Amidst the chatter, bursts of laughter, and overlapping conversations filling the room, a voice cut through the noise, laced with excitement yet uncertainty.
"Yeah, I'm thinking of starting the podcast soon, but I'm not sure," Hailie said, her tone contemplative as she glanced at Maddie.
Maddie, who had been mid-sip of her drink, nearly choked. "Wait, really? You're actually going to do it?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
Hailie nodded, a small but determined smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, I decided to just go with it. It's going to be called Just a Little Shady. And—" she hesitated for a second before locking eyes with Maddie, "—would you be willing to do it with me?"
Maddie gasped, clutching her chest dramatically before breaking into a grin. "Of course! It would be my honor. I honestly thought you would never ask."
The two girls giggled, feeding off each other's excitement as they mentally mapped out their podcast plans.
"But who should be our first guest?" Maddie mused, tapping her chin. "Maybe your dad?"
Hailie quickly shook her head. "No, I don't want him to appear that early. We need someone who can bring the viewers, like, truly make us big. Someone unexpected."
That thought seemed to silence them both as they sat there, thinking hard. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off, Maddie's head snapped to the side.
"I got it," she said suddenly, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Hailie, intrigued, followed her friend's gaze. The moment her eyes landed on the person Maddie was staring at, she, too, broke into a knowing smile. They turned to look at each other before nodding in perfect sync.
"Ethan! Ethan!" Hailie's voice rang through the air.
Ethan, who had been deeply engrossed in his phone, barely hearing the scattered conversations around him, snapped his head up at the sound of his name. He blinked, momentarily disoriented, before turning slightly to see Hailie and Maddie both looking directly at him. The others around him—Billie, Finneas, and the two other girls—were still lost in their own conversation, paying no mind to what was happening on the other side of the room.
Ethan opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but before he could, Billie chimed in.
"I'm sure he didn't hear you. If he can't do it, I'd be happy to fill in." Her tone was teasing, but there was a hint of satisfaction in it, as if she had already decided Ethan would say no.
That, of course, only made Ethan react faster. "No, I'm good. I heard. I'd be delighted to do it," he said smoothly, shooting Billie a smug look, as if challenging her to try again.
Instead of looking annoyed, Billie only grinned at him, which somehow made Ethan feel like he had walked into a trap.
Hailie, oblivious to their silent battle, beamed. "Ooooh, thanks so much! I assure you, the podcast is going to be fun. I can't wait. I'll text you the details later."
Ethan, still feeling like he had just agreed to something he hadn't fully processed, blinked. "Podcast?" he repeated dumbly.
"Yes, the podcast! It's going to be so much fun!" Maddie chimed in, her excitement practically bouncing off the walls. She and Hailie immediately dived back into their conversation, their voices blending into a flurry of ideas and plans.
Ethan just sat there, stunned, trying to piece together what had just happened. He barely had time to process it before he caught Billie giving him another one of her grins. He narrowed his eyes slightly, throwing her a mild glare. What is her deal? he thought.
Before he could say anything, a voice cut through the room from behind him.
"No way you did that!"
Ethan turned his head, his gaze shifting toward the other half of the room—the side where the legends stood. There, laughing and talking animatedly, were Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and about a dozen other rap heavyweights. They had practically claimed that section of the room as their own, their presence commanding an invisible divide.
When they had first entered, both groups had mingled, snapping photos and exchanging pleasantries. But somehow, as time passed, an unspoken separation had formed. The veterans on one side, the new-generation artists on the other.
Ethan had wanted to walk over—who wouldn't want to hang out with them?—but when he noticed how the others in his group had instinctively settled in their spot, he didn't want to be the only one to get up and cross over. Instead, he stayed put, listening to the ongoing conversations but mostly zoning out.
Then, just as he was about to glance back at his phone, he heard a voice—his name.
"Ethan! Ethan, my man! Come here!"
Ethan turned fully now, and there he was—Eminem himself, waving him over.
For a second, Ethan just stared, processing.
Then he felt the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes on him as everyone—his group, the legends, even Billie—turned to look at him.
As Ethan made his way over to the group, he was greeted by the sound of laughter and lively conversation. The room was filled with energy, the kind that only comes from a group of legends hanging out, comfortable in their element. He spotted Eminem at the center of it all, a smirk on his face as he gestured for Ethan to come closer.
"Ethan, my man! Get over here," Eminem called out, his voice carrying over the chatter.
Ethan grinned as he reached them, offering a quick "Hey" to the group. He could feel the weight of their attention on him—Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, and a bunch of other industry heavyweights, all looking relaxed but engaged in whatever was going on.
"We're betting on the game," Eminem explained, nodding toward the massive TV screen mounted on the wall. The Super Bowl fixtures for later, and the room was split, half rooting for the Los Angeles Rams, the other half backing the Cincinnati Bengals. "You in?"
Ethan hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… I'm not really sure. I don't know much about the sport."
Before he could finish, 50 Cent burst out laughing. "I told you! I knew he wouldn't bet."
Dr. Dre chuckled along. "Leave the kid alone," he said, shaking his head before turning to Ethan. "Hey, it's not compulsory, man. You don't gotta bet."
But before Ethan could nod and decline, the words just slipped out: "I'm going to."
The reaction was instant. 50 grinned and leaned forward. "That's the thing, kid! That's what I'm talkin' about."
Eminem, however, gave Ethan a more measured look. "Yo, Ethan, for real, if you don't want to, don't feel pressured. It's just for fun."
Ethan exhaled, thinking he'd back out, but 50 Cent wouldn't let up. "C'mon, let the kid bet! It's just a little something," he said, pulling out his phone. "Here, Ethan, get your app open. Stake is solid. Let's get you set up."
The others chimed in, hyping Ethan up, their energy infectious. Even though he had no clue what he was doing, he found himself nodding. "Alright, yeah," he said, opening the app on his phone.
A collective cheer rang out.
As Ethan set up his account, the guys started debating the game, each throwing in their predictions and justifications.
"The Rams got this," one of them said confidently. "Defense is too strong."
"Nah, man, Bengals are hungry. Burrow is gonna ball out," another countered.
"Yeah, but Stafford finally has his chance. He ain't lettin' it slip."
The conversation bounced around as Ethan, still clueless, listened to them argue. His fingers moved through the app, setting up his account. Finally, he looked up. "Okay, I made the account. Now what?"
50 Cent clapped him on the back. "Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about! Now, who you betting on?"
Ethan hesitated again. "Uh… I don't know. Who are the favorites?"
"The Rams," Eminem answered. "But betting on them won't make you much money."
50 Cent leaned in with a grin. "Yeah, that's why I put 500K on the Bengals."
Ethan's eyes widened. "Wait, what?" He turned to Eminem. "How much did you bet?"
Eminem shrugged. "Same amount, but on the Rams."
Ethan blinked. His mind was reeling. 500K? That was insane. But before he could process it, 50 Cent kept going.
"We still learnin' here, kid. Dre there? He bet a mil on the Bengals."
Ethan's head snapped toward Dr. Dre, who simply nodded, looking entirely unbothered.
The rest of the group was still hyping up their choices, throwing around numbers like they were playing with pocket change. Ethan, meanwhile, was still stuck on the fact that people were casually betting a million dollars.
He exhaled, turning back to his phone. "Uh… okay then. I'll go with the Rams."
He scrolled to the betting section and typed in $20,000 to convert into crypto. He was about to place the bet when 50 Cent peered over his shoulder and immediately burst into laughter.
"Nah, nah, nah! At least add one zero."
The room erupted into laughter. Even Dr. Dre cracked a smile. Ethan gave 50 a skeptical look, but the group's energy made it hard to resist.
Eminem sighed. "C'mon, guys, let him bet what he wants."
Ethan, still feeling the peer pressure, sighed and added another zero. "Fine."
The cheers grew louder as 50 Cent grabbed a drink and handed it to Ethan. "That's more like it! Let's go, kid!"
Ethan chuckled, taking the drink as everyone continued laughing and celebrating. The atmosphere was electric, and for the first time, he was really feeling part of the moment.
Still caught up in the energy of it all, he went to place the bet. His thumb hovered over the button as he laughed, still watching 50 and the others, who were hyping each other up.
Then, without realizing it, he accidentally pressed another zero.
He barely noticed as he hit 'Place Bet.'
The transaction processed.
Ethan took a sip of his drink, still grinning
Sorry for the late chapter but i was really sick but im getting better now hope you enjoyed the chapter