Bubblegum

Part 10

Eden sat in one of the conference rooms of the record labels building, across from Louise, Matt and Bryan, listening to them talk about her album. It gave her a small smugness, knowing that she had an album already done and up her sleeve. Her phone buzzed in her lap, and she glanced down, seeing a text pop up on the screen.

'Can't wait to see you tonight xx' Eden smiled at the message from Jake, quickly typing back the same sentiment.

"Eden, dear, please pay attention, this is your career we're laying out in front of you." Bryan tapped on the table in front of her. She put her phone into her purse, folding her hands on top of the table. "Thank you."

"So, Eden, we have a couple of songs written, and this one, we're really excited about!" Louise slid the paper across the table for her, lyrics written on it. Matt pulled up his phone, and music started playing. It was sad, melancholy and Eden read the lyrics on the page.

'You came into my life and changed it,

now you've disappeared and I'm lost.

I thought you were going to be a perfect fit,

I took a chance at love and look what it cost.'

"Wow, that is....depressing." Eden glanced up at the writers. 'And not very good.' she thought to herself.

"Well it's a breakup ballad, it should be depressing." Matt rolled his eyes. He was the least patient person on her team, having bickered with her over his writing the last time he and Louise wrote for her.

"No offense, but this sounds like something a third-grader would've written in their journal when their crush didn't tag them on the playground." Eden tossed the lyric page back on the table.

"Eden!" Bryan snapped. "That's an incredibly rude thing to say."

"It's also the truth." Eden shrugged. She was feeling more comfortable and confident in her skin since her trip to the mountains with the boys, and knowing that her own music was in her hands, ready and waiting for the moment to shine was the icing on the cake. "This is my third album. Are you guys trying to make sure it's going to flop?"

"We've been working really hard on this, Eden." Louise shot a glare across the table towards you as Matt paused the music on his phone.

"Not hard enough. This is disney channel drivel." Eden pushed back from the table, standing up and grabbing her bag. "Bryan, you should look into new writers. Louise and Matt are past their prime, and they're not going to make you any money on this album."

As she walked across the room she turned and looked at Bryan again, giving him a sweet smile.

"Is Mark Ronson still a thing? Maybe give him a call, he's done wonders with Miley Cyrus. Or get that Ed Sheeran duet, that'd be great, thanks! I'll see you next week." and with that, Eden left the conference room, squealing internally at how cooly defiant she just was. As she waited for the elevator, she heard her name being called, and turned, seeing Bryan storming towards her.

"What on earth has gotten into you?" Bryan hissed, lowering his face to be eye level to her. "That was completely uncalled for!"

"No, Bryan, it's absolutely called for." Eden seethed. "For six years, I've played the part of the sweet, doe-eyed pop princess. I played along, recording songs about gyrating my hips against random men at clubs and trying not to puke at the not-so-subtle allusions to sucking their dicks. I've had my clothes, my hair, even my food choices made for me and I'm done, Bryan." the doors had opened and Eden stepped in, pressing the lobby button and the close door button. As they shut, she spoke once more, standing firmly in her resolve. "You get one more album from me, we're at least going to make sure it's not the absolute fucking garbage you normally shit out."