ode to life | cameron dallas

Chapter 39: Shawn

Shawn, 2026

Miami, Florida

"THANK YOU, MIAMI, FLOOORIDA! I LOVE Y'ALL SO MUCH!" The entire amphitheater vibrated due to the crowd's roar of the great Shawn Mendes' name. He gracefully exited the stage as he blew kisses to the crowd of 450,000.

Backstage, his crew congratulated him on the successful summer tour they had just completed, Miami being the final stop. They instantly popped champagne and passed wine flutes to Shawn and the rest of the management. All of them encouraging a Final Tour Speech from Shawn.

"Okay, okay," Shawn gave in. "Well first off, I'm just so happy that I even have this opportunity to give a Final Tour Speech. It's still unbelievable to me, till this day. I think my favorite part of it all, though, is that I can sing a song to a crowd of 85,000 people and they'll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons. It amazes me how many lives I touched and I don't know if the fans know this, or if any of you guys know this but each of you have touched me an emotional, life changing way. This is our experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world." He raised his glass up as the rest of the management cheered and clunck glasses.

"We're proud of you, Shawn!" They all shouted.

His manager, Bo Artis, swung his arm over Shawn's neck and directed him to a quieter place.

"I'm proud of you, son. Every year, you never cease to amaze me."

"Thanks, Bo. I can't thank you enough for... everything. I am so grateful for you, and the management, and just... this life."

"Boy, send your gratitude to God. He's the one that granted you with talent. We just discovered you, is all," Bo grinned.

"Of course," Shawn smiled. "Man, I just can't wait to get home and start packing for Europe. It's been a long summer."

"Europe?"

"Yeah. Spain. The wedding, remember? Cameron Dallas'?

"Oh! Was that this weekend?"

"It's tomorrow," Shawn said. "I'm lucky if I even make it to the reception on time. I should really leave."

"Wait, hold on, Shawn," Bo chuckled. "You can't go to Europe this weekend."

"What do you mean? The tour ends tonight, I made sure of it."

"Yes, and you'd know that the top tabloids and interviews will be all over you right after. Why are you acting like this all brand new to you?"

"Well then, I'd do the interviews and the appearances after the weekend. I have to go, Bo."

"You can't. I already scheduled you for Good Morning Manhatten first thing tomorrow and Oprah on Saturday afternoon."

"You got me on Good Morning Manhattan and Oprah on the same day?"

"Yes! You can't simply miss that."

"Well, I appreciate it, Bo. I really do. But you knew I was going to a wedding this weekend, so why would you book me all these interviews?"

"So I may have overlooked the wedding."

"This is really important to me, Bo. I'm going to this wedding tomorrow."

"Where you'll be is in Manhatten tomorrow. I'm your manager and I get final say."

Shawn was in disbelief. "Exactly. You're my manager which means you follow my orders. And I order you to reschedule those interviews right now."

"Shawn. Don't be so naïve. What? You're going to turn down the two most prestigious tabloids that will fuel your career for your stupid Magcon friends? Friendships that ended ten years ago, if we're being honest. You need to prioritize here, Shawn."

"I don't care. Since when did my decisions and what I wanted become irrelevant?"

"You amuse me, Shawn. You really do. You go on about how grateful and appreciative you are about this life but you don't fucking show it. I worked my ass off trying to get you a goddamn interview with these tabs, and you're going to go to them. Don't forget who you are now, and what responsibilities you have. You can't just run off to Spain with your childhood friends. Wake up, Mendes, this real life." With that, Bo walked right past him and joined the rest of the management in celebration.

Shawn stood there, appalled. He couldn't believe something this simple was even a dilemma. He ran his fingers through his hair and regressed a deep and heavy sigh, before joining the rest of his crew in celebration.