Status: Finished. Thanks for reading! :)

A Safe Bet

apologies

The only thing she wanted to do was sit in her room, with her sister by her side, and watch Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray on their screen, and cry about how she would never be able to get a man like Patrick.

Harlow climbed out of her car, after making a quick trip to Basha's to get ice cream and candy, and she made her way inside of her house.

Her mother tried to speak to her again, but she tuned it out. She blamed her about what happened to John. It was all her fault, and it would take some time for her to forgive her mother.

She made her way to her room and set the grocery bag down on her bed and she sighed. Where was Elena? She said she would be back 'soon', but she never specified when 'soon' was. It had been forty five minutes.

Getting John out of her mind, Harlow wanted to spend time with her twin. It had been so long since that had happened last, and she honestly missed it.

They had their differences, but they were sisters, nonetheless.

Harlow and Elena would always been on the polar opposite sides of the spectrum. It was amazing that they were twins, because nobody ever thought they could get along. Elena being the outgoing and social one, while Harlow was the brains and the wit.

For a long time, even through high school, they never really got along. For a while, Elena was actually really rude to Harlow, making fun of how she never went out to parties like she did. She once even said that she was a disgrace to the Peterson family.

There were only a few rare times when Elena and Harlow really shared a moment, and that day was one of them.

"Hi, sorry," Elena came back, shrugging off a layer of her clothing. "I just had to talk to someone about important issues."

Harlow plopped down on her bed, and her sister followed suit.

"You're actually being nice to me." Harlow mumbled. "You're never this nice to me."

"That's because I can finally see what I've been doing this entire time." Elena said, turning to face her sister. "I've been a bitch to you for a long time, but you know I love you. We're sisters, for God's sakes."

She shook her head. "I haven't been here for you, Elena. This entire time--since what, you know, happened. God, I've been with John..."

Elena gave her sister a sad smile and she shrugged.

"I'm getting through it. I promise, I am."

Harlow rested her head on her shoulder and sighed.

"I hate everything. Life fucking sucks. I've been so absorbed in some stupid boy, when I should have been here for you. Mom was right."

She felt Elena's body shake as she laughed. She looked down at her sister and she said,

"I never thought I'd see the day Harlow Peterson would say the F word. I'll admit though, I really needed you, Har, but it was my fault. I pushed you away every time you tried to help."

"I could have been a better sister..."

"So could I..."

"Yeah, but I'm worse. I'm dying over a boy, and your life almost got destroyed." Harlow snapped.

"Hey," Elena put her arm around her. "Harlow, this is your first time with a boy. All our lives, you were the one huddled up in your room, studying. Hell, you still do that. For the first time in your life, you're experiencing heartbreak."

"Yeah, and the first time in your life you--"

"Can we please not talk about me, for once?" Elena spoke up. "I mean, I do this in therapy. I don't need to do it with you."

Harlow gave Elena a smile and she nodded. She had no idea what it was like to be her, and sometimes she kind of wished she did. But, then again, Harlow liked being herself, too. She just wished someone liked her, too...

"Let's talk about John." Elena said, suddenly giddy. "Sorry," She added, noticing. "Like I said, first time for you with a boy, and first time for me talking to you about said boy..."

Harlow let out a laugh.

"He's...he's John, Elena. I've never even dared speaking to a guy like him in my life. I stick to my AP Chemistry nerds."

Elena chuckled. "He's a tough one, that's for sure."

She shrugged.

"Things were going fine until he had dinner with mom and dad. Mom, being mom, told him that he wasn't good enough for me, and I think he took it to heart." She slumped back against her pillow. "I mean...it's stupid, though. I took John as the type of person to be rebellious. I thought he would at least fight for me--I mean, I thought he liked me..."

"Hey," Elena saw her sister almost fall into tears. "Like I said, he's just really intimidated by you. I mean, you're his tutor for a class as easy as AP Psychology, and you're the one taking six other AP classes."

"I thought we passed that point." Harlow said. "We were getting along so well. I even felt like--like you when he asked me to prom."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Look, John O'Callaghan is a player." She admitted. It really wasn't something Harlow wanted to hear. "He really is, but I think he might have some good in him. I mean, he completely changed after he met you."

Harlow shook her head. "I don't think so, Elena. I hate feeling like this. I never want to feel like this again..."

"You won't give him another chance?"

She shrugged. "I want to be asexual!"

Elena burst out laughing, causing Harlow to chuckle too. Her sister stood up from the bed and she went over to Harlow's closed door. Harlow looked at her, strangely, but Elena smiled and said,

"I think you should at least hear him out."

And then someone knocked on the door.

~

John paced outside, he had no idea what he would even say to her. I'm sorry? I fucked up and you have every right to kick me in the balls? He had no idea what words would be sufficient for someone like Harlow Peterson.

Nobody except Harlow and Elena was home, which gave him an advantage because he didn't want to see her parents.

He waited in the hallway, still unsure of what to say. The minute he heard Elena say the words, "I think you should at least hear him out," he knew that he had less than five seconds to think of something.

He knocked on the door.

Elena opened it but his eyes only found Harlow's. She looked shocked that he was standing before her, and Elena slipped past him and closed the door, leaving them alone.

"Hey, Peterson." He said, awkwardly.

"What--what are you doing here?" Harlow pulled her covers over her. He thought it was cute--she looked really small beneath the giant comforter.

John took a couple steps forward and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I--I came to apologize." He said. "I've been a real dick, lately, and you don't deserve any of it."

Harlow was silent.

"I guess I'm just a fucking coward. I don't deserve someone as great as you--your mother was right about me." John nodded his head. Watching her nonexistent movements just made him want to jump into that bed with her and hold her or something.

He hated himself at that moment.

"I thought you were better than someone who succumbs to the words of my mother." Harlow said, quietly. It was still just as harsh.

John closed his eyes and he nodded. "I told you, I'm a coward."

"I thought we were past this, John." She said. "I--I thought you liked me."

He felt himself stride over to her, and he sat on her bed. She shrunk back, but he couldn't help himself. He threw his arms up in the air, and his eyes were wide.

"That's fucking it, Harlow! Can't you see it? I'm crazy about you! This is why I am so fucking torn!"

She stared at him with her round eyes.

John stood up again and he started pacing her room.

"I'm not the guy that can guarantee your happiness. I'm a fucking dick, Harlow. You shouldn't be crying over me. I'm not worth your tears..."

He turned around. Maybe, if he tried to steer his feelings the other way, then she would leave him forever, and the bet would be called off. He couldn't keep doing this to her. He was insane about Harlow Peterson, and he didn't want to just watch how everything would just fall apart.

Harlow spoke up. "You're the first guy I ever had feelings for that had feelings for me back. I thought that we would have a sappy high school romance, like in the movies or something..."

He shook his head. "I'm going to hurt you, Harlow."

Harlow stood up from her bed.

"Then, why are you here, John?" She asked. "If you don't want to hear anything that I have to say? I think I can decide for myself or not. I spent this past year deciding whether or not you were the big jerk everyone made you out to be or not."

John stared at her.

He couldn't believe that he didn't ever remember Harlow Peterson. She was beautiful, smart, witty...she was everything he would never go for, but then would, just because he wanted to prove the world wrong.

"I'm sorry for not being the perfect person for you," Harlow mumbled.

John froze.

That one second, he made a split decision. That one second, when the girl he was going crazy for said those words. He couldn't believe that he would even try to let her go. Maybe he could do something.

He strode over to her and took her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips.

Maybe he could find a way to get out of the bet? His friends were nice to him, and they knew Harlow. They couldn't break the poor girl's heart like that. Maybe they would be considerate?

At that moment, John only wanted Harlow, and Harlow only. No other girl made him feel that way, and he didn't know if he liked it, but he did know that he liked to kiss Harlow.

They broke off, and Harlow stared up at him.

"I don't understand you..." She breathed. "What on earth do you want, John?"

John ran his fingers through his hair.

"See what you're doing to me, Peterson?" He grumbled.

"Where...where does this leave us?" She asked, touching her lips, still feelings the tingles.

"I still don't deserve you, Harlow." John said. "And the more I try to convince myself that I'm not falling for you, the more that I realize that I am."

"I'm still angry at you." She crossed her arms. "I'm not letting you off that easy."

A hint of a smile was on her face, but she still looked hurt. Fair enough, it was the first time a boy had ever messed with her feelings.

John smirked, suddenly feeling a little bit better.

"And I need to get out of this mess I'm in."
♠ ♠ ♠
I actually haven't written this story in months, it feels kinda weird going back to it.

Sooooooooooo, call me a bad person, but I got Pioneer (because it leaked). I don't want to like, plant a thought in any of your guys' heads if you haven't heard it yet, so I guess I won't say anything. But my favorite song is My Heroine...

Thank you for your comments! :)