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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.

Author Note: Many of the songs that Sarah sings are "inspired" by real life songs. I'm not a songwriter, but I can tell a story. A special thanks should be given to the artists that helped shape the music that is Sarah Carerra. Embedded in this chapter are the songs that inspired this part of the concert for you to enjoy if you wish to. They are here to give you an idea of what Sarah's songs sound like.

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

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Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.10 - Adams Center Arena

"Whoa," Madison said as I stepped out of the shower Saturday morning. I jumped slightly, since I thought she was still asleep. If I had known that she was awake, I probably would have wrapped a towel around myself. "You, Megan, are in excellent shape!"

I laughed. I knew she was talking about more than how toned my muscles were as a result of the constant exercise involved in putting on a tour. I knew that any doubts she'd had about me and my gender had just been answered.

"I do a lot of dancing and stuff," I replied in an offhanded tone that indicated it was nothing special. She promptly laughed, but it was enough time for me to start pulling on underwear and getting dressed for the day. She was still chuckling when she undressed and slipped into the shower herself. It was already 9:00 AM. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept in this late on a concert day. I might be able to get through the day without taking a nap for once.

Once I was dressed, had my makeup on, and had pinned the wig I opened the door to my bedroom. Madison was still in the shower, but at least she was up. That was more than I could say for most of the other girls on my bus. Only Charlotte was up, and she had already gone into the house to shower and get ready. If the others wanted breakfast they were going to need to get up soon since we would be leaving for the venue before too long.

As I roused each of them I got to experience a completely different side of the girls: it was the first time that they were actually unhappy to see me. I laughed lightly as they started to stir and stepped off the bus to make the short trip to the house for some breakfast.

Even at this hour there was a small group of people parked at the edge of the property. They cheered when I stepped out, but all they got was a wave. I didn't have time to interact with them this morning if I was going to be ready to leave for the venue myself, and I really wanted some breakfast.

It was another hour before we were ready to leave. All of the girls had been showered and fed, I had managed to eat some breakfast between the phone interviews that I had to do and the schedules I had to go over with Amy. I'd even had a chance to hug my mom to help provide me a very small amount of "family" time before I had to revert to the role I would be playing all day once again.

I longed for the ability to be open with my family while dressed as Sarah, but that wasn't something I was going to be able to do if I wanted to have a normal life outside of the spotlight.

The bus was crowded as we pulled out of my cousin's property. Not only were all of the girls still on board, but we had my family, Amy, and both of my security guards, Cole and Mason, with us. At least it was a short trip.

It was just before 11:00 when the bus pulled into a one-way road that would take us through a parking lot and in a loop around the Adams Center to the load-in doors. The circuitous route around the front of the Adams Center meant that we had to drive right past where the radio stations were setting up their booths and the crowds were already forming. People were excitedly waving at us, and the girls were having a blast waving back. I didn't have the heart to tell them that nobody would be able to see them.

Once we had passed the security check and the bus had pulled into the designated load-in area I was beginning to feel the tingle that always preceded the rush that performing gave me. I grabbed my guitar case from my room before joining everyone else exiting the bus. When I finally stepped off there was a cheer from nearby, and I waved at the few people who were poking their head above the fence. Then I followed Cole and Mason down the tunnel that would lead us to the show floor. I didn't get far before Dad took my guitar case from me, and I happily led my small entourage into the venue empty-handed.

Rosemary, who was my events coordinator, was waiting for us as we reached the bottom. She was in charge of everything about putting on one of my concerts. She quickly handed out a security pass to each girl. The rest of us were already wearing our normal security passes that we used at each concert. As each of the girls pulled the lanyards over their heads, I saw that they had huge smiles. Getting that pass usually made people feel important, and it wasn't often that fans received these types of passes. They would have access to nearly every single area of the venue tonight.

"Sound check is in 15 minutes," Rosemary told me, giving me another reminder of the schedule even though I had already memorized the agenda for the day. "Afterward you have some time for lunch. Starshine is at 1:00 and the meet and greet starts at 4:00. Poptacular takes the stage at 5:30 and you’re on at 7:00. Early show tonight, so maybe we'll all get a good night's rest for once."

I laughed at her last observation. Even if I was taking the stage an hour or two before I normally did I knew that I wouldn't be getting to sleep any earlier. It always took me a long time to come down from the adrenaline high before I actually fell asleep. Mom had already told me that I would be joining the family at church tomorrow morning, which meant that I would probably be getting most of my sleep on the flight home.

Once Rosemary had gone over all of the details that I needed to be aware of she let me go to get ready for the sound check. I led the girls down to the stage where I found the band finishing their preparations.

"Hi guys!" I greeted them happily. It was always a good day when I got to perform with them.

The rest of the band returned the greeting, and more than one had a curious look on their faces as they saw the entourage that was following me around today.

"Who are your friends?" Jason asked me. There was humor in his voice, and when I turned back to the girls, I understood why.

"Girls, I'd like you to meet the band," I said. "The hot one you are all staring at is Jason, the lead guitarist. The hunky one you keep giving sideways glances at is Connor, bass guitarist. And the handsome one you would be watching if you could see him is Stacy, the drummer. Stacy, stand up."

The band broke out in laughter at the way I had introduced them. All of the girls looked like they were in love with my band members, and for good reason. Each of the guys worked out often and they usually caught the eye of many of the girls who made it backstage at one of my concerts. When Stacy stood up from behind his drums there was a soft intake of breath from my new friends, which set the band off again. The girls looked a bit embarrassed.

I turned to the other two people that joined me on stage. "Those lovely ladies are Sophie and Holly," I told Maddie's friends and Sophie and Holly returned greetings to them.

"These exceptional young women are Tori, Rachel, Charlotte, and Lily," I told the band while pointing to each of the girls. "And you remember Madison?"

There were nods from the band members, which created a smile on Maddie's face. They had met briefly before my ill-fated appearance on the 'Wake Up!' show. They were also aware that she had helped me co-write 'Friends Forever'.

"They are getting the full experience this weekend," I told the band.

Once the introductions had been completed I directed the girls to some chairs they could watch from, and the rest of us got to work.

* * *

When I stepped into The Observatory for the Starshine meeting later that afternoon I was met with a shriek. Shrieks weren't uncommon during this part of the day, but this shriek was not one of excitement. Instead, somebody was very upset. I glanced around before I was mobbed by the group of girls who had been waiting for me and found a beautiful blonde girl scowling in the corner. She looked pissed off! Luckily, she wasn't scowling at me.

Once the initial rush of adrenaline that the majority of the girls had at meeting me for the first time started to wane and we moved to the chairs to start the meeting, I got a chance to talk with the scowling girl.

"No! What are they doing here?" she accused me, not even greeting me at all.

Immediately my smile hardened. Every single person in this room had been invited to the opportunity of spending some time with me. I had never had someone react this way before! I turned to see who she was pointing at and found her glowering at Maddie and her friends.

"Excuse me?" I asked the girl. Unlike the others in the room who had won contests on the Starlight Cosmetic's website or in local events, the five girls behind me had been personally selected to attend this meeting by me. Having that decision questioned by somebody whom I didn't even know was starting to sour my mood.

"Michelle," Madison greeted the girl in an unfriendly tone. "It's so nice to see you again."

"You guys know each other?" I asked Madison. Madison and all four of the girls that I now considered my friends nodded.

Before any more explanation could be given, Michelle spoke up once again.

"Sarah," she told me in a superior tone. "You may not want these girls here today. They have a bit of a...disreputable reputation."

I felt my jaw drop, and I knew I looked shocked! Michelle started nodding her head to affirm what she thought had shocked me. In reality, however, I was shocked at her accusation. I may have only met some of these girls, but I'd known Madison my entire life and I never would have described her like that!

"Michelle," I said sweetly after I was able to regain my composure. "Thank you for your opinion, but they are still welcome here. If you have a problem with them, you are welcome to leave."

It was Michelle's turn to be shocked. "But Madison--"

"Madison is one of my best friends!" I nearly yelled at her. I didn't know what she was going to accuse Maddie of, but I didn't want to hear it. "I've known her my whole life. She helped me co-write the song 'Friends Forever'. I think I know who Madison is!"

Michelle's shoulders fell. Whatever problem she had with Maddie and her friends she had just realized that I wasn't going to be on her side. A moment later she started to waver in place. I could tell she was debating whether she should stay or not.

"Look," I told her. "I don't know what is going on between you and Maddie. But if you BOTH can put it aside I would like both of you to stay." I made sure that Madison knew that I didn't want to hear it from her either. The Starshine meetings were supposed to be happy. They were supposed to be a chance for me to get to know a select few of my fans better than a simple meet-and-greet could. I didn't need this hostility, and I definitely didn't want it interfering with the experience the girls not involved in this feud were having. Most of them, especially the younger ones, were staring at us like they couldn't believe there was a fight happening when they were supposed to be spending time with me.

After a moment, Madison nodded. I turned back to Michelle and she did the same. I nodded to show that this was past us, and I motioned for everyone to take their seats.

Nothing else was said as we started the requisite presentation that Starlight had come up with. When we broke out and each of the girls got a chance to play with the makeup, Stephanie and I usually went around separately meeting with them. I made sure that I started with Michelle.

When I sat down next to her I saw her wipe away a tear. She looked up at me, and I knew that she was upset with herself and the way that she had reacted.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," she said before glancing to make sure that we wouldn't be overhead. "It's just that those girls are so mean! This is the last place I ever expected to see them. I was so excited to meet you, and then they showed up! I just...I just..."

"It's okay," I said as I hugged her. "I was surprised. I've known Madison a long time. She's like family to me, and sometimes that blinds us to things." I let go of her, and then reached for a tissue to let her dry her eyes. She was going to have to start over with her makeup, because whatever mascara she was wearing had run, unlike the stuff I was peddling. "Tell me what's wrong. Perhaps I can help."

Her face lit up at the realization that I hadn't completely sided with Madison. It looked like she had been crushed when one of her idols had nearly yelled at her, and that wasn't what I wanted her to remember when she went to bed tonight.

"I don't know why they hate me," she cried softly, and I could tell that she was on the verge of tears again. "I met them when I moved here at the beginning of the year. I tried to be friends with them, but they just pushed me away. I don't have a lot of friends at school, but they are the worst people I know."

I grimaced. None of this sounded like Madison to me. Something must have happened. I talked with Michelle for a bit longer. She was a nice girl. It sounded like she'd had a rough time lately. Her father had passed away just before Christmas last year, and she and her mom had come to Missoula to live with her grandmother.

I then cycled through talking to the other girls, patiently waiting for the time that I could speak with Madison. Eventually, it came.

"What's the deal with Michelle?" I asked her as I sat down. I didn't want to hedge around the problem at all. She looked taken aback for a moment, but answered me.

"She stole Charlotte's boyfriend," Madison replied. I rolled my eyes. I shouldn't have been surprised that this was a boy problem. I'd heard enough about boy problems during these Starshine meetings to write a book. It looked like this wasn't any different. Madison saw my reaction, and immediately turned defensive. "She showed up, and Tommy just left Charlotte! They were soul mates!"

I chuckled, which was the wrong thing to do. Madison glowered at me. I highly doubted that Charlotte and this Tommy were soul mates. More likely they weren't even in love. My own love life might be rather non-existent, but I knew enough to know that teen romances rarely lasted.

"So Michelle is dating Tommy?" I asked Madison.

"No," Maddie shook her head. "They never dated."

"Then how did Michelle steal Charlotte's boyfriend?" I asked the obvious question.

Madison huffed. "You don't understand, Megan!" she said heatedly, but quietly enough that nobody would hear her use of my real name.

"Obviously," I replied. "Because I don't see how you can blame Michelle for Tommy's wandering eye. I bet she doesn't even like Tommy."

The look Madison gave me confirmed my suspicions. She knew that Michelle hadn't done anything intentionally to harm Charlotte, and she didn't even have an interest in the boy in question.

"Do you only hate her for Charlotte's sake?" I asked. Madison deflated immediately. "Maddie," I said caringly. "You know better than that."

Madison shook her head, and I knew she didn't want to talk to me anymore at the moment, so I moved on.

"What do you think of Tommy?" I asked while sitting down next to Charlotte. She scowled, and I knew there was resentment in that answer.

"I hate that jerk," she told me.

"Do you blame Michelle?" I asked next. She gritted her lips, and I could tell that she didn't. She used Michelle as an outlet for the hurt and pain that she felt for Tommy. "Then why do you treat her that way? She just wants to be your friend. Did you know that she thinks you should be a model?"

Charlotte's eyes opened wide. Charlotte had told me last night that she aspired to become a model herself one day.

"Think about it," I said before moving on once again. Charlotte hadn't said much, but I knew that I had opened her eyes. In the short time that I had spent with Michelle I had already learned everything I needed to know to tell me that Michelle would fit right in with their group. They had so many common interests, and Michelle was a great girl. But it was going to take something more to open that door.

"Guess what," I told Michelle when I sat down across from her once more. She lit up immediately.

"What?" she asked in a tentative voice. She was excited, but she couldn't voice her hopes. That was okay, because she would likely be wrong if she tried.

"You just became one of my best friends for the day," I replied. "You are going to join me and my other best friends for an exclusive look into what it is like to perform a concert."

She stared, stunned at my offer! If she knew who my other friends were, she didn't complain. All I did was smile.

* * *

I stepped back from the microphone to collect myself once again after singing 'My Hero' for the crowd. I made eye contact with my mom, and she nodded. This time, her nod had a different meaning. I had managed to get a few minutes alone with her and had told her my plan. Now, she was encouraging me to put it into motion.

I approached the microphone once again as the cheer from the audience started to die and removed it from its stand. I wanted to be mobile for this.

"How many of you have friends?" I asked the crowd while raising my hand. Another cheer swept the audience, and many arms went into the air.

"Well, I think we can safely say we all have friends," I said, which caused a small bit of laughter. "I'm happy to say that I consider all of you my friends." Another cheer swamped the small venue. I looked down to see Madison and the other girls cheering just as hard. They had been given excellent seats in the first row.

When the noise softened to the point that I could talk again, I implemented my plan.

"I want to introduce you all to some very special people," I told the audience. Then I looked straight at Madison and the girls whom I had spent the night with. I motioned them up to the stage, causing each of them to look back at me in shock. I hadn't warned them about this at all. Slowly, they stood up and made their way to the side of the stage where they could climb the stairs and reach me. While they were moving I turned back to the other girl who had been sitting next to them and motioned for her to join them. Michelle eagerly leapt out of her seat and ran after the other girls. Their relationship was still strained, but it was improving.

Eventually the girls made it onto the stage, and I lined them up exactly where I needed them to stand.

"I had the rare opportunity to invite these girls to spend the night on my tour bus last night," I told the crowd. "I'd like you to meet Tori, Rachel, Charlotte, Lily, and Michelle," I introduced the girls. "Say hello, girls."

They looked uncomfortable to be standing on the stage in front of so many people, but they waved to the crowd. I didn't have the heart to tell them that this was actually one of the smaller audiences on my tour schedule. I couldn't imagine what they would be feeling if they had been on stage at the Indiana State Fair!

I then turned to the girl who was standing right next to me. "And this amazing young woman is Madison Campbell. I've known Madison my entire life. It was a sad day when she left Los Angeles to move up here. If you are excited to be here tonight, you've got Maddie to thank. I wanted to give her the ability to come to one of my concerts, so I brought a concert to her."

Maddie looked shocked at my admission, which made me laugh. I thought she knew that she and her family were the reason I was performing here.

"A lot of my fans know who Chloe is," I continued. "She co-wrote a number of songs with me. But one of those songs was also co-written with the help of Madison." I turned toward Maddie now.

"Maddie, I hope the two of us remain 'Friends Forever'."

A loud beat of Stacy's drums launched us into the song. Jason and Connor joined him a moment later, and I watched as Madison and the other girls started to look around nervously as the dancers and I started to move around them. However, I positioned them in an area where they wouldn't interfere with the choreography, and still gave me a chance to interact with them during the parts where I wasn't moving in sync with the dancers.

When I started singing the first verse that talked about how lame life was when I wasn't able to spend time with my friends I started to move along the girls. A hug here, a touch there - each of them got a personal moment during the verse where I let them know how happy I was to have them on the stage with me. Even Michelle was having the time of her life.

I fell back into the choreography when we started the first chorus, only to join my friends again when it came to an end. The second verse talked about all the fun we had when we were together. It talked about the trouble we got in and the memories that we made. I got the girls to dance with me a bit before breaking out again into the chorus and choreography. They moved a little, but they didn't really have any idea of what to do. But it looked like they were having fun.

As the second chorus came to a close we moved into a slower portion of the song where I reiterated how I hoped to remain friends with them forever. When I finished singing that part of the song I dropped into silence as the music continued, but I started dancing next to the girls again until they started imitating what I was doing.

A moment later the music stopped, and with only a small strum from Jason's guitar I sang a portion of the chorus once more. The girls stopped dancing, wondering what was going on. But once I moved into the chorus again the music returned and they started moving along with the dancers and me once more.

It wasn't long before the song started to come to a close, and not long after that the crowd erupted into applause once again. But my attention was on the five girls on stage with me. I pulled them close into a group hug, and as we broke up I saw some tears in the eyes of some of the girls. They started hugging each other in pairs when the group hug broke up, and I smiled broadly when I watched Charlotte wrap her arms around Michelle.

* * *

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