention.