At nineteen, Maris carries more than just the weight of adulthood-she bears the scars of a painful childhood, shattered friendships, and the heartbreaks that have chipped away at her trust. Walled off from those who care about her, She feels like a stranger in her own life. But when a chance encounter pulls her back to her hometown, memories she had buried begin to resurface, forcing her to confront her darkest moments. Through unexpected friendships, letters left behind, and a budding romance that pushes her to open up, Maris embarks on a journey of healing. Piece by piece, she learns that mending a broken heart takes more than just time-it requires courage, forgiveness, and the willingness to face the past head-on. Scars And Serenity is a moving story about resilience, personal growth, and the beauty of rebuilding what's been broken.
Maris's pov
Rush hour in School was always a bitch and hurrying to the bus stand to be able to find a tricycle or shuttle bus to take me to my faculty was nerve wracking. I made it to school in the next fifteen minutes which was better than usual. it'll get worse once it was noon so I might trek to my faculty because there's no available bus to the faculty of arts.
Vibrant yellow and red dressed the tree limbs lining the main paved sidewalk along the brown bricks padding the faculty building walls as I paced along after giving the tricycle driver the money for my ride.. Crisp air and earthy leaves filled me to my core with each breath and my handbag and note book clinged to my side as I finally focused on my smart phone to send a reply to Jude's last text.
"Hi how was your night?"
"Was fine and yours?"
A voice called behind me out of the blue as I hit send "Maris"
i Stopped and turned.
Cleopatra ;my classmate from secondary school.
"How far"
"I'm good, you?" I replied as I touched her braids in admiration. "Wow I like your hair"
"Thank you"
"Do you have lectures this morning" I asked her
"Yes, lexicology and you?"
"I have Chinese anyways I'll see you later" I said with a nod
Ping
My phone beeped as I walked away from Cleopatra. i glanced at my screen a smile stretching from my lip as I read each word
"Fine. Anyways let me know when you are less busy so that we can hangout. Talk to you later"
"Have a nice day then. Can't wait to see you" I replied.
Upon entering the building, hiking the hallways and reaching the lecture room, I swung open the door and I saw no one. I found my way to a sit and sat down. I waited for thirty minutes and decided to check the class group on Whatsapp, I did and I realized the class was cancelled.
"Fuuuccckkk!!"
Here we go again. I've wasted another money for transport when there's no class.
I grabbed my notebook and headed to the lecturer's office to submit my assignment. As I approached my lecturer's dark walnut frame and veered into the room. The deep stain formed towards the vaulted ceiling forming square beams amongst the flawless white drywall. Textured grass coated the row of windows lining the wall ahead but failed at blocking the golden hour rays from penetrating their panes.
"Good morning, Mr Luke's"
His mahogany irises peeled from his stalk of papers as I handed my assignment across the timber of his desk. He looked at it and dropped it on his desk as I stood there.
I exited his office and headed outside the faculty to my lodge to rummage my closet in search of a nice outfit to wear later in the day to see Jude.
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Jude's pov
I'm in love with my best friend and to this day she has no idea. I keep hiding it from her because I have a lot of things going on in my life and I want to figure myself out before I lead her in.
Even now I can't shake the incessant fluttering in the pit of my stomach while reading Maris's text agreeing to hangout with me later in the day.
Mondays has always been my day off in school because I barely have lectures to attend. So I spent most of my time alone in my lodge. Thankfully my roommate Nate isn't home to keep me company. Despite his absence, his voice still swirls through out my head "Make a move or cut her loose,man. you are torturing yourself"
When I met Maris in my first year. My roommate always knew I liked her. Sometimes he would bank on the idea that she would be the girl I end up with. Although she and I weren't together in the way o want us to be. I'm still happy she's in my life as my best friend at least. Well I can't wait to see her so that I can spend time with her.
We hadn't had a movie night in a long time and I miss her cooking. She always picks horror movies but I never care as long as I get to be next to her.
_______________________________
Maris's pov
Grrrrrrrrrrr
My phone rang as I woke up from my siesta as I picked up my phone from my side table and saw Jude's name on the screen.
"Hello" I said as I picked up and placed my phone on my ear
"Maris where are you I'm close to your lodge"
"What" I screamed
"Yes Aren't you ready"
"I I I am" I stuttered as I sprang up from my bed and headed to to my bathroom.
"Ok you'll see me soon"
"Yh"I said as I hung up the call
I showered quickly and put in my clothes ( a black tank top and baggy pants) I picked out earlier. I applied my lip gloss, packed my braids and wore my perfume.
Thirty minutes later he was already at my door and we left.
- At the restaurant -
We choose a table and sat down
"What would you like to have? Should I call the waitress"
"Yes sure, I'll have Panella seafood rice and climax" I said
"Ok" He said as he gestured to the waitress to come
"So gist me what's popping?"
"Nothing just chilling this school is stressful I can't wait for this semester to end"
"Yh I can relate"
"I want to sleep over at your place tonight"
"well that's not a problem but I'll let you on one condition"
"Which is?"
"You'll make pasta for me"
"Wow so we are now setting rules and regulations for each other"
"That's your business what I know is that you'll make pasta for me "
"Okay I've heard "
After eating we talked for a while and we headed to his place.
I met Jude during my first year in school and ever since then we've been friends; I do refer to him as my best friend. It all started when I went to my friend's place to crash for sometime because my lodge was having issues with electricity and as at that time he also lived in the same building with that friend of mine (Precious).
Jude was interested in her while I was interested in Jude's friend known as Victor and I think that his friend might have liked me back but then things didn't work between Jude and my precious neither did it work out between I and his friend.
It was during one of the times I and his friend would have an argument and I would come to Jude to help me talk to him that we started bonding. We became friends and I enjoyed spending time with him, for months.
But the truth was that at a point I started getting emotional towards him like if he missed my calls and didn't call back I would be so upset.
-At Jude's place-
We had dinner and watched a little bit of Netflix before we decided to sleep since it was getting late.
The side of Jude's body combined with his arms around my shoulders warmed me better than the flickering glow around the room as I laid by his side. My heartbeat thumbed in the veins of my neck as he stroked my lower lip with his soft thumb.
it's unreal that Jude and I are in this situation. I won't lie I have thought about kissing him before. However it always sat in my gut as wrong because I was once interested in his friend and he was once interested in my friend.
Whenever those feelings came up I would dismiss them as being hormonal. I didn't know what I'd do without him and I would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship. Despite that he is just as in board with this little experiment as I was at the moment and judging by the sweet time he's taking, he's rather enjoying it
Jude's thumb slipped and my lower lip snapped back into place. He raised my chin and pressed his lips against mine. A high energy surged through my core as the dose of kiss spiked every sensory level.
Our mouths peeled from each other so slowly that they practically stuck together as our body melted. My eyes flustered and I gassed through the freckles under his nose into the thick abyss of pitch black crafting his irises.
"Should I stop?" he whispered to me.
I paused for a minute and I could have said no but I wanted him so bad "No don't stop"
He grinned and leaned in for another kiss. I settled in to his embrace that much more. The tip of my tongue graded his lower lip pulling a groan from the core of his vocals.
He suddenly tugged me on his waist "Get up here"
I shot to my knees and climbed over the top of his lap. the thick bulge in his shorts settled against the fabric guarding my clit and it's pressure only slightly eased the throb.
I put Jude's mouth back to mine and he fondled my ties where the hem of my dress ended his hands sliding along the silk of my skin was more of him that I ever thought I would experience but I'll be damned because I don't want it to stop; best friend or not.
The shiver of his tongue and lips suddenly captured my left nipple I moaned with the humid air and clasped a tight fist of his hair. With the suction on my tits the pressure of his dick rubbing against my clit and his hands sliding along my ass and his sugary kisses and he held my neck and kissed me hard I could cum, hell I want to however would that be weird?
"Jude" I uttered
He must have not heard me
"Jude" I muttered again
"Did I do something wrong" he asked
"No..... it's just....." I stuttered as I searched my brain for excuses without finding any.
"I'm sorry " he whispered as he curled back into bed to sleep.