Cause and Effect

Part 16

~Elizabeth~

Wow.

That was all I could think when I walked out onto the balcony and spotted Brent and Jake getting all hot and star seeing together. They were like goddamned rabbits, those two! I have wanted them to get together since they met, but they both just said "No! We're just friends!". I knew different.

I called it from the beginning that they would end up together. They didn't know it at first, but me being as awesome as I am, knew. I sighed contently as I realized everybody was happy.

Hahaha, just kidding.

We were all stressed as hell and ready to rip our hair out. I decided that I wanted to go work out and found myself in the hotel gym in a sports bra and nike shorts with new sneakers on. I was about thirty minutes into my workout when somebody else came in to join me.

Oliver.

Gag me with a spoon, I thought to myself as he came over and stepped on the tredmill next to mine. I arched a brow at him and he just stared back at me.

"What are you doing down here?" I asked.

"I wanted to work out." he said unconvincingly.

"Bullshit. What are you doing here?" I demanded again- he scowled.

"Do all of you have such bad language?" he barked.

"Don't you go acting all high and mighty, dickwad, tell me why you're down here." he sighed in exasperation.

"I wanted to come down here to make sure you were okay. I didn't want you down here on your own." he said levely. My blood boiled.

"I. Am. Not. Weak! I can take care of myself!" I was almost yelling but didn't care since we were the only two people in here.

"I know that, but I was worried and wanted to make sure." he snapped back. I was taken back. Oliver worrying about me? I couldn't fight the tingles that thought sent up my spine. Shutup, hormones.

"Oh..." I groped for something to say. Oliver stared at me expectantly. "Well don't get in the way of my workout." I said averting eye contact. He nodded and we both began running. I ran for a long time, enjoying the feel of my legs aching.

"So Oliver," I panted, now jogging. "Are you even a real art teacher?"

"Yes, but my dad is friends with Mr. Dickson and when he needed somebody to keep an eye on Lilly, my dad offered me up." He said back. The bastard wasn't even out of breath. Ugh.

"Does that piss you off? To have to be babysitting some college kids while somebody else is doing the job you want to?"

"Well, as much as I say that you are, you are not children. I, myself, am only 24. Yes, I would love to be back at school, painting, I don't hate you guys. I find your group fairly amusing. Even that Brent chick has her times. As much of a dark and cynical bitch she is." I laughed. He wasn't far off, he was just being over exaturative about it.

"One thing still bothers me." I said, loosing stamina.

"What?"

"How on earth are you not even out of breath in the slightest way?" I turned off my work out machine and grabbed some water before going to stretch. I heard a chuckle behind me.

"I'm in really good shape."

"Are you implying that I'm not?" I quirked a brow, though I was turned the other way and he couldn't see.

"No, I'm implying that you don't train like this almost everyday and I do." I scowled lightly.

"How do you know I don't do this everyday?"

"Because you wouldn't be as red as a tomato and panting after a 45 minute jog."

Damn.

He had me there.

"Okay, smartie pants, what about me? What questions do you have about me?"

"Well, let's start off with family. Do you have any?" I didn't miss a beat.

"I have a brother and two sisters, and a mom and dad. My dad is in Afganistan and my mom works on a military base." I held a hand up to his slightly quirked mouth. "And don't ask me how I'm not athletic like they are, because I have no freakin clue. I also have two dogs at my parent's and an evil rabbit at the loft." I responded proudly. He hesitated before responding with an adorably confused expression on his face- his brows scrunched together.

"Aren't all rabbits evil?" I laughed hard. The statement itself wasn't very funny, but his odd expression was.

"No, rabbits are evil, my rabbit is the spawn of Satan himself!"

"BRENT HAD A RABBIT?!" he yelled, clearly joking. I laughed so hard my sides ached. When I could finally breath again, I chastised him with my finger as if he was a two year old.

"That's not nice." I said, unable to keep a straight face. "And you're distracting me! I have to go do sit ups." I groaned.

After about fifty sit ups and weight lifting, I felt like I was going to die from pain and exhaustion. I laid on the ground and looked at Oliver, who was watching me with an amused expression. I rolled my eyes and wanted to sock him in the arm for being a dick, but couldn't move.

"I hurt everywhere and feel like death." Oliver laughed. "Is it normal for my face to hurt when I talk?" He laughed again and shook his head before standing up and helping me to my feet.

"Let's go. You're friends would kill me if you died on my watch." he sliped an arm around my waist and the spots where his body touched me were on fire. Damn it, I did not want to feel anything for this asshole! Still, I didn't want to hobble and groan with every step even more than I already was.

"Thanks." I mumbled incoherantly. He nodded and smiled as we made our way to the elevator.

"Hey, Oliver?" He looked at me. "You're not so bad." I said before walking out as quickly as I could so he wouldn't see my little school girl expression.

****

A/N: See, now is Oliver really all that bad, now?

Yes?

Oh... nevermind then...

-Kelly