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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 2.08 - It's a Date

I spent the rest of the weekend lounging around the house, trying to take it easy. Dad had told me that if I felt up to it, we could return to the studio on Monday. With that news in mind, I tried to finish up and polish the songs that I had been working on since my concert. If I could get them finished, then I hoped I could go over them with the band and we could work together to add the instruments that I didn't know how to write for.

I played the guitar, and I knew how to write songs for it. But I didn't know how best to use the drums and the bass that were also at our band's disposal. Ever since I had performed my concert and started writing the four songs I'd been working on over the last two weeks, I could start to identify how I wanted the drums and the bass to be used, but I still didn't know how to translate those sounds into notes on a sheet of music. I was hoping that the members of 'Pop Fly' would help me learn. The more I could add to my music, the better it would sound.

Other than my music, I spent most of my time with Emily and Anna. They often came over and we'd watch some TV or a movie, or play a game or two. It felt nice to lounge around with them; it almost felt like old times. We even listened to the countdown show together, where 'Intuition' managed to hold on to the #1 spot again.

By Monday I became restless, though. I wanted to get out of the house and do something. I was healing well from the surgery, and while not completely pain-free, I was moving around much like I had before the fateful events of a week ago. When I told Dad that I was ready to get back into the studio, he smiled and told me that he already had one booked for today!

"Scott has two new songs for you," Dad said while we sat around the table eating breakfast. "He was hoping that you would come in and get a start on finishing the album if you were feeling better. We're really starting to run out of time now."

"I thought we scheduled time for my recuperation?" I asked him. How could we be running out of time if we knew that I would be out for a week or more?

"We thought we had scheduled enough time," he replied. "But the company that is making the CDs moved up the deadline for when we needed to have everything done. Scott has more information and was hoping to meet with us this morning."

"Okay," I said and took another bite of my cereal.

An hour and a half later, my dad and I were sitting in Scott's office.

"How are you feeling?" Scott asked me. I clearly heard the concern in his voice, and I knew that he didn't want to rush me back to work if I wasn't ready for it. But I was pleased that he was genuinely concerned.

"I'm feeling almost back to normal," I told him. "I still have some pain, but it's pretty minor."

"Good," he replied and a large smile grew across his face. "I talked to your doctor this morning. He said that if you felt up to it, we could put you back to work. Are you ready?"

"I guess so," I replied. "I mean, after the press conference on Saturday, some of the magic of Sarah isn't there anymore. I think...I don't feel as confident as I did before."

"That's understandable," Scott replied. "This couldn't have been easy for you, and the press conference certainly didn't help. But you're a strong woman, Sarah. You'll get through this without any problems."

I smiled weakly back at Scott. I hoped he was right, but I still felt nervous about appearing in public again. The press conference had taken away the one thing that I enjoyed most about being Sarah, and it left me shying away from the idea of performing again. The adrenaline rush that made it all worthwhile seemed to pale in comparison to what I was feeling now.

"We have a full schedule ready for you this week, if you're willing," Scott said. I knew that he saw the reluctance in my face, and I could see the concern grow in his eyes. I knew that I wouldn't be giving up Sarah over this, but it was going to be difficult for the next few weeks - especially if someone brought up the events of last week again.

I nodded with grim determination to show Scott that I was willing to do what it would take. I knew that the only way I could get through this was to push on and do what I needed to do. I would not back out now. I had too many people depending on me.

"Great!" Scott exclaimed and smiled again. "Today, we would like to record two new songs. Your dad said that you were working on some more of your own?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I have four songs that I've been working on since the concert." I lifted up my notebook. "I still need some help with the other instruments, but I have a few ideas of what I was hoping to get out of the songs."

Scott smiled at me. "I'm sure that they will turn out great. If we have time today I'd like to hear them. If not, we can get you and the band back in tomorrow to work on them together. The sooner we get the songs done, the better."

I nodded again, and Scott looked down at the sheet of paper in front of him. "On Wednesday, we have a photo shoot scheduled. We need to get the album art taken care of quickly, as that will actually be the hardest part to get ready. We have some ideas that we can go over and then we can decide what we want it to look like.

"On Thursday, we want to start filming a music video for your next single," Scott said, surprising me. "Your dad thought that you might want to release 'Ever After' next. Is that okay?"

I looked at Dad, who was beaming down at me. I smiled back. 'Ever After' was the PERFECT song to release for my second single! "It's perfect," I told Scott with a huge smile.

"We have a creative director who has some ideas for the video," Scott told me. "He felt that the story in the song would be a great thing to bring to life. Also, it shouldn't require you to do anything that would stress your body after the surgery."

I was relieved. The doctors had said that I would need to take it easy for a few weeks. The last thing I wanted to do was injure or exhaust myself or start working sooner than I should. But if Scott had cleared this with my doctor, then I felt better about it.

"The shoot is scheduled to last through Saturday," Scott continued. "Then we hope to have you back in the studio on Monday to finish the songs. If you have four songs to use, then I think that will be enough for the album. That would put us at 13 if we include the cover song. Hopefully we can have our part wrapped up by the end of the month."

"Okay," I replied once again. Having the schedule laid out in front of me was exciting. I couldn't wait to see how the music video turned out.

Scott then handed me some papers. I immediately recognized them as sheet music, and knew that it was time to go to work.

"Here are the two new songs," he said. "I think that these will really sound good, and they'll help round out the album. We've reserved a studio for you and the band after lunch, so you have some time to familiarize yourself with the songs before we head in. I'll see you at 1:30."

"Thank you, Scott," I said while taking the proffered sheets. "I'm glad that you are here for me. I couldn't do this if I didn't know that you were on my side."

Scott smiled again at me. "Sarah, let me be honest with you," he said. "Normally, I don't get this involved with the people I work with. But there's something about your energy and your humility that makes my job fun again. That’s why I took a larger role in managing your account. Heck, it's why I agreed to produce the album. I know that you are hurting right now. I can feel that. But I also know that you'll get over this and it will make you a stronger person. I'm just glad I can be a part of your story."

I couldn't do anything but smile back.

*  *  *

Dad looked anxious when we sat down in a small lobby area a few minutes later. It was only about 10:00, and I didn't have a recording studio to use until 1:30. I knew that I would have plenty of time to learn the songs before entering the studio with the band to try and record them. Because we were starting after lunch, I figured that it was likely we would be in the studio until late that evening.

"What is it?" I asked Dad a moment later when I could tell that there was something on his mind.

"I need to go to my office," he said. "With everything that happened last week, I haven't had a chance to go in since Wednesday, and there are some things that I need to get done. Will you be okay here alone?"

I smiled. I wasn't a little girl; I'd been alone before. "Yes, Dad," I replied. "I think I'll be okay alone. I am 16, you know."

He laughed outright at that response. But he ended with a smile. "That's not what I meant," he said. I nodded back to show I understood. "You know, we might want to look into getting Sarah a car. It would certainly help free up my time when I have other things I need to do."

"I thought you liked hanging out with me," I said with a mock frown. He laughed again. "Are you serious, though?'

"Yes," he replied. "You've proven yourself to be reliable and responsible. I think that your mom and I could trust you with a car. I know we've been reluctant in the past, but you've certainly given us reason to rethink that. Start thinking about what kind of car you think Sarah would drive."

"Any car?" I asked, visions of luxury dancing around in my eyes. Dad drove a nice car, and I knew that I would want something similar, especially if Sarah was going to be seen in it.

"Yes," he replied. "But remember that this will come out of Sarah's earnings, your money. You must be willing to part with the money before you buy the car that you decide upon."

"Alright," I said, frowning slightly. I definitely didn't want to waste a bunch of my own money.

He stood up. "I'll be back before you head into the studio, okay?"

"See you then," I smiled up at him. I felt liberated as I watched him walk away! Sarah never really spent much time alone, and it was a new feeling.

I turned my attention to the music that Scott had given to me. The first song was entitled 'Together' and seemed to be about two people who meet each other randomly, and the events that led up to their realization of how much they cared for one another. Looking at the notes surrounding the lyrics, I had a feeling that this was going to be a fun song.

The second song was called 'Turn Around'. It too was a song about a relationship, but this one talked about the frustrations that working together could cause, and how to overcome them. It looked like it was going to be a really fast song, and I was excited to hear it for the first time.

I spent five minutes going over the lyrics for 'Together' before my phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was my cousin Tracy. I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to have gone to lunch with her the previous Monday. Did she know why I couldn't make it?

"Hello?" I answered the phone hesitantly.

"Megan?" Tracy asked, confirming that she had reached her intended target.

"Hi, Tracy," I replied. "How are you doing today?"

She chuckled lightly before replying. "I was going to ask you that. Still recovering from the surgery?"

"Yeah," I said. "I'm still a little sore, but it isn't anything too painful."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Anyway, if you're feeling up to it, I was hoping that I could take you to lunch today. Heather would certainly like to see you again, I'm sure."

I smiled at the thought of seeing Tracy's infant daughter again. Heather was so adorable, and I hoped that I could have a daughter just like her some day. Wow, that thought came out of left field! I had never considered children since learning about who I truly was. That would mean a whole different set of responsibilities in bringing a baby into the world. I was struck with excitement and trepidation at the thought. But if they were anything like Heather, it would totally be worth it.

"I'd love to," I told Tracy. Even if I took an hour to go to lunch with her, I'd still have plenty of time to go over the songs before I had to be in the studio. "But we'd have to go soon. I have an appointment at 1:30 that I can't miss."

"How about now?" Tracy asked. "I have to work at 1:00, so early would work for me too."

"Okay," I agreed.

"Great," she replied. "I can be over at your house to pick you up in about ten minutes."

Uh, oh - I had just realized the flaw in my plan to go to lunch with her today! I was stuck at the studio as Sarah! How would I explain something like that to her? Perhaps today wouldn't work after all.

"Um," I managed to get out, but I still wasn't sure what to say.

"Let me guess," Tracy spoke up immediately. "You're at the studio."

"Yeah," I replied, and then I winced. There was absolutely no reason for her to think I was at a studio. Why would she even ask that? More importantly, why would I do something stupid like confirming it? Was I incapable of keeping the secret from anybody?

"So it's true, then?" she asked. I didn't need her to clarify what she was asking. It was obvious that she had figured it out. At this rate everyone in the world would know before the summer was over!

"Yeah," I sighed into the phone. "Perhaps this isn't such a good idea."

"Nonsense," she said. "I can pick you up there, and we can eat at Callie's. It's nearby and shouldn't take too much time."

I sighed, and then reluctantly agreed because I couldn’t think of an alternative. She seemed to know a lot about Sarah, since she seemed to know where the studio was located. Seeing Tracy again would now be a mixed blessing. "Call me when you get here," I told her. "I'll come out to meet you."

"See you in a bit," she replied before hanging up. I just started to worry.

*  *  *

I was nervous as I approached the front doors to the record company. I was safe inside the building, but there were always a few people milling about outside waiting to snap a picture of someone on their way in or out. Tracy had just called, and she was waiting for me outside.

As I stepped out the door, I was surprised to note that the area was void of any photographers. In fact, nobody but the valet was outside. I was relieved and looked around for Tracy. Her Escalade was parked nearby, and I walked over to it. I opened the door, and looked at her, giving her a wry smile.

"Hi, Tracy," I said. She just stared back at me. There was no way that I was going to take off the wig inside the record company, where someone could have seen Megan walking around instead of Sarah. I knew that I would have to meet Tracy as Sarah. When she didn't say anything, I hopped up onto the passenger seat and reached for my seatbelt.

"Wow," she finally managed after I clicked the belt into place. "I honestly wasn't expecting to meet you...Sarah, I mean. I thought you would have taken the wig off or something."

"Not in there," I said, motioning back at the building. "Only one person knows the truth. I wouldn't want to risk anyone else learning it."

She started to pull away from the curb, but kept glancing my way while she drove.

"Does this mean that I'm going to be having lunch with Sarah Carerra?" she asked.

"No," I said, "because we would get much more attention than we would want. I am planning on taking off the wig in your car."

"Okay," Tracy said. I could hear the disappointment in her voice, but she seemed to understand. I reached up and started unpinning the wig. Once I had it off I let down my own hair and then removed the glam. When I was done, I knew I looked nothing like Sarah.

When we reached the restaurant, Tracy found a parking spot, and we stepped out of the car. I waited for her to unstrap Heather's car seat before I got a chance to say hi to the beautiful baby girl properly. To my disappointment, she appeared to be asleep.

"She'll wake up in a bit," Tracy said, noticing my new look. "But wow, you look completely different now!"

I smirked. At least it wasn't my appearance that had tipped her off.

We walked inside and were quickly seated at a table with Heather on a chair next to us. She looked so peaceful sleeping, and I wished I could share some of her calm.

"So, a period, huh?" Tracy stated, returning my attention to her. I could tell she didn't believe what she had read in the news. I sighed and then nodded.

"It's not a lie," I told her. "I found out two weeks ago that I really am a girl. Mom took me to a specialist after Aunt Judy's birthday party, when you mentioned there might be another cause for, you know."

Tracy nodded her head. She still didn't seem to fully believe me.

"Turns out I have all the internal plumbing, but I just didn't have the external parts. The blockage was because of that."

"Seriously?" she asked. At least she didn't shoot down my explanation. I just nodded. She seemed to consider that response for a moment before smiling. "Well, welcome to the club."

I smiled back at her. Tracy was my favorite cousin on Mom's side of the family. She was five years older than me, but whenever we got together she made the time fun. Having her support meant more to me than anything Sarah could give me. Sarah was a big part of my life, but she wasn’t real. She didn’t have a family, and family had always been really important to me. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost Tracy through this.

"How did you know?" I asked her. I had failed to keep Sarah a secret from my two favorite cousins. Only Katy, the other cousin I was really close to on Mom's side, was out of the loop. But I needed to know what I had done wrong if I was going to keep it that way. I knew Dad still didn't like other people finding out, even if they were family.

"Well, I didn't really know for sure until you said you were at the studio," Tracy replied. "When I called to see if you were ready to get some food last Monday, your dad answered the phone. I was truly worried about you being rushed into surgery. I called back later, and he said that you were alright. Tuesday morning I learned about Sarah's collapse on stage. I thought it was tragic, but I didn't think any more about it until Saturday, when I caught part of the press conference on TV.

"I couldn't figure out why your mom was there. Your dad is Sarah’s agent, so I could understand why he was there. But I couldn't understand your mom’s presence. Then, when she wrapped you in her arms and rushed you out of the room, I was really confused. Then things started to click."

I sighed. While I wasn't happy that people were guessing the secret, it was nice to know that it was because they knew my family and me so well, and not because of something that I had done.

The waitress chose that moment to interrupt us, and we ordered our food. After she left, I wasn't sure what to talk about. I just stared down lovingly at Heather for a moment.

"You're amazing, you know that?" Tracy broke my reverie. I looked up at her, puzzled why she said that. "Well, you couldn't get me up on a stage like that. But your song is really good. I wish you would have told me about the concert so I could have watched it. But at least I got to see you on 'The Tonight Show'. You looked really good there, by the way."

I blushed. I hadn't thought about what my extended family would think if they found out about Sarah. Now I wished that she had seen the concert too. Dad had been given a few copies of it on DVD, and I knew that I had to lend one to her.

Before I could respond the waitress was back with our salads, and we decided to eat. Sarah was pushed to the side as we talked about more important things than my alter ego. It was nice to see Tracy again, and it became better when Heather woke up.

"Hi, Heather!" I cooed when she looked up at me with curious eyes. Immediately, a smile crossed her face and she let out a small giggle. I was afraid that she'd be in a bad mood after waking up, but she seemed to be happy and ready to experience more of life.

I saw Tracy smile at me before reaching into Heather's car seat to unstrap her. Then she pulled out Heather and surprised me by handing her to me.

As I cradled her in my arms, I smiled at the wonderful feeling that being close to her invoked in me. It was different than the rush I had on stage, but it was just as powerful.

"I guess I now know why you wanted to go to lunch instead of get paid when you babysat her," Tracy said. I had to smile. "I mean, money must not be an issue for you anymore."

"Maybe," I replied, looking up at her just long enough to smile before turning my attention back to Heather. "But there's something magical about holding her in my arms."

Tracy smiled back. "I know what you mean, Megan. That's why I know that you truly are a girl. And someday, you'll make a great mother."

As I looked down at Heather, I hoped that Tracy was right.

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