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Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from Istockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

Comments and suggestions are also welcome at the above email address.

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Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.01 - Concert Reviews

"Megan, wake up," someone said, and I was shaken lightly while lying in my bed. I groaned. I wanted to sleep for a lot longer. I'd been running at full steam for nearly a week, and now that the concert I had opened for Josh Holliday was over, I had started to crash.

"Megan," the voice repeated before I was shaken again. "The concert is about to start!"

That gave me more of a drive to get out of bed. As soon as we'd arrived home after the early morning flight, I'd changed back into my pajamas and dove into bed. Staying up late the night before hadn't helped matters any. But they were replaying my concert on TV tonight, and I definitely wanted to watch it.

I opened my eyes and groaned again. It was Emily, my best friend, trying to awaken me, and she was giving me a big smile, one of those smiles that are hard to say no to.

"What time is it?" I asked her before looking over at my alarm clock. The digits read 7:52.

"Come on," Emily said now that I was awake. "Your mom has food ready too. Come eat and watch your concert with us."

I groaned again, but I swung my legs out of my bed and stood up. I wasn't completely rested, but I felt better than I had earlier in the morning.

I stepped over to my vanity and peered at my image. I didn't look too bad. I'd fallen asleep wearing my makeup, but it didn't look like it had rubbed off much. After I quickly brushed my dark brown hair, I felt that I was presentable enough to leave my room.

I turned back toward the door. Emily was still standing there.

"Bathroom," I told her, and she nodded.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen." I returned her nod and followed her out the door, but veered into the bathroom before joining them in the kitchen.

"Hi, honey," Mom said and gave me a hug. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But I still feel like I could sleep for days."

She laughed, but gave me a loving smile. "You've been so busy for the last week, that I'm not surprised. Grab some dinner and come into the front room."

"Okay," I replied and grabbed a plate and started filling it up.

Once I had my food, I joined Emily at the door to the kitchen and we stepped through into the front room, where the TV was already on. It looked like some entertainment news show was currently running. I knew that the concert was not being replayed on one of the big broadcast networks, but I still couldn't believe that I was going to be performing on TV!

"We saved you the middle!" my brother Austin yelled from the couch. I smiled broadly. Not only was my whole family here, but they had also saved me the best seat, right in front of the TV, and right next to where Emily had sat down.

"Thank you," I told Austin and set my plate on the small coffee table. We rarely ate in this room, but apparently Mom was making an exception for tonight.

The only person missing was Ethan, who was my other best friend. Emily and I had met when she moved into the house next door when I was two, and we'd befriended Ethan in kindergarten. He had to go to a family dinner tonight, but at least he was there last night and got to see me on stage.

I sat down, waiting for the concert to start, and thought back to where my life had taken me over the last few weeks. Learning that I truly was female had been a huge shock, but one that I was starting to cope with. It was almost easier to cope with that than it was to cope with all of the ‘Sarah Carerra’ stuff that had taken over much of my life.

It had only been three weeks since I had sung karaoke at Johnny's party. His dad, Scott, worked for a record company, and I was signed within a week. Well, Sarah was signed within a week. Sarah Carerra was originally meant to be a way for me to keep my normal life out of the spotlight. But I had learned that Sarah was now an integral part of me. She was the part of me that loved to sing, that loved to perform.

Despite my exhaustion after the many days of hard work that I had gone through during the last week, I wouldn't trade it for anything. The choreography lessons, the studio sessions with the band, the concert itself...I still couldn't believe that this was my life!

"Are you okay?" Mom asked me while taking a seat on a chair next to Dad.

I looked up at her and smiled. "Yes," I replied. "I've never been better. I was just thinking about how amazing my life has become. I really love you guys."

"Oh, honey," my mom replied. "You know we'll always be here for you. We love you too."

I smiled again when I noticed that everyone else in the room was nodding agreement.

"Did you hear the good news?" Austin asked excitedly. I shook my head. I was totally oblivious to everything while I slept in my room throughout the day.

"Intuition was #1 on the countdown!" he continued excitedly.

"What?" I screamed in excitement at the same time that I felt a small sliver of despair. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah!" he replied. "You beat out Josh!"

And that was the cause of the despair. Despite the immense success of Josh's career over the last three years, he had never managed to have a number one song. He'd had many number two's, but it wasn't until three weeks ago, the week that Sarah Carerra came into existence, that he had finally hit the top of the charts.

Now, after only two weeks of being on top, I had pushed him down to second. This was definitely a blow to my plan to win him back. Despite any feelings he may or may not have for Sarah, I knew he wouldn't be happy about this. He'd been jealous when we talked about how we got started in the music business when he had taken me to dinner, just before I was his date at the Tween Awards. Now, I could picture that jealousy flaring up again.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, seeing the frown that had crossed my lips.

"Nothing," I replied. But she didn't buy that explanation and glared at me. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this from her. "It's just...I mean...I pulled Josh off the top! He'll never want to get back together now!"

Emily started laughing, which only made me feel worse.

"Megan!" she exclaimed. "Get real! Your first song is on top of the charts, and after only two weeks! Celebrate! We can worry about Josh later."

I grinned sheepishly, and then nodded my head. She was right. I may have already lost Josh anyway; so I should enjoy this moment for what it was. "'Intuition' was really #1?"

"Yes, Megan." This time the response came from my dad, who was also my agent and manager. I smiled back at him. I couldn't believe that it would become that big of a hit so quickly!

"Wow," I replied and sank back into the couch. I had a number one hit!

"Congratulations," Mom said, and I returned her smile with a short laugh.

"I can't believe this is happening," I told her.

"I can," she replied. "After watching you last night...I can."

"It's starting!" Austin interrupted. I turned toward the TV, and the program began with an intro to Josh's concert "with special guest, Sarah Carerra."

It then cut to a scene of Josh. It looked like a studio backdrop. It had to have been recorded before the concert. He welcomed everyone to the concert presentation, spoke for a moment on what to expect, and then did something totally unexpected by me.

He said, "Please welcome my good friend, Sarah Carerra."

Immediately, they cut to the start of 'Rock Star' and I watched mesmerized as I performed on stage. I wondered...I wondered if Josh still felt those words. Did he still consider me to be his friend after I had toppled his first number one single?

I tried not to, but I couldn't help but think of Josh throughout the night as we watched the replay of the concert. He'd given me this opportunity and what had I given to him in return?

Watching the concert was completely different from performing it. I had a small exhilaration while we watched when I felt some of the 'rush' at the memories that I could add to the images that I was seeing on screen. I choked up as I watched myself sing 'Open Your Eyes'. I smiled at the fun the crowd and I were having as I sang 'I Just Wanna Have Fun'. I started to cry and held Emily closer when I dedicated 'Ever After' to her. I watched the change in me where 'Intuition' became my song, and not just the one the studio wanted me to sing.

By the end of the night, I was mesmerized at my ability to actually perform a concert. I had been so nervous before stepping on that stage, but now the thought of getting back up there and performing again was one of exhilaration. I couldn't wait for my next opportunity to perform!

After the concert had ended and Emily had gone home, I excused myself from my family. I still needed sleep.

*  *  *

"How do you know this guy?" I asked my dad as we walked toward the entrance to the office of his friend the following morning. I still wasn't sure what part of the government he worked for.

"He's helped some of my other clients update their information," he replied. "Not all of them are using their real names."

"Oh," I replied. We'd talked about updating my license and other documentation to reflect my new gender and identity. Nevertheless, I was very nervous that someone could prevent me from changing anything. I'd already proven that I was biologically female, but the government didn't always see things the way their citizens did.

"Don't worry, Megan," Dad tried to put my concerns to rest. "I've known him for a long time. There won't be any problems."

I grinned back at him, but I was still nervous as we walked inside.

"Don Campbell to see John Shepherd," my dad told a receptionist. She turned toward her computer and pressed a few keys.

"He's expecting you," she replied. "Do you know where his office is?"

"Yes," Dad said confidently.

"You can go on back," the receptionist continued.

Dad smiled at her and then led me down a nondescript corridor to a nondescript office. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't anything more than a cog in the wheel.

The door was open, and a slightly balding man with dark hair and a five o'clock shadow looked up at us.

"Don," he said with a grin as he recognized my dad. "It's good to see you again."

"Hi, John," Dad replied. "It's been a while."

"Come in, come in," the guy continued, waving his right arm in a gesture meant to reinforce his words. He stayed seated at his desk the whole time.

I followed my dad into the office and sat down on one of the cheap looking chairs in front of his desk. The guy, John, was looking at me closely while I sat.

"John, this is my daughter, Megan," Dad said after he was settled.

"It's nice to meet you, Megan," John replied, sticking his hand out for me to shake.

"It's nice to meet you too," I replied. He seemed friendly enough, but I didn't like the way he kept looking at me. It seemed wrong, somehow, but I didn’t know why.

He turned back toward my dad. "Do you have the letter?" he asked.

"Yes," Dad replied and pulled an envelope from his day planner before handing it to the man.

John opened the envelope and removed the letter that Dr. Holbrook, the gender specialist I had been seeing, had written for me. Dad had let me read it, and it was a straight-forward declaration of my true sex. It clearly stated that I was genetically female, and not the male that I had been declared at birth. He quickly read through the document before returning it to the envelope and handing it back to my dad.

"Alright," John said. He then turned toward his computer and clicked a button with his mouse. A second later, a printer next to his computer started spitting out papers. Once it stopped, he picked up the stack and turned back to us. "I just need you to sign these. One is the approval to change her birth certificate, and the other is the paperwork to apply for a new license. I've also printed out the paperwork for a passport for Megan and a passport and a license for Sarah."

I sat there stunned! All of my previous dealings with the government left me doing all of the work. Today, it sounded like he had done all the work and just needed our signatures!

He handed the papers to my dad, who quickly read through them, signed them, and then handed them to me. They looked like standard government forms, and after I quickly read through them to make sure that all of my information was correct, I signed them on the line above the "Parent/Guardian" line that Dad had signed on.

"Congratulations, Megan," John said. "You are now female."

I smiled. I was female before he said that, but it was nice to have it legally recognized!

"Thank you," I told him. He was looking at me again. I grimaced at his look, and he seemed to realize what he was doing.

"I'm sorry," he said while frowning. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just find it hard to believe that you were ever living as a boy. Please forgive me."

His apology didn't really make me feel any better. In fact, it made me feel more like I was on display for his amusement.

"If you'll follow me," John said while standing up. It appeared he realized that he had possibly gone too far, and he looked slightly guilty now. "We can get your picture for your driver’s licenses and passports."

I nodded and stood up, grabbing the bag that held my glam and wig. I would need them if I was taking pictures as Sarah.

John led us out of his office and down the hall to a small room with a camera and a seat. He had me sit on the chair and then he took a couple of pictures as Megan before he told me we needed pictures of Sarah.

I was nervous when he stepped back outside, leaving Dad and I alone in the small room. I didn't fully trust this guy, especially now that he had been endowed with my most precious secret. Dad had assured me that he was trustworthy, and that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement, but I still didn't feel good about it.

After donning the wig and glam, Dad opened the door to let him back in. His eyes opened wide when he saw me.

"You weren't lying, Don!" he exclaimed after the door had closed behind him. "She really is Sarah Carerra!"

I grimaced again. He should have realized that before now. He had a large smile on his face as he took a few more pictures, and then told us that he would meet us back in his office.

Once he had left for the second time, I quickly returned the wig and the glam to the bag. That would keep them safe and secret. We then headed back to John's office.

John wasn't there when we arrived, but Dad motioned for me to sit down. We didn't have to wait long before John reappeared, holding two laminated cards.

"Here you go, Megan," he said while handing the cards to me. I stared at the new licenses that I had been handed. Both pictures looked amazingly good for a license, but Sarah's was definitely the better photo. She seemed to be so photogenic.

All of Sarah's information was the same as Megan's, which could be trouble later if anyone obtained both of them. But we had put the perception out that Sarah sometimes stayed at my house.

"Thank you," I told him again. He nodded at me before turning to my dad.

"The birth certificate and the passports will be mailed to you in the next couple of weeks," John said.

"Okay," Dad said. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

"No," John replied, but stepped back around his desk and picked up a small briefcase. "But there is one thing that I was hoping you would be willing to do."

He placed the briefcase on his desk, opened it, and pulled out a long roll of paper. I knew instantly what he wanted, and I nodded to him when he looked up at me.

"Thank you," he told me this time as he unrolled the poster on his desk and then reached for a permanent marker that was lying nearby. He handed the marker to me.

"This is for my daughter, Kendra," he said. "She's your biggest fan."

I chuckled to myself. It seemed like everyone was my biggest fan. I signed Sarah's name to the poster and looked up to see the smile on John's face grow bigger.

Not only had he made my day, but I had made his.

*  *  *

I had planned to go over to Emily's house for the afternoon after we arrived home, but Dad asked me to sit down on the couch in the front room while he went to get my mother. I didn't know what was going on, but it sounded like I was in for a serious talk. We hadn't had one of these in quite a while.

Eventually, my parents came in and Mom sat down next to me while Dad sat down in his normal chair.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked worriedly. I didn't think I had done anything wrong.

"No, honey," my mom replied with a smile that instantly put me at ease. "This is about your surgery."

"Oh," I said. The worry that had just left me came flooding back tenfold. The doctors had determined that I was genetically female, but I did not have what was "normal" for a girl between my legs. They wanted me to undergo surgery to create the external genitalia that someone would expect me to have.

I wanted this surgery. I really, really wanted this surgery. But the thought of having it also scared me to death. I'd only ever had major surgery once before. When I was 10, my family was in a car accident and I had lost much of what had led doctors to pronounce me to be male at birth. Brett, the boy I had been before that accident, died that day. I didn't know it for six years, but that was the day that Megan had been born. She wasn't complete yet, but this surgery would finish the job.

"If it's okay with you, we'd like to schedule the surgery for a week from tomorrow," Dad said.

A week from tomorrow! That was so soon! I didn't know if I was ready for this to happen that quickly! I knew that my doctor felt that I should have the surgery as soon as possible to prevent any problems that might be caused by me having a period, but I was still shocked that it would happen so soon.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked from beside me. When I met her gaze, she looked really worried.

"Yeah," I replied. "It's just...it's scary!"

She immediately reached around me and wrapped me in a hug. "Oh, honey," she said. "I know that this is scary, but you need to have it soon."

"I know," I told her. "And I want it. But..."

"I understand," she interrupted me before I could find the words to describe my feelings. This was a big step. Mom held me in that hug for a few minutes while I came to terms with what they had told me. It wouldn't be long before my body matched my new driver's license.

"We wanted to schedule it this week," Dad told me when Mom had let go. "But you have a few appointments as Sarah between now and next week. Not to mention the trouble we'll have with Kevin's family here."

"Uncle Kevin is coming?" I asked, even more worry filling my already full mind. How were we going to keep Sarah a secret with a family full of relatives staying around the house?

"Yes," Dad said with a grimace. "Remember that we set this up a few months ago, before Sarah ever came into existence." Apparently he felt the same way as me.

"Where is everyone going to stay?" I asked. We had converted one of the spare bedrooms into Sarah's room. That only left one spare room for my dad's brother, his wife Olivia, and their three children: two boys and a girl.

"James and Logan can sleep out here in the front room," Dad said. "Kevin and Olivia will stay in the spare bedroom. Madison can either sleep in your room or Sarah's room. I'll let you choose."

That was a tough decision. The pull-out bed on the couch in Sarah's room was comfortable as far as couch beds go, but it didn't compare to my own soft bed. But having Madison in Sarah's room was dangerous when I needed to change into Sarah. Almost certainly Madison would start getting into Sarah's things too, or at least going through the clothes in her closet.

I opened my mouth to reply, but closed it after thinking about something else. The second time I opened my mouth was to ask a very important question.

"Are we going to tell them about Sarah?" I asked.

"If we can help it, I don’t want to," Dad replied.

"Then I should stay in Sarah's room," I told him. "Otherwise, Madison will be snooping all over the place. She probably will anyway."

Dad nodded. "It's up to you. If you need to tell her the truth, then you can. She is family and I know the two of you have a good relationship."

"I'll try not to," I told him. Unlike Emily and Ethan, this wasn't something I necessarily needed to share with my cousin to keep our relationship intact. Once Madison found out I was a girl, we were already going to have enough to talk about. Sarah could easily be pushed aside.

"Anyway," Dad continued. "They arrive on Friday, and they'll be here until the following Saturday."

"So I'll be in the hospital for most of the time they're here?" I asked downcast. That really bummed me out. Madison and I had always had a good relationship. She was a year younger than me, but we always seemed to click when we got together. She would be ecstatic to find out I really was a girl, just like Katy had been when we went to Aunt Judy's birthday party a couple of weeks ago. She was going to be upset that we wouldn't be able to hang out as much.

"Unfortunately," Dad said. "But at least this way you'll be able to do some things with them before the surgery. If you had the surgery before they came, you would have to take it easy the whole time they were here."

That made sense. If I was going to be sidelined and be forced to take it easy, it would be better to have a few days of fun beforehand.

"Okay," I told him. "What about Sarah? What do I have going this week?"

"The next couple of days are free," Dad replied. "On Friday you'll be performing on 'The Tonight Show'."

"Are you serious?!" I asked him excitedly.

"Yes," my dad replied. His grin turned into a wide smile with my excitement. "It's just a performance though, no interview."

Still...it was 'The Tonight Show'!

"You don't have anything during the weekend," he continued. "But on Monday you'll be interviewed on 'Wake Up!' and you’ll perform 'Intuition' there also. Then you have two weeks before any other commitments to help you recover."

"Okay," I replied, but my excitement had grown again. Not only was I going to be on 'The Tonight Show', I was also going to be on 'Wake Up!' 'Wake Up!' was a morning show designed to appeal to the younger generation between my age and mid- to late-twenties. I didn't get to see it very often, but I enjoyed it when I was able to watch it.

"Alright then," Dad said with a smile. "Are you okay with having the surgery next Tuesday?"

I took a deep breath and let it out before I was able to respond. But when I did, I was confident in my answer.

"Yes," I told him. "I am."

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