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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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.13 - Carerra Business

Wednesday was a blur.

I remember waking up. I remember Dad driving us to school. I remember some of my classes but I didn’t remember anything that was taught. But for the most part all I could really remember was how tired I was.

When Dad had come into my room to remind that I had promised to go to school today, the alarm clock beside my bed told me that I had only climbed into bed two hours earlier.

I vowed then and there that I wouldn't perform again on a school night unless I could guarantee that I'd get a good night's sleep. I knew Dad wouldn't let me skip school just because I'd performed the night before.

It was with great relief that I crashed into bed right after dinner.

When I woke up Thursday morning I was much more rested. School went by fairly slowly, as I tried to wade through the boredom that would only be alleviated by Saturday's concert. Since I was performing in Los Angeles again, I'd get to take Emily and Ethan, or more specifically, Chloe and Xander, with me. Ethan had been working with Emily to create a new look for Xander, and I was eagerly anticipating what they had decided upon.

I was unsuccessfully trying to get Ethan to tell me about the new Xander as we walked to Chorus. Suddenly I was shouldered hard while we walked down the hall, and I almost careened into a set of lockers. I shook my head, looking up fast enough to see the sneer on Jared Lumbart's face before he turned and disappeared into the crowd.

I struggled then, trying to figure out if this was a good thing or not. On the one hand he had assaulted me once again, but on the other hand it had been very mild compared to what he had done before. It was possible that he was finally realizing that confronting me was a bad idea, even if he couldn't fully leave me alone.

I grabbed Ethan's arm immediately, stopping him from charging after Jared. I knew Jared was still upset with me, but I was beginning to hope that things would improve somewhat.

Chorus was strained because of the incident. Ethan wanted to kill him, and Jane and I did our best to help him calm down. It didn't fully work, and when I dropped him off at his house after school I was worried about what he was going to do.

My worry increased tenfold when I parked my car in the garage and walked into my house and saw Mom and Dad sitting at the dining room table waiting for me. They had serious expressions on their faces, and I knew that something bad was about to happen. Perhaps it had already happened!

"What's going on?" I asked while placing my bag down on the table.

"Have a seat," Dad said. He had a slight smile on his face, but I could also see the sadness in his eyes. I complied, and sat down across from them.

"Your father and I have been discussing some things," Mom said, which caused me to worry even more.

"What?" I asked anxiously. I had a feeling this had something to do with Sarah, and I was worried that they were going to tell me that I couldn't perform anymore.

"Megan," Dad started. "We are very proud of what you've accomplished. But..."

I felt a tear roll down my cheek. The solemn tone of his words told me everything I needed to know. Sarah Carerra's career had come to an end. They must have realized that sending me off alone was a bad idea, or maybe the school had called and complained about how tired I was the day before. I didn't know what the catalyst was, but they were taking away the one thing that I couldn't bear to lose!

"No!" I screamed. "You can't take it away! Performing means too much to me!"

My parents recoiled in shock! Their eyes widened as I hoped they finally could see how much this decision would hurt me! I prayed for the guidance I needed to let them know that this was a mistake!

"Megan!" Dad yelled, trying to be heard over my own hysterics. It took a few more times before I heard him, but I didn't calm down until Mom took my hand in hers.

"Megan," my mom said softly while rubbing the back of my hand with her thumb. "We aren't taking Sarah away from you."

My heart skipped a beat before relief flooded through and out of me in the form of tears. It had only taken seconds to turn me into a sobbing mess, but I didn't care anymore. Sarah was safe.

"We couldn't take Sarah from you if we wanted to," Mom continued. "She's a part of you, Megan. Sarah is a part of your very essence. Nobody can take her away from you."

"Then what's wrong?" I asked them, still sniffling.

Dad looked at Mom for a moment before he took a deep breath and sighed. Whatever it was, he was going to be the bearer of bad news.

"Megan," he said. "You are amazing! When you first told us that Scott wanted you to record that demo, we never dreamed that you would excel like you have. It is truly remarkable what you have been able to accomplish in such a short time despite all of the fumbling that I have done over your career. "

He sighed again, and I knew it was time. My tears had dried up somewhat, but I was afraid whatever he would say next would start them again.

"Sarah Carerra," my dad said in a business tone that surprised me. "It is with deep regret that I inform you that my company can no longer act as your managing party. Effective immediately, we are no longer able to offer you our services."

My jaw dropped, and I stared at the two of them in disbelief while trying to comprehend what they were telling me now!

"But...why?" I asked. Dad had been there from the first day helping me to get my career started. He had been my rock. I wouldn't have been able to do this without him! I needed him!

Dad sighed again and took a moment to form his response.

"Working with family blinds us sometimes," he told me. "I have made some serious mistakes when it came to both you and your career. I never should have stopped you from telling Emily and Ethan. I should have let you have more say in everything."

He paused again before continuing. "Megan, time after time, you have proved that you know what is best for Sarah and for yourself. Your music tells anyone who listens to it that you are your own person and that you are going to make your own decisions. I realize now that I was trying to take those decisions away from you. I was trying to do what was right when in reality I was doing just the opposite."

"But I couldn't have done this without you!" I told him. "I can't do this without you! Please, Dad! I want you to be my manager! I believe in you!"

"I believe in you too," he said while smiling widely. He was looking at me with pride, and I was caught off-guard by the tear that streaked down his cheek. I took his hand in mine and held it to let him know how much I cared about him.

"I believe in you too," he repeated. "That’s why I cannot be involved in the day-to-day decisions anymore. Those decisions are yours to make. I'll be here to help you if you need some advice, but the decisions are now yours. I can't stop you from doing what you think is best any longer. I believe in you, Megan, which is why I think you are ready for this. You have matured far beyond your years."

"But what am I supposed to do now?" I asked him. I had no idea how to be my own manager.

"Now you go get dressed," he told me. "You may no longer be one of my clients, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to leave you high and dry. Get dressed as Sarah and we'll go down to my office where we can sign the required papers and I'll introduce you to some people who would love to join your team. They will be able to help you more than I can."

I nodded and stood up. I was still lost and confused, but I trusted my dad. If he thought this was best, then I would listen to what he had to offer.

"I love you, Daddy," I said.

"I love you too, Princess," he replied. The last thing I saw before stepping into the hall was his smile.

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I knew something was up when Dad suggested that I drive my car down to his office. It was a rare day when he actually wanted me to drive instead of him. When we pulled into the parking lot he directed me toward where his reserved space was, but instead of pulling into his spot he pointed to the one next to it. I pulled my car into the parking space. I was worried that I was taking someone else’s spot until I saw Sarah’s name on the sign! That really confused me! If Dad wasn't going to be my manager anymore, then why had he given me my own parking space?

I looked at him quizzically, but he only smiled conspiratorially as Mom and he exited the car. I did the same and locked it before I followed them toward the building.

When I stepped into the lobby I gasped! The lobby had been completely remodeled since the last time I had been there! It was still fairly recognizable as the same lobby, but instead of just the two hallways leading off into the back on either side of Lucy, the receptionist’s, desk there was a third doorway on the wall to the left. But what really stunned me was the large profile picture of me that covered the entire wall to the left of the door and my logo blown up large on the right of the door.

"What..." I asked, but I was unsure how to phrase the question.

"If we're going to incorporate ‘Sarah Carerra' she is going to need her own office space," Dad explained. My eyes opened wide at that.

"Dad!" I exclaimed in shock. Dad had built this building specifically for his company just a few years earlier. I knew how happy he was to finally have a place dedicated solely to his company. But now he had just remodeled to make room for another company - mine! A moment later I looked around in worry as I realized that I had just called him “Dad” while wearing the wig. But thankfully the only other person in the lobby was Lucy, and she already knew my secret.

Dad was chuckling at my reaction. He knew how rare it was for me to make a mistake like that, so he knew just how astonished I was.

"Come on," he said while walking toward the door. "Let me show you around."

I nodded, and numbly started following him. He opened the door for me and when I stepped through, what little breath remained rushed from my body. I knew immediately that he had involved both Julia and whatever designer had been involved in decorating both the bus and Sarah's room at our house. The whole area just screamed 'me'. On the other side of the door was an open office space. On the walls were many pictures of me performing as well as framed photos of me. But crowding around the desks that were on the opposite sides of the walkway between the door and a hallway that led further into the office space were a number of people who brought smiles to my face immediately!

I was still mesmerized by what was happening when Amy came over and hugged me. I looked around the room and realized that these were the people whom Dad had been talking about! These were the people whom he wanted to help me run my business! I was immediately struck with what this meant. Many of the people in this room had worked for him for a long time. Amy was relatively new, but I knew that she was someone my dad didn't want to give up. Marty Sorenson had been one of my dad's best accountants. Becky Stratford was one of Dad's most successful marketing leaders. I recognized all of them and I was finally starting to realize just how much this decision meant to my dad. Not only had he lost office space for his own company, but he had also lost many of the people who had made his company such a success.

"Don, no!" I stated immediately. "I can't take these wonderful people from you! They're the best your company has!"

Dad chuckled. That wasn't something I expected him to do when he was faced with losing so much of his talented staff. I knew he owned a large management company and probably would be able to absorb the losses, but I couldn't understand why he was willing to let them go.

"Sarah," he said. "I've never had a client whom I wanted to succeed as much as I want you to succeed. When I asked for volunteers to join your company, every single one of these individuals jumped at the chance to work with you. They believe in you, Sarah, just like I do. I may not be managing you anymore, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to give you the best chance to make a name for yourself. These wonderful people are the best gift that I could give, and I give it willingly."

I felt the first tear slide down my cheek as I hugged him tightly. Then I did the same thing for every single person in that room. Most of them worked behind the scenes and I didn't realize just how much they did for me. Only Amy, Mason, and Cole were people whom I worked with often. But that didn't make me any less grateful. I learned later that the only individuals I actually employed were Amy, Mason, and Cole. The others were subcontractors of my father's company. But that didn't make them any less devoted to their work.

When I had awakened this morning I didn't expect anything like this to happen today, but I was already looking forward to the future. I was scared to death, but I was looking forward to working with all of these wonderful people. Sarah had become my life, and now Dad had given me the means to control my future and allow me to perform for many years to come.

Tears were still streaming out of my eyes as I hugged and thanked the last one for joining me. They all seemed to be as excited as I was, and I couldn't wait to get started!

"There's more," Dad said a moment later. "This is only the first room!"

I laughed while wiping tears from my eyes. But I did peer down the short hallway. Dad continued the tour where he showed me more offices for the team, a conference room that we could use, and even a studio that the band and I could use! We finally had a dedicated place to work on our music!

When he opened the last door, however, I lost my breath again. It was the only corner office, and it was large, spacious, and all mine! It had a large desk, a comfortable lounge area for informal meetings, and wall-to-wall windows that looked out on the parking lot. But on the other side of the parking lot I could see the ocean! I was in heaven! I wasn't entirely sure what I would use an office for, but it was nice to have one!

I spent the next hour going over all of the paperwork and signing documents with my dad and with a man named Josh Carlson whom I'd never met before but had apparently been in charge of all of my legal concerns. It would take a few more days before the papers were filed and the company was legally incorporated, but I felt immensely important the rest of the day.

In the grand scheme of things it was business as usual for most of the people who were affected by this change. The only real difference was in where their offices were located within the building. I had no additional responsibilities other than continuing to promote my career as much as I could. What it did give me, and the whole reason Dad had done this, was to provide me with ultimate control over the creative aspect of Sarah Carerra. Nobody else could tell me how to be Sarah Carerra. Sarah Carerra would make her own decisions now.

I was still overwhelmed when I finally crawled into bed later that evening. I now wielded a lot of power and money when it came to my career. I had more authority in how things would happen and where I would make appearances. But I also had the ability to make decisions that could kill my career. Dad had faith that I wouldn't do that, but I was still only 16. I had relied on him to run the business side of Sarah Carerra, and now he had placed it into my hands. He had left me with very capable advisors, and he would always be there for guidance, but it was a lot to keep me worried.

But as I drifted off to sleep I had a smile on my face at the prospect of what the future would hold.

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