Status: Finished. Thanks for reading! :)

A Safe Bet

musicians and voluptuos ladies

Harlow ran her fingers through her wavy blonde hair in frustration, groaning as she stared at the numbers below her. How was she supposed to find 'x' in this equation when she couldn't even begin to grasp what all of the other numbers meant?

She let her head fall to the table with a thud and she closed her eyes. It was already past four o'clock and she was still at school. The librarian had was nowhere to be seen and the room full of old, dusty pages was empty besides herself.

Harlow sat up once more, mentally telling herself that she knew what she was doing before looking down at the problem once more. Within a few seconds her eyes had dilated and her mind was blank, her lips slightly parted and dumfounded.

"You know, that's a really good look for you." Harlow tore her eyes away from her page and looked up to find John staring at her with a smirk. She was so focused she didn't even hear him come in. The boy came up behind her and lifted her hips, pulling her on top of his lap as he sat in the seat she was previously on. "What's wrong, baby girl?"

Harlow sighed and her lips pulled into a pout. "I don't understand Calculus," she whined, burying her head into the boy's shoulder. She felt relaxed as she inhaled his scent.

John hummed quietly and she felt him chuckle. "Want me to do some math for you?"

The blonde pulled away and looked at the green eyed boy, cocking her eyebrow. "You know how to do Calculus?"

"Ouch," he laughed, shaking his head at the unbelieving tone in her voice. "I'm not stupid, you know?"

Harlow giggled and looked at him innocently, "I never said you were, silly."

John narrowed his eyes, "It was implied."

The blonde shook her head and smiled, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Were you serious about helping me though?"

He laughed, "Shit, I don't know anything about Calc, Peterson." The two laughed as he held her waist, her legs draped over his. "But, I will do some math for you if you want."

Harlow chuckled, "How so?"

"Here we go," John said, clearing his throat and adjusting her to where she was looking into his eyes. "You plus me plus Friday night plus a movie plus dinner, minus all of our friends...equals one amazing night to ourselves."

"That was your math?"

"Did you even listen to what I said?"

"That was so cheesy."

"Don't act like you didn't like it."

"You're kind of adorable, O'Callaghan."

"I'm gonna kiss you now, Peterson."

Harlow giggled as John pressed his lips to hers, giving her the softest of pecks. It wasn't too much or too little, just simple and perfect. She pulled away and smiled, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

"Friday sounds really nice, John," she said sweetly, brushing her hair behind her ear.

The boy smirked, "Perfect. Now, let's get you out of here because it is far too late for you to be stressing out about this work that probably isn't even due for at least a couple more days."

Harlow chuckled, "I don't like to procrastinate." n

John stood them up and Harlow began to pack her bags as he checked the time on his cell phone. He shoved the device back in his pocket and fixed his backwards baseball cap as Harlow put her bag over her shoulder and followed him out to his car.

"Why are you here anyways?" Harlow chuckled, realizing the rarity of this situation. John hardly came to school even when he was required to.

"I was actually on my way to get Shane from practice and I saw Elena's car here...and since you two usually ride with one another I figured there was a chance," John smiled triumphantly.

"Cheer practice should be ending soon," she commented, looking over to the football field where her sister was being tossed into the air. After a few months of seclusion Elena had decided to pick up her old pom-poms, and since then Harlow had noticed a definite change in her sister--a good one; she seemed happier again.

"You don't mind coming with me to get Shane, right?" John asked, starting the ignition to his beat up white truck.

Harlow shook her head and texted her sister, telling her not to wait. Her and John drove in a comfortable silence down to the local baseball fields where little league practices were still in session. They sat quietly in his truck as Shane played, just the breeze rolling through the window and John's hand rubbing circles into hers.

Harlow enjoyed moments like these with John--the moments of complete serenity. He, like her, didn't need to speak every moment to feel comfortable, but rather let the world around him draw him into peace. They were alike in that sense even though it seemed they were different in every other.

It had been a few weeks since their fight and Harlow had told John that they needed to take it slow--and as promised, he made sure they did. He would kiss her with pecks and hold her hand sweetly, but he kept it at that--which was exactly where she wanted it.

She still wasn't sure how much she completely trusted him after the fight concerning her parents. She knew what her mother said was completely wrong, and she hoped he did too, but she worried still that he didn't.

She feared that if she gave herself to him completely he would leave again, and that was something she wasn't physically or emotionally prepared for.

Harlow smiled nervously as Shane jogged over to them, throwing his bag into the back of the truck with a 'clunk'. He opened the door as Harlow slid into the middle seat, pushed up against John's side.

"Hey kid," John smiled, looking over at his younger brother. "You remember Harlow right?"

Shane nodded his head with a red tint to his cheeks, mumbling a quiet 'hello'. Harlow smiled as she realized she wasn't the only nervous one, though she was sure it was for different reasons. They drove down the road back to the O'Callaghan's, John and Shane discussing practice the entire way. She tried to listen in and make sense of what they were saying, but she honestly knew very little about the sport. She had only really seen maybe two games when her dad watched them when she was much younger.

He didn't have much time for anything besides work or Elena these days.

They pulled up to the home that Harlow had only been to twice before, grabbed their bags and walked in. Shane went bounding upstairs and John let his backpack fall to the floor, calling out that he was home. He smiled at her and grabbed her hand, leading her farther into his house. They stopped in the living room where Harlow recognized John's brother Ross watching T.V.

"Sup," Ross said, not tearing his eyes from the football game he had on the screen.

"Mom home yet?" John asked, walking over to a mini fridge the boys had by their recliner and pulling out two bottles of water, handing one to Harlow.

"Nah," the younger boy replied, monotone, his eyes still on the screen. "She called a few minutes ago though. She should be home by seven," Ross continued, finally glancing over to see her. "Oh, uh, hey Harlow..." he said quickly, running a hand through his messy hair and fixing it sheepishly.

She chuckled, "Hi Ross."

John gave his brother a weird look before gripping Harlow's hand and leading her upstairs. She got nervous as she heard Ross yelling at them frown down stairs in a teasing voice, "Keep your door open with girls in your room, Johnny!"

Harlow bit her lip as her cheeks flushed a bright red. They walked down the hallway at an easy pace, John's hand guiding her. Her heart was beating so quickly as nerves filled her chest. he honestly didn't know why she was freaking out.

Sure, she had been alone with John before--hell, he even stayed the night at her house the weekend her parents were away. But this, this was different. This was John. This was his room. This was his place that he could hide from the world, this was the place where he had all his deepest thoughts. No matter the act that he put on for everyone else...this was the one place where he was real.

And the last time she was in here, well, things weren't so completely innocent.

"Sorry," John chuckled as they walked in his bedroom. "It's kind of messy."

Harlow smiled softly; she wouldn't have expected anything else. His bedroom walls were painted a solid white and they were covered in posters of musicians and sports players, even a few voluptuous women. She kept glancing around the room, not noticing the boy's eyes were only on her until she looked at him. She bit her lip and blushed, adverting her gaze to the floor.

Sometimes he made her so nervous. But in a sense, that was exactly how she liked it.

*

John rubbed the back of his neck nervously looking at the blushing girl. "You can uh, sit you know."

Harlow's cheeks turned even redder and she looked to the floor and took a seat on the edge of his bed. He took off his baseball hat and ran his hands through his hair as he walked over to his bedroom door and shut it. He looked to the blood that was sitting uncomfortably on his mattress, gauging her reaction. Why was she so nervous? She had been in his room before.

Fuck, why was he so nervous? He had girls in his room before--and he had done far worse things with them than he and Harlow would be doing anytime soon. But God, she was Harlow Peterson...and she was in his bedroom. It was so difficult to not think about doing those things with her--especially after the last time...their last make out session. She was just so beautiful.

John smiled at the girl before tackling her onto his mattress and tickling her sides. Her laugh started echoing throughout the room as she tried to beg him to stop, but he didn't--and she didn't stop smiling. His fingers ceased after a few moments and he smiled at her, giving her a soft kiss to her forehead. John laid them back into his pillows, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back to his front, kissing her clothed shoulder.

The girl yawned and wiggled in his arms, forcing him to close his eyes as her butt rubbed against him. He was controlling himself so much. All he wanted to do was turn her around and kiss her everywhere.

"Let's take a nap," Harlow said gently, interlacing her fingers with John's.

John smiled and nestled closer to her body, inhaling her sweet scent. He nodded his head and softly kissed the back of her neck, closing his eyes and falling into a deep slumber.

He felt as if he had been sleeping for hours when he was woken up. He heard Harlow's voice whispering softly in his ear, but he couldn't see her. His room had gotten dark since they had fallen asleep, but the red clock next to him said that it was only seven.

"I think your mom is home, John," Harlow whispered, her lips pressing against his ear, causing chills to go down his spine.

"Mmm," he hummed in a sleepy tone. "I don't care, now come back and cuddle with me."

The girl giggled and pressed her lips gently to his neck, "I don't want you to get in trouble for being in here with me...in the dark, with your door shut, cuddling."

John laughed, "Trust me they've seen me doing worse things with girls in my room."

As soon as the words slipped from his lips, he wished they hadn't. Harlow had gone completely silent and his heart was racing a million miles an hour; why the hell would he say that? What was he thinking?

"Har--

"They don't call you Johnohh for no reason, I suppose," she said softly, her voice empty.

"I, uh...I don't know what to say, Harlow," John said lamely, hating himself for his words.

Harlow took a deep breath before sitting up and finding her way through the darkness to the edge of the bed. John turned on his lamp and watched as she picked her boots off the floor and put them back on her skinny legs. She stood up and faced him, placing her hands on her hips. "I should get home," she said, her lips in a tight line.

John stood up and walked over to her, grabbing her hands. "Harlow, come on don't leave...that was stupid."

She shook her head, "No, it wasn't John. That was the truth."

He felt his chest tighten and he closed his eyes. In that moment he wished he could take back every word he had just spoken, every meaningless girl he kissed, and all the stupid one night stands. He would take it all back just to see the hurt in her eyes go away.

But then he had an idea.

"Harlow, why do you like me?" John asked, praying this would work.

"What?" The girl asked, obviously upset.

"Why do you like me?" He repeated, staring into her blue eyes.

"I-I don't know, John," she mumbled, nervous.

"Well, do you know why I like you?" He began rhetorically. "I like you because you're beautiful, you're so sweet, too sweet. You love Harry Potter, you like to read. You listen to amazing music, you're smart," John smiled. "But most of all I like you because you give people chances...no matter what they've done. You believe in me. At least you used to."

Harlow licked her lips and looked up at the boy who was towering over her. He couldn't read her and he was terrified. "I like you because you're gorgeous," she began quietly. "I like you because you don't make fun of my nerdy ways. I like you because you think I'm pretty even when I feel disgusting. I like you because you brought me soup when I was sick. I like you even though you are genuinely a dumbass half the time. I just...I like you because you're so much more than you even know, John," she sighed. "You have so much potential--you are one of those people that can do anything they want and succeed. I-I look up to you."

John felt his cheeks turn bright red and he leaned over, kissing her harder than he had for weeks, smiling when she kissed him back.

They pulled away and he bit his lip, looking at the girl he was falling so hard for. "Don't judge me for my past, Harlow. Please, just...help me with my future."

The girl laced her fingers with him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her tight, promising himself that by the end of the week, the bet would be done and Harlow Peterson would be his girlfriend.
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clothes.

1. I am SO sorry this has taken so long. My computer has been broken for the past three months or so and I haven't had it fixed yet, but I'm trying to write whenever I can. You can send me hate mail, I totally understand.
2. YOUR FEEDBACK NONE THE LESS HAS BEEN AMAZING. You guys truly are fantastic. We love to hear what you have to say and appreciate the comments so much.
3. Kind of a filler, but I thought after all this time maybe you guys could use some cute John/Harlow moments.
4. How do you guys think they are together? Do you like them or ultimately think its a setup for disaster.

Let us know here!

xoxo ketely

PS. I'm also trying to get an update of Telescope Eyes up by the end of the week!