Finding Peace

A Simple Quest

Clara rolled her eyes as she walked away with her college friends, remarking, "Man, that guy's so simple. Give him a flower and he will probably search how to keep it alive longer."

Clay watched her leave, still in slight disbelief. The answer had been so straightforward: jasmine. He couldn't believe he had spent so much time overcomplicating it. He huffed, a plan forming in his mind. A jasmine flower... He decided he would give Jude a jasmine flower and see how he reacted.

After school, Clay stood in front of the school, leaning back against the wall and smoking a cigarette as he waited for Jude to emerge. His mind wandered, preoccupied with thoughts of how Jude would respond to the flower.

As Jude finally appeared, yawning and making his way out of the building, Clay quickly stubbed out his cigarette, pushing it away as he stood up. "Hey, there you are," he said, his tone softer than usual as he walked over to Jude.

Jude glanced at him, looking slightly relieved to see Clay. "Yeah, let's go. It's too noisy here."

Clay nodded in agreement, falling into step beside Jude. The jasmine flower was tucked safely in his jacket pocket. "How was school?" he asked casually, trying to keep the conversation light.

"School? Same as always," Jude replied, shrugging. "What about you?"

"Same as always for me as well," Clay said, his tone reflecting his usual short temper. "Bored to death, stuck with the dumbasses." Then, his expression softened slightly. "Hey, I... got somethin' for you."

Jude looked at him curiously. "Hm?"

Clay reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the jasmine flower. "Found this when I was out a bit ago. Thought you might like it." He said, trying to keep his tone casual, not revealing that he had been on a quest to discover Jude's favorite scent.