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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 2.35 - Friends and Family

When Ethan opened the door and got a look at me later that afternoon, he busted out in laughter. I grimaced. I had failed miserably at my plan, and his reaction just proved that point.

"It didn't work," he said unnecessarily while letting me in. "But thanks for making the effort."

"You can't say I didn't try," I said while stepping into the house, garnering another laugh from him. I had tried to dress more masculine to make him feel less awkward. Jeans and a t-shirt were close to what I wore before when hanging out with him and they took some of the glamour away from my new life, but the cut of the clothes left no doubt that I was completely female. I had pulled my hair back into a ponytail like I had worn for the last few years of my life, but now that my hair was better taken care of and had more body, it too betrayed my true gender.

"Come on," he said, still laughing at me. I would take that laughter over what I had gotten from him for the last three weeks, though. It truly seemed like he might be coming out of the shell that he had placed around himself.

Ethan led me further into his house and to his room. We had spent a lot of time in here during our lifetimes, but never had I felt so uncomfortable in the room as I did when I walked in. My face must have registered shock, because Ethan grimaced immediately. It was obvious that he hadn't considered what bringing me into his room would mean.

It was immediately apparent why he had been so distant from me. Prominently displayed on his wall were two of my posters, one of them being the poster he had promised me he would take down when I had first seen them in the mall the day I told him the truth. I wasn't sure what to think.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. "You know how I feel about this whole situation, but..." he tried to explain but the words wouldn't come.

"I know," I told him. I had been surprised. I never thought that he would still have the posters hanging in his room. But after what he had told me on Tuesday, I shouldn't have been shocked.

"I'll take them down now," he said. I could hear the sadness in his voice though as he started walking toward where they were hanging. Taking them down was the last thing he wanted to do.

"No!" I ordered him. If having the posters up helped in any way, then I was okay with them being there. "It's okay! Would you like me to sign them?"

He lit up at my offer, and I knew that he had wanted to ask me to sign them, but he also didn't want to tell me about the posters. I smiled, and he walked over to his desk and picked up a marker. I took it from him and signed both of the posters.

"Thank you," he said quietly. I nodded back to him.

He turned toward the TV that was in the corner and turned it on to escape the embarrassment that had started to creep in. Boys were so predictable. Just like Paul, Ethan wanted to play video games. It was something that we had often done together, but it didn't appeal to me now as much as it had before this summer had changed my whole life. But like Paul, it was something that Ethan needed. He needed to be able to find the friend he had known most of his life. If that meant suffering through playing video games again, I would do it. This was for Ethan.

I spent the night with him, playing video games, talking, and eating dinner with his family. It was just like all the other days that I had spent over at his house. That familiarity seemed to be enough for him to start to find the connection that we once had. I hadn't realized that I was looking for that connection too, but I was happy to realize that I had also found it.

By the time I left to go home, I was in one of the best moods that I'd been in for weeks. Not even the feeling of performing on the 'Tonight Show' could compare to the happiness that I felt at having Ethan back in my life.

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I talked about nothing but boys with Mary the next morning. Between Josh and Ethan, there had been a lot of drama centered on boys in the past week of my life. But as always, she knew exactly what to say to help me understand how to handle the situations. By the time I left her office and headed for the photo shoot I had for the perfume that morning, I was very happy with what had happened during the week.

Josh had ripped my heart out, but I had found a way to patch it back into place. Ethan had ripped my heart out much earlier in the summer, but he had found a way to help me patch it back together too. I knew that boys were going to be a big problem for me in the future. They always are for teenage girls. But for now, I was happy with where I was in my life. I had enough to worry about now without boys being involved.

The photo shoot was much like the rest of the photo shoots that I'd done recently. I was starting to become proficient at them, and it only took a few hours for the photographer and the representative from 'Stardom' to be happy with what they had gotten from me.

I arrived home shortly after noon to find my mom excitedly waiting for me. She had a big smile on her face as she waited for me to change. Once I was out of Sarah's clothes and into one of my own dresses, she dragged me back out to her car, refusing to tell me where we were going or why she was so excited.

When she pulled into a restaurant that we occasionally went to together, I was already smiling! We hadn't been here all summer, let alone spent much time alone together!

Once we had been seated and ordered our food, my mom took my hands in hers and looked me in the eyes. Immediately I felt the love and warmth that she always showed for me flow into my body. We just sat there for a moment staring at each other before she spoke.

"I'm so proud of you, Megan," she said lovingly. "When you first started living as Megan, I was so happy. But yesterday, just like in Salt Lake City, I couldn't believe just how much you've grown up this summer. I love you so much. I'm worried that I'm going to lose you before I ever get to truly know you."

Tears streamed down my face as I replied. "Mom, I'm not going anywhere," I told her. "I just found out who I really am. But I'm not going anywhere. There isn't anywhere I would rather be than here with you. I couldn't do this without you. As much as I love being up on stage, being here with you right now is so much better!"

Her own tears were sliding down her cheeks as she held my hands and we looked into each other's eyes again. I couldn’t describe the feelings that washed over me as we sat there. We were a mess when the waiter brought us our food, but we both started eating. It wasn't much longer afterward that we were laughing about the situation.

"I love you, Mom," I told her over an ice cream sundae that we were sharing after our late lunch.

"I love you too, Megan," she replied with one of the largest smiles on her face that I had ever seen. This summer had taught me over and over what a special person my mom was. I had realized on a number of occasions just how much she meant to me. But I learned over lunch that day just how much I meant to her.

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Our mother/daughter day didn't end with lunch. Once we were back in Mom's car, she was driving me somewhere else without telling me where. I sat back and enjoyed the experience. Spending time with Mom meant so much more to me now than it had just three months earlier.

The drive was longer than I expected, as she made her way onto the Pacific Coast Highway and headed toward Malibu. I loved this drive, and I sat there just watching the scenery pass by, the waves lapping against the beach, and watching my mom as she drove.

Eventually we reached our destination, and I gasped when she pulled into the parking lot of the Serenity Day Spa. Mom and Aunt Judy had been talking about coming here together for years. But she was bringing ME instead! My love for my mom threatened to burst out of my chest like the tears that streamed out of my eyes at the realization of what she was giving up with her sister for me.

"Mom, I..." I started to tell her how much it meant to me before she gently interrupted me.

"Shh," she said. "Judy and I did a lot of things together because I didn't have a daughter to do them with. Now I do. I would much rather spend a day at the spa with my daughter than with my sister right now. She has her own girl to fill the gap, and you can fill mine. Okay?"

I just nodded and got out of the car and followed her into the spa, my arm in hers.

I had to assume that she'd had this planned for a while, because I had heard this place was hard to get into. Perhaps she had thrown around Sarah's name or used some of Dad's contacts to get in on short notice. However she had accomplished making the appointment, I found myself getting more and more excited with each step toward the door I took. I'd heard many of the women in my life talk fondly about how much they enjoyed their day at a spa, and I was excited to see if they were telling the truth.

Once we stepped inside the lobby, I was immediately put at ease by the soothing beach-like atmosphere. Light browns and aquas greeted my wandering eyes. The faint smell of seawater or some type of salts wafted through the air. The soft sound of waves hitting the shore caressed my ears. It was heavenly. A young lady in her early twenties with blonde hair and an almost perfect complexion smiled at us as we approached the front desk.

"Linda and Megan?" she asked kindly. Mom smiled and nodded, and I couldn't contain my own smile from spreading across my face. I was excited!

We had to fill out a couple of forms before we were shown to the locker room, but it wasn't long before we had changed into very soft robes that almost felt like they were made from clouds.

"This is amazing," I told Mom while we were led down a hallway. She could only sigh contentedly as we walked, the soft plush carpet indulging our bare feet.

The next 90 minutes were spent oohing and aahing as we were massaged into oblivion. I hadn't had a massage since the day of my concert in Salt Lake City, and that one didn't hold a candle to what Mom treated me to. They must have peeled us off of the massage tables when they were done.

"I don't want to move," I joked with the lady leading us to the next room. All my mom could do was nod in agreement.

The lady snorted at my words, which just caused Mom and me to giggle while we were led into a room where we sat down in some really comfortable chairs. I leaned back and closed my eyes, but instinctively lifted my hand to my side, where it met my mom's. We held on to each other for a short time before they started dabbing stuff on our faces. I'd never had a facial before, so this was a whole new experience. I knew, however, that it wouldn't be the last time!

After the facials, we also got manicures and pedicures before being professionally made up.

"Make her look like Sarah Carerra," Mom told the lady who would be doing my makeup. I laughed out loud, which made the woman look at me funny, but I played along with my mom's wishes. It felt weird having someone other than Stephanie doing my makeup, but the woman was talented.

When she was done, she had me look in the mirror. "What do you think?" she asked. "You don't have blond hair, but otherwise I think you are the spitting image of her."

I chuckled at just how close she was to the truth while examining myself in the mirror. She had done a good job, but I could pick out exactly where she went wrong. I'd done Sarah's make-up myself enough times to know how to get it right. But for not having that knowledge, she definitely made a very passable attempt.

"It's close," I said. That got Mom laughing and the make-up artist frowning.

"That's exactly how she does her makeup," the lady argued with me. I smiled and nodded my agreement, even though I knew it wasn't exact. I was in too good of a mood to argue with someone.

When we reached the locker room once again, I was surprised to find the casual dress I had worn into the spa missing. In its place was a little black dress that had Julia written all over it. Mom had a similar one hanging in her own locker. I turned to my mom and raised my eyebrows in question. She just started laughing again and shook her head. Whatever else she had planned for the evening was going to remain a surprise.

The early evening air was starting to cool slightly when we walked out of the spa decked out to the nines. I couldn't remember the last time that I had seen Mom dressed up so nicely. Mom and Dad often went out on dates, but I don't think she had looked this foxy in a while. I knew part of it was the dress Julia had picked out for her, which did a really good job of emphasizing her figure. The makeup also helped her to look years younger. I thought we looked a lot more like sisters than we did mother and daughter as we climbed into her car.

Mom was humming while she drove us back down to Santa Monica. I liked seeing her happy like this.

"Thank you, Mom," I told her.

"Don't thank me yet," she said with a wry grin. "We're just getting started."

I just shook my head. This afternoon had to be costing the family a small fortune. I knew these dresses weren't inexpensive, and I doubted that they came out of Sarah's pay. The same went for the spa and the lunch we had enjoyed.

"Don't worry, honey," Mom said, reading my mind. "You alone are making our family a lot of money, and that doesn't even include your own share. We deserve this night, and we're going to get what we deserve."

I started shaking my head at her exuberance, which only caused us to dissolve into another fit of giggles.

"Austin's going to be jealous if he finds out how much this cost," I told her.

"Nonsense," she replied. "Austin and your father went to a baseball game this afternoon followed by a movie. They might not have spent as much as we have, but I'm sure they are having just as much fun."

I leaned back into my seat again, still shaking my head. While those two things might have been fun to do, I was very happy that Mom and I were doing the girlier experience. I'd take the spa over a baseball game any day.

We stopped at a small cafe that catered to women for a salad once we made it back into the city. It had been long enough since our lunch that are appetites were returning, but not long enough for a full dinner. After that, Mom drove us to a nearby playhouse.

I loved plays. I had always loved plays. Mom did too. Dad and Austin, however, did not. It was a rare occasion when we got to attend one. But this day was for the two of us, and it was with even more smiles on our faces that we took our seats in the auditorium.

I'd never heard of the play before, but I was glad that it was a comedy. Countless times Mom and I had tears in our eyes laughing at some of the things that the cast said and did. I could tell that they had a love of performing, just like I did. The way they put that extra little effort into their performances told me how true that thought was. I was sure that if I had been sitting closer, I would have been able to see the fire in their eyes. Nobody could perform like that without getting the rush.

It was late when Mom pulled her car into the garage. We were laughing as we recounted some of the play when we walked into the house. Dad and Austin must have thought we had gone crazy when we stepped into the front room where they were playing video games together.

Both of their eyes went wide when they saw us, though. They both looked speechless, and I knew that both Mom and I looked really, really good.

"Wow!" Dad finally spoke first. "Both of my girls look amazing!"

He then stood up from the couch and came over to us, giving each of us a hug. Austin, too, seemed to feel the same way, though he shied away from hugging us.

"What have you two been up to?" Austin asked suspiciously. He likely knew that we had spent a lot more money than he and Dad had.

"Girls night out," I replied matter-of-factly. "Did you want to come? I'm sure that can be arranged. Julia loves dressing up tomboys, and I bet she could find you a beautiful dress."

His eyes bugged out immediately, and I saw that he was deathly afraid of what I was implying. Mom and I busted out laughing again. I felt bad that I had played on his fears like that, but I knew he'd be okay. He shook his head violently and took a step away from us.

"No!" he said vehemently. "Never!"

I started laughing harder at his refusal. Poor Austin! I stepped over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He was shaking slightly when I did.

"I promised you that wouldn't happen, Austin," I reminded him. "I will keep that promise. I was just having a little fun at your expense."

"Well don't do that!" he yelled back, but he wrapped his arms around me too. It was the flash of Mom's camera that startled us apart. I just knew that picture was going to be hanging in the house somewhere within a day.

"Come on, Megan," Mom said, smiling again. "I'll help you get out of that dress."

"Okay," I replied and the two of us started down the hall while Dad and Austin returned to their game. Once we were in my room, Mom unzipped my dress for me and helped me out of it before I unzipped hers. She left for her own room to get ready for bed while I turned to my dresser to get my own night clothes out. I had managed to put on the soft pajama pants and a t-shirt and was putting away the accessories that went with the outfit I had worn that evening when Mom returned.

"Have a seat," she said while indicating the chair in front of my vanity. I smiled at what I knew was coming next and followed her directions. Mom picked up my brush and started running it through my hair. She had done this a couple of times over the years, and I always wished that she would do it more. Now she had no excuse not to brush her daughter's hair.

"Thank you, Mom," I told her while she brushed. I could see the love and affection on her face in the vanity mirror. She looked down at me through the mirror and I knew she could see the same thing on my own face. "I had the best day with you, today."

"It was my pleasure, Megan," she said. Then she stopped brushing my hair long enough to kiss the top of my head. When she resumed brushing a moment later, we both had tears of joy in our eyes once again.

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