A Safe Bet

"What about this?" Harlow pointed to a shimmery green, floor-length dress. Aimee scrunched her nose up and shook her head.

"And I thought I took forever trying to find a prom dress," Harlow muttered. Her best friend shot her a look and exclaimed, "It's hard to look beautiful, okay, Har? You're lucky to be blessed with natural beauty."

Harlow rolled her eyes and her fingers touched every dress that she walked by. She still didn't like obsessively dress shopping–it was really nice to try them on and all, but she would just rather wear jeans or something.

"Who's your date?" Harlow asked. It seemed that she always forgot because Aimee dated so many different boys. It was hard to keep up sometimes.

Aimee rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd forget. Taylor Wilkens, remember?"

Right. Harlow continued to help Aimee find the perfect dress. In fact, it took forever. Harlow wanted to shoot herself by the end of it, but she had to be a good friend to Aimee.

She really wasn't used to this.

"So?" Aimee asked, as they sat down at a table outside of Chipotle. "How are things with you and John?"

A smile appeared on Harlow's face and she smiled.

"Good."

"That's it? It was good? What–I want more, Peterson! Have you had sex yet?!" She winked and made the people around them look at them strangely.

Harlow shushed her and said in low tones, "Things are good meaning, we're what I expected to be–we're normal. And no," she added. "We haven't done it yet."

"Define normal and why haven't you banged?" Aimee inquired.

Harlow rolled her eyes. "Normal meaning I don't feel so out of place anymore. I mean, I still don't belong in the party scene and all, but he makes me feel–well, as cheesy as it sounds, special. He really likes me and I like him, too. And," she sighed. "We haven't banged because we're not ready..."

"Okay, I hear you," Aimee nodded. "And why aren't you ready?"

Harlow sighed. "Because I'm not!"

"When will you be?"

Harlow was stumped. She never truly thought about sex. She never really had a boyfriend until John, so it never came up. John was not a virgin–Harlow didn't need to ask him if he was, it was obvious that he wasn't. So many girls in the last four years of high school and not one of them he had sex with? No. Not a likely answer.

It was a scary thought. She really liked him and what if he was really looking forward to sex? When would they do it? Would Harlow do it well? What if he didn't like it and decided to leave her?

She would be utterly heartbroken.

Harlow looked up at Aimee, who was watching her intently. Aimee knew that Harlow was a virgin and the topic was rather sensitive. She sighed and said,

"Don't worry, Har," she smiled. "If John really cares about you, then he'll wait."

"What if he won't?"

"Then he's not the one for you."

"What if I suck? No...pun intended..." Harlow added, causing Aimee to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

When she calmed down she said, "You probably won't. People normally aren't–I mean, it comes kinda naturally."

Harlow nodded. Those were some very good, reassuring words. "I wonder what he's like..." She wondered.

"He's probably awesome," Aimee shrugged. "And that's good for you because then you wouldn't have to do so much." She winked.

Harlow rolled her eyes again.

"I dunno," she shrugged. "I guess I haven't really thought about it...but now I am..."

"And...?" Aimee prompted.

Harlow shrugged again. "I don't really know. I guess I'll really think about it. I mean, prom is in two weeks. That's the soonest I can do it, right? I mean, to make the night really special. I have two weeks to think about it..."

And boy, did she think.

~

"I feel like I'm dealing with the Mafia," John said, tapping his foot uncontrollably. Jared rolled his eyes and clapped his best friend on the shoulder.

John was nervous, for some odd reason. What if he couldn't get the bet to be called off? What if they continue it and Harlow finds out or something? They were in the middle of the school's courtyard but that was the best place–in a quiet area, there was a likely chance for someone to overhear rather in somewhere loud.

"It's Eric and Jake, what is the worst they could do? Plus, Halvo is one of our best friends, he likes Harlow, and he's kind of a softie..." Jared shrugged his shoulders. "Jake is a douche but I think you can get through to him."

"I fucking hope so." John grumbled.

Jared was right, Jacob Whitney was a douche. He was the kind of guy that would do anything he possibly could to get a girl in bed with him. It was disgusting really–he put Barney Stinson to shame when it came to women.

It was a real jerk.

"Hey, man," Jake said, sitting down. Eric sat down next to John and he grinned.

"What is this, some official meeting?" He chuckled.

John rolled his eyes. "Look," he said, going right to it. "I can't do the bet anymore."

He glanced at Eric. He didn't look the least bit shocked–Jared was right, he liked Harlow. He looked at Jake, waiting his reply.

"Why not?" Jake asked.

"Harlow's my girlfriend now and I just don't think it's right to do that. In fact, this whole bet thing was stupid in the first place," John said, seriously.

"Well, now it's easier for you, isn't it?" Jake shrugged. "Now that Peterson's your girlfriend, you can sleep with her whenever you want. Just do it before prom and you'll get your money." Jacob stood up and something fueled inside of John, causing him to stand up and yell, "No!"

Jake sighed and said, "What's your problem, O'Callaghan? You get like two hundred bucks or whatever to sleep with a girl just so you could buy that fucking guitar or whatever you said."

John's jaw clenched.

"That's what you said, right? 'I would do anything to get my hands on that Gibson'." Jacob scoffed. "And what, we made that bet so you could get your damn guitar and you're letting this girl get in the way?"

"She's more that that," John said, quietly. "She's worth more than just a guitar."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "You know what happens when people let this kind of shit get in the way, right? You're in high school, man. You don't love this fucking girl. You want to be a musician? Go be a musician–then go find a girl."

Jake walked away, leaving John frozen. Jared and Eric were looking everywhere but him and they were unable to say anything. John turned around, feeling like kicking something, when he saw the girl who stood behind Jared all this time and heard the conversation.

She stared at him, flabbergasted. She turned on her heel and she started to walk away from him.

"Fuck," he cursed. He started after her.

"Elena!" He called. "Elena! Wait!"

Elena spun around and she slapped him.

"I cannot believe you," she hissed. "A bet? Harlow is a bet?!"

John held his cheek, trying to find something to say to defend himself, but Elena probably heard the entire thing. He slowly nodded his head.

"Oh, my God." She shook her head. "I can't believe you."

"I know!" John exclaimed. "I fucking know! It started out a bet but now it isn't! God, Elena, you, of all people, should know that."

Elena shook her head but she glanced up at him, a little bit more calmly.

In a low voice, she said, "If you even dare to have sex with Harlow just to get that fucking money, then you will lose everything you have–Harlow included, and I will make sure of it."

Elena turned on her heel and she walked away, leaving John in the middle of the courtyard, feeling like complete shit.