No Rhyme or Reason

Chapter 6

I spent the weekend analyzing his lyrics. I thought it might only take me an hour or so to analyze, but I quickly realized that there was so much to unpack in the song. I understood now why Jax didn't like people reading his song. It was personal to read someone's lyrics; It was like taking a look into their mind. Even after I was done reading through it multiple times, there was still so much I didn't understand.

But the things Jax talked about in his song made me nervous, too. There were comments about drugs and sex, but also his home life. I got that that was rap. During the battles, there was so much swearing and comments about sex and drugs. I just wasn't used to it. I was embarrassed to ask him about his lyrics. I wondered if everything he talked about in here was true.

After my class was done Wednesday morning, I made my way to the library. I had a ton of homework to do. I had an english paper due early next week and I wanted to get a good start on it. I sat down at a free booth in the back corner of the library away from everyone else and spread my books and laptop out on the table. I had a couple hours until Jax was supposed to meet me here at lunchtime.

I opened my laptop and started on that paper. Halfway through, I got frustrated with my hair getting in my face so I threw it up in a messy bun on the top of my head and then stuck a pencil in it out of habit.

When I wrote, I always found that the words poured out of me so fast that I had to learn to type fast so I could keep up with writing them all down. I was madly typing away on my computer when a voice startled me.

"This a bad time?"

I startled and looked up to see Jax standing over me looking at the table in front of me. I followed his gaze to see the mess of books and assignment papers scattered in front of me.

"Oh," I said. I grabbed the books and piled them on each other and shoved them into my bag.

"I'm almost done with my paper, so it's perfect timing."

He sat down across from me and I watched him as he took a moment to look around the library. When his eyes made their way back to me he nodded up at my head.

"You have a pencil in your hair."

"Wha-" I said as I felt my bun. I felt the pencil sticking out of it and quickly grabbed it and took it out, causing my hair to fall down around my shoulders. I was sure I looked like a mess. I hadn't even thought about my appearance today until now, sitting in front of Jax. I was kicking myself that I hadn't tried to look nicer. 

"Habit," I said and laughed. Jax had no expression on him face as he stared at me, which seemed like his usual default. He seemed to talk without any emotion in his voice and I could never read him. 

Jax looked away. "How's your wrist?" 

"It's fine," I said, moving my wrist back and forth. It felt much better already. 

My stomach growled and he raised his eyebrows. My cheeks felt warm. I hadn't eaten since breakfast early this morning.

"Have you had lunch? I asked him.

He shook his head. 

"Want to grab some lunch at the cafe? It's just down the hall."

"They have good food?"

"Oh yah," I said. He shrugged. I grabbed my wallet from my bookbag and stood up. He stood up to follow me but stopped.

"You're just leaving your stuff here?" he asked, looking at my bag and laptop sitting out on the table.

I shrugged. "Yah. Everyone does."

He frowned. "People don't steal it?"

I shook my head and laughed. "If they did I wouldn't leave it."