A Safe Bet

"John O'Callaghan?!" Aimee exclaimed. "You are tutoring John freaking O'Callaghan?!" She dropped the cashmere sweater that was in her hands on top of Harlow's bed and let her jaw drop to the core of the earth.

Harlow furrowed her eyebrows and said, "Yeah, so?"

She was typing up her essay on Grapes of Wrath on her Macbook as she let her best friend, Aimee Johansson, come over. Aimee only cared for two things: getting her Ph.D and looking good while doing so. She truly cared about the latter, considering she was a pure genius at school, so not as much effort was given to the former.

"Har," Aimee scoffed. "You do realize that John O'Callaghan is a stud, right?"

She shrugged her shoulders, scrolling through her five page long essay to see if she remembered any of the errors that she may have made. Her essay seemed a little bit more important to her than talking about the boy she would be tutoring. "I don't see it."

Aimee's jaw, if possible, dropped even lower and she suddenly plopped down on the bed and she dramatically gasped. "Harlow Peterson, what am I going to do with you?"

Harlow glanced at her friend and she raised an eyebrow. "Aimee, I think you are being a little bit dramatic. I mean, okay," She sighed. "John is somewhat attractive, but he's really not my type. He's like my sister...only male and he flirts more."

Aimee suddenly sat up and she sighed. "Harlow, this is like, a gift from God."

She stood up and walked around the bed to the desk that Harlow was working at and suddenly shut her laptop. Harlow gasped, "AIMEE!" She turned around wide eyed and stared at her friend, "That was my essay!"

"Your essay can wait, honey." Aimee sat down. Harlow felt like smoke was billowing out of her ears. If it was more John-talk, then she didn't care, because he was just a boy who needed tutoring and would help her look good on college apps. They were both in a win-win situation.

"John O'Callaghan was assigned you to be his tutor because God destined for this." Aimee said, sounding like Professor Trelawney from Harry Potter.

"Uh--" Harlow started. "No, Mr. Rockwell decided this..."

Aimee ignored her. "John O'Callaghan and Harlow Peterson, the schools hottest couple--"

"What are you--" Harlow was confused and amazed at how theatrical she was. Aimee, though normal most of the time, did that a lot, which was entertaining for the most part.

"You two will start out like this: you dislike him, he doesn't care for you..." She trailed off, her eyes set to the tree outside the window. "Then one day, you both will realize that you two were meant to be together, and run through the halls and into each other's arms, where you two will share a sweet kiss..."

"Oh, my God." Harlow rolled her eyes. "Aimee--"

"Shhhhh," Aimee exclaimed. "It's perfect," She sniffled and then tore her gaze away to see Harlow's reaction, who looked completely unamused.

"Was that the prophecy?" She asked, rolling her eyes again, but chuckling slightly. "Aimee, seriously, screw becoming a doctor, go act."

Aimee laughed and sat straight up on the bed. "No, I'm serious Har, it's bound to happen. You will end up liking the boy."

"I doubt it." Harlow shrugged, turning around to go back to work on her essay again. "Like I said, John is like Elena...if she and I never got along, what makes you think that John and I will get along?"

"Uh, because he's a boy." She said, as though it was the most obvious reason in the world. "Plus, every girl has fallen for his for his charm. That boy is literally Prince Charming."

Harlow shook her head. "Well, I'm not every girl. I care about getting into Yale where I will meet a boy like Emmett Richmond, the guy in Legally Blonde," She added to Aimee's confused look, "and marry him and we will have intelligent kids together. In case you have not noticed," Harlow huffed. "John O'Callaghan is no Emmett Richmond."

Aimee rolled her eyes and said, "Destiny does not work like that."

Harlow gave Aimee a look and replied, "Destiny works with the choices that you make. I will never do anything with John O'Callaghan, therefore, your little prophecy will not take place."

"Prophecies always happen no matter what, though." Aimee pointed out. "You are the biggest Harry Potter nerd I know. You've read the third one, where they go back in time to save Sirius and Buckbeak. Trelawney's prophecy said that 'Voldemort's servant will return to him' or something like that. No matter what they tried to do, Pettigrew still escaped and returned to Voldemort, thus making the rest of that series happen."

Harlow stared at Aimee. "Aims, you are taking this way too seriously. Chill out. I am not going to do anything with John because personally, I don't like boys like John, alright? Case closed."

Aimee plopped down on the bed and sighed. "Fine, but if my prophecy is at least somewhat true, you owe me."



"Hey man," John high five'd Jared as they left their classes. John from english and Jared from math.

"Wanna hang out later?" Jared asked, dangling his keys in his hands.

John shook his head. "Nah, I've got to go meet up with Peterson." He felt excited. Jared said goodbye to him and John made his way towards the table that he decided was best fit for their study session. He sat down and leaned back in the seat, waiting for Harlow.

"I didn't think you'd be here before me," John turned around and saw Harlow, resisting the urge to let his jaw drop. She looked amazing with her hair down and the light Arizona breeze flowing through it.

Harlow sat down and started to take out her books that definitely were not related to Psych. John furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Um, aren't we gonna do the packet that Ms. Hastings assigned?"

She raised her eyes to look at him and she said, "You are going to do the packet that she assigned. I have mine done."

"She assigned it three days ago!" John exclaimed, getting more awed the more he learned about Harlow.

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I finished it during the block period in which she assigned for this to be finished in. Now do your work, John."

John scoffed and he took out his packet and pencil, writing his name down. He glanced back up at Harlow and saw her intently studying something math related. He watched as a strand of hair flew into her eyes and she brushed it away.

Harlow must have felt him staring because she looked up and they made eye contact.

"So, Harlow," John commented, tapping his pencil against the table. "There's a party--" But she instantly cut him off, an annoyed look on her face. He was surprised, girls usually, when they heard the word 'party' would listen up instantly.

"No, John." She shook her head. "Whatever you want me to do, I'm not going to do it. I am your tutor."

John smirked. "Why not? Those perky little things definitely won't be getting anything if you sit around and do..." He eyed her breasts and peered over to see what she was working on, "calculus and over achieve on your assignments."

Harlow raised an eyebrow, ready to fire back but John shushed her. "It's just a party, Harlow. Loosen up. Harvard won't hate you for it."

He didn't understand how Elena could be so much like himself, a partier, a flirt, a person who lives life to the fullest with fun and adventure. Then looking at Harlow, a girl who over achieved on her homework, stayed in on days where he partied out just to study. He didn't know how two sisters could be so opposite.

"It's Yale, actually," She corrected him. "And no thank you, I would rather do my calc homework than get shit faced." She smiled, slightly.

"It's fun though." He smirked again. "Come on, why won't you?" He asked, leaning in so he could get a better look at her, but Harlow didn't budge.

"I just don't. Now please, John, you and I both would like to go home in an hour or so, so please at least get two pages done." She said, punching something in her TI-84 and writing down the answer, then glancing up at John who peered at her strangely.

"Do you need help?" Harlow asked, leaning in to look at his blank packet. John shook his head. "Just let me understand, Har--"

"Low," She finished her name for him but he ignored her.

"What's the worst that could happen? I mean," He shrugged. "I would never let anything happen to you."

"And why would you be that person for me?" She asked, curiously, honestly not believing it. John shrugged again and he replied, "Because you're my tutor. You're saving me from failing. I'd just return the favor."

Harlow stared at him for a second but she shook her head, "As much as I appreciate the offer, I'll just pass. Our relationship hasn't reached that point yet, John."

"Relationship, eh?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "We have a relationship?"

Harlow rolled her eyes, propping herself on her elbows. "Tutor...student relationship."

He chuckled and said, "Okay. Another time, then." She nodded her head. He noticed a glimpse of relief in her eyes and the spark inside of him dimmed a little. He wished it worked the first time. It usually did with other girls.

John sighed and leaned back, tapping his pencil again.

Harlow Peterson was definitely a harder target than he expected. She was right when she said she wasn't like other girls.