The Bet (A Jodeci Story)

Chapter 40: Show Time!

-Monae POV-

Everyone finally showed up, and the crowd was huge. I mean packed. Not surprising though—people always come out when JoDeCi is involved. Still, my stomach was tight. I was low-key mad at JoJo, but this wasn't the time or place to deal with that.

"You ready, Savannah?" I asked, slipping up beside her and peeking through the curtain.

"Hell no," she said, blinking back tears. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Girl, the only thing you're doing is hosting," I laughed softly, trying to ease her nerves.

"Yeah, I know, but I still have a performance" she said with a shaky laugh.

"And with DeVante no less," I added.

She sucked her teeth. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Hi," DeVante said, walking up like everything was cool.

"Hi," I replied stiffly.

"Come on," Savannah said, grabbing DeVante by the wrist and pulling him toward the stage. "Let's just get this over with."

"Are they on speaking terms yet?" Chloe asked, sliding up next to me.

"Nope," I said. "But they gotta host, so here we are."

"So... I told my parents," Jade said quietly, joining us.

"And?" Chloe asked.

"My pops wants me to move out after the show," Jade said, rubbing her temples. "I don't even know where I'm gonna go."

"Damn," I muttered, pulling her into a side hug. "It's gonna work out. It has to."

"I know," she said, exhaling hard. "I'm just ready for tonight to be over."

"Wassup," JoJo said, walking over.

We all looked at him, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him a few steps away.

"So why didn't you tell me you were involved?" I asked quietly.

"I wasn't really involved," he said. "All I did was hold the money."

I narrowed my eyes. "So you were planning to sleep with me too?"

He hesitated. "Only if we ever actually started dating or something."

I studied his face, then nodded. "Okay. I'm over it."

He nodded back, relieved.

Savannah and DeVante came back backstage.

"Time for the boys to perform," Savannah said, her voice steady now—even if I knew she was forcing it.

*Two Hours Later*

The show was finally over.

People poured out of the auditorium, buzzing, laughing, pretending nothing happened. We headed backstage, exhausted—physically and emotionally.
Between conversations with parents, the principal, and each other, it was clear one thing hadn't changed:
The rest of this school year was about to be long.

Messy.
Awkward.
Unforgiving.

Only God knows where we go from here.

-JoJo pov-

The crowd finally cleared out, and the noise faded into that dull hum you get after adrenaline wears off. Applause still rang in my ears, but it didn't feel like a win. Not tonight.

I stood off to the side backstage, leaning against the wall, watching people hug, laugh, celebrate. It all felt fake. Hollow.

Monae caught my eye from across the room.

She looked tired—but calm. Like she'd already decided how she felt about everything. I respected that, even if it stung a little.

I walked over slowly. "You good?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Just... processing."

I nodded. Same.

"I should've said something earlier," I admitted. "I knew the bet was wrong. I said it was stupid."

"But you didn't stop it," she replied—not accusing, just honest.

I exhaled. "No. I didn't."

That one hurt more than anything else tonight.

She studied my face for a second, then sighed. "I don't think you're like them, JoJo. But silence still counts."

Damn.

"I know," I said quietly. "And I gotta live with that."

She gave a small nod. "We all do."

She walked back toward the girls, leaving me standing there with my thoughts. For the first time since all this started, I wasn't thinking about music, fame, or image.

I was thinking about trust.

And how easy it is to lose.