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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 2.43 - Sparkle

Dad awakened me just before lunch the next morning. The extra sleep had been great, and I almost felt ready to perform again. I knew that another night's sleep would do me a lot of good for tomorrow's concert. It would be one of my most important concerts, since so many people I knew would be there.

I took a shower to help wake me up. Then I ate the sandwich that my mom had made for me before I could even contemplate what Dad wanted me to do.

Derek had definitely rattled my world Sunday night. Now that the excitement and the rush from the concert were no longer burning through my system, I felt slightly depressed and disappointed again. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before I realized that all I really needed were my fans and the band, but I was still depressed when I climbed into the seat of Dad's car.

I thought Dad would have been mad because I needed to buy a new guitar. We had spent a lot of Sarah's money on the last guitar, and Derek had flushed that all down the drain. I had a feeling that a replacement guitar was going to be a lot more expensive, since I had the funds to purchase something really good now. But he seemed to be excited about our excursion instead.

We drove in silence back to Joe's Music Shop, where I had purchased the last guitar. I followed silently behind my dad as we stepped into the store, and then tried to put on a happy face as I signed autographs and took pictures with a number of people who were shopping in the store, but who had rushed toward me when I entered. After I had interacted with each of them Dad led me back toward the guitars, with most of the fans following us.

"Don!" a guy I had never met before greeted as we approached. He was tall and lanky, but had a friendly demeanor. "Welcome back!" That definitely surprised me, and was my first inkling that something was going on that I wasn't aware of. Then the guy turned toward me. "Sarah, it is so nice to finally meet you. My name is Joe, and I'm the owner of this little store."

I felt a small chuckle escape my lips as I took his outstretched hand. This was not a small store, and it looked like Joe did good business, if his expensive-looking clothes were any indication.

"It's nice to meet you, Joe," I said. "I wish it was under better circumstances, though."

It was Joe's turn to chuckle for a moment, which confirmed my assumption that Dad had already talked to him about what I needed.

"I think that you will find this whole ordeal to be a good thing, Sarah," he said with a smile that made it hard not to believe him. I didn't know how losing my guitar could be equated to a good thing, but I nodded anyway.

Joe asked me to sit down in a chair while he walked over to a wall of guitars. There was a large crowd of people looking on now, while he pointed to a large red guitar that was hanging on the wall. The slight frown that crossed my face was enough to answer his question, because he moved to the next one. That red guitar was really ugly. The second guitar was a black one with a blue starburst. It looked pretty good, but I just didn't have the same desire to own it that I'd had with the one that had been destroyed.

The third one was the first one he pulled off the wall. It was entirely black, and reminded me almost too much of what I had lost. But it gleamed in the lights of the store, and I actually felt excited to play it. He brought it over to me and carefully placed it in my hands.

"I'm only showing you Taylor guitars today," Joe told me. "Taylor is our specialty, and your manager was very intrigued at what they could offer. This particular one is..." I stopped paying attention once he started to get into the specifics. All I knew was that it felt very good in my hands, almost better than the Yamaha that I had lost. I could feel the tips of my mouth curl up as I wrapped my left hand around the neck.

With some trepidation I strummed the guitar for the first time. The sound that filled the area was very melodic, and I felt it cut deep into my heart. My last guitar had been a great guitar, but it had never sounded like this one. The slightly larger body and different shape combined to provide a much richer sound.

In keeping with tradition I launched into 'Ever After', playing through the first verse without any words before accompanying myself in the second. I really liked the way this guitar sounded, and it felt much better than my old guitar.

When I finished, and while the fans started clapping, I had a large smile on my face that Joe recognized immediately. "I thought you'd like that one," he said while taking it from me carefully and placing it on a counter. "This will make an excellent backup guitar. Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll go get Sparkle."

I was completely confused. I didn't know what he was talking about, and I saw a sly grin on his face as he stepped behind the counter and walked through a door into the back of the store. I turned to Dad, who shared the same sly grin. Now I knew for sure that things were not how they seemed - Dad had something up his sleeve.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

He looked at me for a moment trying to hold on to the secret, but he was too excited. He couldn't contain it anymore. "I commissioned a custom-built guitar for you," he said excitedly. "I wanted to present it to you when I showed you the bus, but it wasn't ready in time. I really wanted to tell you about it on Sunday night, but you were so upset that I felt it wasn’t the right time."

"This is why you weren't too worried about what Derek did?" I asked him, realizing that he had never shown any anger at the events of earlier this week. The only feelings he'd shown me were worry and care for my feelings.

"It is," he replied. "You are going to love this guitar, Sarah. Your old one would have been a fond memory, and it still can be."

Before I could respond, Joe reappeared carrying a white guitar case. He stepped up to the counter, gently placed the case next to the guitar I had just picked out, and motioned me over. I stood up and walked to the counter.

"The guys who worked on making this guitar nicknamed it Sparkle," he said while stepping back to give me room to open the case. "It looks fantastic, and I can't wait to hear how it sounds."

Slowly I reached out and undid the clasps holding the case closed. Then I took a deep breath before slowly lifting the lid.

I gasped.

All thoughts of the guitar that had been destroyed Sunday night left my mind as I gazed upon the wonder that had been placed before me. It spoke to me like no other instrument had. It called to me to pick it up and play. I was in love immediately.

The top wood was very light in color, and it immediately reminded me of the inside of my bus. It had that same gamut of white and creamy beige with a hint of the soft yellow that caught my eye so well when I stepped into the bus. The body was a dark brown, matching the hardwood floor and leather that adorned the couches and seats. The neck matched the body in color and had an inlay of some flowers and a small bird at the base with a number of similar flowers spaced evenly up the fretboard with another small flower adorning the head. The rosette around the sound hole and the binding around the edge of the front of the guitar had a small strip of some material that glinted in the light, sparkling across my vision in pinks and whites. I knew immediately that this feature was what gave the guitar its nickname.

Just below the bridge, angled to where it would be readable while I played, was my name in the form of the logo that had been created for me. I ran my fingers across the top to find it smooth with the soundboard, but the paint or stain they had used to place it there had a glitter or sparkle that also added to the nickname of the guitar.

I reverently reached in and lifted the guitar out of the case, garnering a few intakes of breaths from the crowd that was still gathered behind me. Flashes of cameras went off immediately, but I didn't take my eyes off the beautiful piece of craftsmanship in my hands.

I turned it over a few times, taking in every inch of the guitar. It was the most beautiful guitar I had ever seen! With practiced ease I slipped the strap over my head and then walked back over to the chair I had been sitting in. I swiveled in the chair and turned to face the crowd. Dad and Joe moved to where they could see me better as I smiled at all of the people who had stopped their own shopping to watch mine.

"You guys want to hear the first song played on this beautiful guitar?" I asked. The reply was a resounding “yes”, with a number of cheers thrown in for good measure.

'Ever After' would have been a very appropriate song to play for them again. But my heart was somewhere else at the moment, and I christened Sparkle with the notes of 'My Hero'.

The song had a nice intro that let me hear the guitar before I had to start singing, and I was amazed immediately. I thought that the other guitar I had picked out had an excellent sound, but Sparkle had a quality to it that was ten times better. The tones that danced from my fingers were so rich and meaningful that I knew Dad must have spared no expense on this guitar.

Once I finished playing, there was some clapping from the crowd and I smiled while standing up and replaced the guitar in its case. Then I turned to Dad and Joe who were waiting patiently.

"It's perfect!" I exclaimed! It didn't take long before they shared my enthusiasm, and I left the two of them to settle the bill while I turned to interact with the fans once again.

The guitar that I had lost this week would forever hold a place dear in my heart. Sparkle wouldn't be able to replace the guitar that I'd had in my hands during my first concert. But it certainly did a good job of diverting my attention, and I couldn't ask for a better guitar to fill the hole that Derek had created in my heart.

After we got home I spent the rest of the day getting to know Sparkle. If I was going to be playing it on stage tomorrow, I wanted to make sure that I was comfortable with it. Besides, I just couldn't get enough of hearing the wonderful music that it was capable of creating.

Dad, Mom, Austin, and even Emily and Ethan all made appearances during the music marathon I created. I was restless during dinner as I wanted to get back to playing more music. I was starting to feel worn out again when Dad finally convinced me to head for bed. I had some interviews in the morning, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay up playing like I wanted to.

I truly felt happy for the first time since Derek had shattered my life.

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The next morning was a whirlwind of activity as usual. It started with a number of radio interviews for stations in the L.A. area in the morning, a short appearance on a local morning show shortly afterward, and it finished with a small ‘meet and greet’ with a few fans who had won a contest from one of the stations. I returned back home shortly before lunch.

Mom made me a sandwich, and after quickly eating I was once again in Dad's car as we headed for the bus, which we would be riding in for the trip down to the fairgrounds. It was a 50-mile trip down the 405 to reach the Pacific Amphitheatre, but traffic made it take nearly an hour and a half.

Eventually we arrived, and Eddie masterfully placed the bus among the many other vehicles that were required to transport the gear and people needed to put on one of my shows.

The whirlwind then continued with the sound check and meeting with a few of the fair organizers. It was during that meeting that I learned they wanted me to make an appearance at the actual fair. Apparently Amy had organized it, but both Dad and my security guys were upset that they hadn't been informed. Poor Amy looked like she was going to have a heart attack as we climbed into a golf cart that would take us to where we were supposed to go. I sat in the front seat and Amy and Mason climbed onto the back seat. The driver took off immediately.

"Don't worry about it," I turned and told Amy. She was still distressed about not telling everyone. My words didn't seem to do anything to alleviate her worry that she had done something wrong.

"It's okay, Amy," Mason added to our conversation. "We don't like surprises about her security, but this isn't something we can't handle. Just inform us next time so we can be ready. You didn't do anything wrong."

Amy nodded, but she still looked like she was afraid that she was about to be beheaded. I had to turn around to hide the broad smile that was beginning to form on my face. She was new to managing a client like me, but she was learning quickly. She was good at it, and I wouldn't want anyone else taking care of me like she was. Not even Dad had put so much effort into managing my career.

We continued the trip in silence for a bit before the driver pulled up to a small tent near the Amphitheatre. There was a small group of people huddled at the entrance, and they started to scream excitedly when they caught sight of me.

The next hour comprised a third whirlwind of activity as I met with some lucky fans who had been in the right place at the right time. I had hoped to have more time with my family or with those fans who had All-Access passes, but that didn't seem to be the case today. By the time we were in the golf cart and were heading back to my dressing room, I was ready to take a short nap.

"Stop!" I yelled to our driver before we made it back to the backstage area. I had seen someone I wanted to talk to.

The golf cart screeched to a stop, and everyone looked over at us, including the person I had seen. "Tracy!" I yelled over the crowd between us and her. Her face lit up immediately and I beckoned her my way. She started to push through the crowd immediately, with Heather in her arms and Katy at her heels. I hadn't realized that Katy was with her, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

"Hi, Sarah," Tracy greeted me once she had made her way through the crowd. I stepped out of the cart, which caused Mason to jump off the backseat and hurry to my side. But I paid him no attention as I reached out to take Heather into my arms. Tracy obliged, and I cooed at Heather a moment before she broke out in laughter followed by a large smile. "We were just on our way to see if we could see you."

"Well, hop on," I said and motioned to the already crowded golf cart. "We'll give you a ride." I then turned to Katy, who was staring at me with wide eyes. She still didn't look like she had recognized me, but the fact that I was talking casually with her cousin and the fact that Tracy hadn't even hesitated to hand me Heather had obviously confused her. "Hi, Katy," I said.

I didn't believe her eyes could get even wider, but they did. "You know who I am?" she asked incredulously.

"Well sure," I replied with a bit of humor in my voice. "I'm the best friend you never knew you had, remember?" I said, referring to the way I had signed her CD earlier in the summer. Tracy broke out in laughter, but Katy just stared at me, now totally confused. "I know Megan pretty well," I tried to explain. "We've met a few times over the years."

Katy shook her head, like she didn't believe it. I didn't blame her, since it was a white lie on my part. But I knew Dad would kill me if I let her in on the secret now. I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to keep it from her for much longer, but I knew that now was not the proper time to bring her into the fold. This would be a perfect opportunity to practice my deception in front of family, however. I gestured to the golf cart and we all crammed aboard once again, to the chagrin of the driver. It was a much slower trip back to my dressing room, but we eventually made it.

Dad and Mom were waiting for us, and Dad looked surprised at who I had brought back with me. He gave me a questioning look, and I shook my head subtly to let him know I had not told Katy anything.

"Hi, Don," I said to play up the deception. "I found some of your family."

Dad promptly chuckled before he greeted them kindly.

"What are you girls up to?" he asked. Clearly he was worried about me spending time with them, or at least spending time with Katy. The more time we spent together, the more likely it was that she would figure out what I was hiding from her, or at the very least she might realize that I WAS hiding something.

"I thought they might want to see the bus," I replied. Most people seemed to get a kick out of seeing it, and I doubted my cousins would be any different. There was still a little over an hour before Poptastic took the stage, so I didn't need to entertain them long before they'd have to go find their seats, and touring the bus seemed like a good option to keep Katy distracted from the truth. Besides, I knew that Tracy would want to see it, and I also had something else that I wanted to show her on board.

"Okay," he replied. "But have them back soon so they can find their seats. I nodded to him, and handed Heather back to Tracy before grabbing my guitar case and leading them out of the dressing room and down the hall toward where we could find my bus. They were right behind me, and when they caught sight of the bus I could feel the anticipation in the air.

The door was open, and Eddie was sitting in the driver's seat doing some kind of paperwork. He smiled and greeted me as I led my cousins up into the bus.

"Welcome to my tour bus," I said theatrically while they got their first glimpse. It was obvious that they were really impressed and I let them wander around for a while. Eventually they even made it back to the bedroom.

"Is that a picture of Megan and her family?" Katy asked, confused. She was pointing to the small picture of my family that was hidden among the many others in the display case in the bedroom.

"Yes," I replied. "I told you that I know her pretty well, and these are pictures of the people I hold dear in my life. The band, my friends, and my manager and his family."

"What about your own family?" she asked as she continued to scan the pictures. I could hear the curiosity in her voice, and I knew that we were treading into dangerous waters.

"My family has opted to stay out of the spotlight," I told her, and tried to mock frown my disappointment. That seemed to be enough of an answer for her, but Tracy decided to help reinforce my point.

"Her mom is a really nice lady," Tracy said. "That's how I know Sarah. I can also understand why she doesn't want to bring the rest of her family into the spotlight that her daughter enjoys."

I nodded to emphasize her point, and we thankfully turned away from the photos and headed back toward the front of the bus. Nothing that Tracy had said was a lie, but I didn't want Katy to dwell on it more than she needed to.

"What did you want to show us?" Tracy asked as we sat down in the seats at the front near the fireplace.

"This," I said and picked up my guitar case. "I understand Derek destroyed the guitar I gave to Megan. But I thought I'd let you see what I replaced it with before I use it on stage for the first time tonight."

They both looked excited at that prospect, and there was an extra meaningful look from Tracy when she realized what I really meant. She knew how much the guitar Derek had destroyed meant to me, and now she was keenly interested in learning what I had replaced it with.

I opened the case and pulled out Sparkle. It seemed like such a dumb name for a guitar, but it fit so well I couldn't call it anything else. I placed it on my lap to allow my cousins to get a good look at it. "What do you think?" I asked them.

"You don't do anything halfway, do you?" Tracy said with a slight chuckle. I laughed at her statement.

"Don actually commissioned this guitar for me a while ago," I explained. "It's only a slight upgrade," I said wryly.

Tracy immediately laughed. She too played the guitar, and she was eyeing Sparkle with an eye that told me she understood how well-built and expensive it was.

"I just feel bad for Megan," Katy added. "I mean, if you gave me a guitar and my brother smashed it, I probably would have killed him."

I nodded at the look of concern she had on her face. I'd certainly had those feelings in the time since the party. But even if Derek hadn't smashed my guitar, it would have been retired this week. There was no way that I would continue to use it when Sparkle could give me such a rich, vibrant sound. The only thing he had really done was to take away having something physical to remember it by.

"Don has assured me that Megan will be well treated to a new guitar," I told her. I knew that the black one that I had purchased as a backup would suffice for the times that I couldn't play Sarah's guitar. That included any time when I got to play for people who only knew me as Megan. Having two distinct guitars would also help to sell the secret, since we wouldn't both be playing the same guitar.

Before they had to go, I spent the rest of the time playing a few songs for them and generally having fun with them. By the time I walked them back to my dressing room, I was amazed at how easily I had fooled Katy. She was the cousin I was closest to on Mom's side of the family; yet not once had she suspected the truth about who I really was during the time we had spent together. Instead, she just seemed to be awestruck the whole time that she could hang out with one of her idols.

If nothing else, it gave me hope that I'd be able to keep the secret when I met with all of my friends and family backstage after the concert.

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