Chapter 27
Cannon
"Come on," I said to Kevin Millington, also known as the man who owned the record label Hunter and I were signed to, as I followed him to his office. "You haven't even heard it!"
"I don't have to hear it to know that it's a bad idea," Kevin said.
"A bad idea?" I asked. "'Since when is my releasing a single considered a bad idea?"
"I mean, it's a bad idea to do it right now," Kevin said. "Hunter has been working on his album and when it gets released, which is soon, sales for him will be through the rough, but nobody will focus on your single."
I raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? I'm featured in two of Hunter's songs and if his fans hear that, they might want to see what my music is like."
"Sorry, Cannon, but it's just not happening," Kevin said. "Especially because of your bad publicity last month."
"That was last month," I pointed out. "And I apologized to my fans for the way I acted. Oh, and it wasn't like I was actually in that bar or drinking."
"But then the whole yelling at the paparazzi thing," Kevin reminded.
"In my defense, I was in a bad mood and their cameras were in my face," I said. "Can't you just hear my song before making the decision? I worked really hard on it and I really want my fans to hear it."
"I've said it already, the answer is no," Kevin said. "I'm sorry, Cannon, but we have to focus on Hunter's album right now."
"So in other words, I'm coming second place to Hunter, again," I said.
I always came second to Hunter. He was the big teen sensation while I was just known as his best friend. He got a national tour and I was his opening act. He was releasing his second album and I never released one album, only singles that I honestly weren't proud of.
"Cannon, you're not second place to Hunter," Kevin said. "When you release an album, we'll be focusing on you instead of him."
"How can I release an album if you never listen to any of my songs?" I asked. "This song, I'm extremely proud of it. I really want my fans to hear it and I think they'll like it. Can you please just listen to it?"
"I haven't got the time," Kevin said. "After Hunter's album release."
"Why am I even signed to this record if I can't make my own music?" I asked. "For other labels, they don't focus on one person when they're releasing their records. Just because Hunter's releasing an album, it doesn't mean our fans won't by my single. Just please listen to it."
"Cannon, the answer is no," Kevin said. "And if you keep asking, it will still be no."
"So that's it?" I asked. "I have to put my career on hold because Hunter's is more important?" I swear, if my contract didn't have a term of four years, I would have dropped it and produced my own music.
Kevin wasn't even considering listening to my song. I was really proud of it and Annalise thought it was amazing. I trusted her opinion and she knew exactly what my fans would like, since she was one before we met. Then again, she was my girlfriend, so I didn't know if it was easier for her to like my song.
"Hunter's career is not more important," Kevin said.
"Then just listen to my song," I said. "Is there anything I can do to get you to just listen to it?"
"Yes," Kevin said. "You can not ask again and just wait until Hunter's album is released."
I couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, whatever. I'm used to being second place. I'll just go to my girlfriend's house because she'll actually be willing to listen to listen."
"That reminds me of another thing," Kevin said. "You and your girlfriend. I'm sorry, but the record label doesn't approve of it."
"What?" I asked. "You're the record label."
"Not me," he said. "The publicity side. Many people aren't fond of her."
"How aren't people fond of her?" I asked. "She's the sweetest ever and if I recall, it was my fans who created the hashtag Cannalise. They love her, and I love her. What, do you expect me to break up with her just to make people happy who can't even make me happy?"
"Cannon, we just want what's best for your career," Kevin said.
"You don't understand," I said. "Annalise and I had to go through so much crap to be together. And if you really want what's best for my career, pardon me for bringing it up again, you would let me release a single."
"I'll give you a choice," Kevin said. "You want to release the single? End things with your girlfriend."
Was he being serious? Was he being freaking serious?! Why the hell did was this record label running a double standard for me and Hunter?
"You know what? Forget the single," I said. "Obviously I can't do what I want with the label, but Hunter can."
"Cannon...."
"Sorry, I can't talk anymore," I said. "Besides, you haven't got the time, right? No point of negotiating." Without another word, I walked away from Kevin and out of the recording studio. I hate that I was technically non considered here.
I was going to have to look at my contract and find away around it so I could get my song out there.
I got in my car and drove to Annalise's house. She told me to come over as soon as I talked to Kevin and since it was such a fail, I really had to go to her house.
I pulled into the driveway and knocked on the door. Annalise answered it with a smile. "Hey," she said. "How did it go?"
"Can I come in?" I asked, not wanting to answer the question right now.
Annalise nodded and opened the door for me to come in. However, she then led me out the backdoor so we could sit on the porch swing, where we normally did whenever we just wanted to talk.
"So...." Annalise said.
I sighed. "It didn't go good. The owner of my record label is so busy with Hunter's upcoming album release that he didn't even want to listen to my song. He kept saying that it wasn't a smart idea to release a single now, since people will be focused on Hunter's album, even though I think it will be fine. We basically have the same fans, so it's not like they're just going to buy his album or just going to buy my single. Then the owner also brought up how the publicity side of my label aren't that fond of you, though I don't know why, and he gave me a choice to release the single only if I end things with you, so I told him to forget about the single and I left."
"Cannon, I'm so sorry," Annalise said. "I know how proud you are of that song and I know how much you want people to hear it. It's an amazing song and I know everyone will love it. And thank you, for not ending things with me just to record the single."
"Of course I'm not going to end things with you," I said. "Especially for the single. Yeah, it's my career, but what will happen after I record it? People buy it, listen to it, and I go back to being lonely without you. Besides, I sort of have a plan."
Annalise furrowed her eyebrows. "What plan?"
I shrugged. "I have to look at my contract first, which I have a copy of in my email. I just have to pull it up on my phone."
"So you're going to go against your contract?" Annalise asked.
I pulled out my phone and began digging through my emails to find the contract. "I'm not going against it," I said. "There's this thing called a loophole. People use it all the time and as long as I don't go against what's stated in there, it should be fine. My dad did it once with his record label. I can't remember what he did it for, but I knew that he couldn't get in trouble for it because of the loophole."
"Okay, I'm trusting you with this," Annalise said as I looked through the contract.
I had to thoroughly read it a few times to make sure my plan wasn't going to go against it. And it wasn't. "I found my loophole," I said.
"What is it?" Annalise asked.
"I'm going to need someone to leak my song."
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You go, my baby Cannon. cx
There will be three more chapters after this. I can't believe I'm almost done this book. I'm going to miss Cannon a lot, but at least he will be in the spin-off. However, I won't be able to start the spin-off for a while because after this, I'm going to continue a book I had to unpublish. But in the spin-off, Cannon won't be a main character. I'll just say that the book is about, like I've said before, the first boy who asked for Hunter's autograph, and he just so happens to be Kevin Millington's son. And since his parents own the record label Hunter and Cannon are signed to, they'll show up from time to time with their ladies. cx Could still be their girlfriends, maybe their fiancees, and possibly wives. I don't know yet. cx