---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.01 - Concert Reviews

"Megan, wake up," someone said, and I was shaken lightly while lying in my bed. I groaned. I wanted to sleep for a lot longer. I'd been running at full steam for nearly a week, and now that the concert I had opened for Josh Holliday was over, I had started to crash.

"Megan," the voice repeated before I was shaken again. "The concert is about to start!"

That gave me more of a drive to get out of bed. As soon as we'd arrived home after the early morning flight, I'd changed back into my pajamas and dove into bed. Staying up late the night before hadn't helped matters any. But they were replaying my concert on TV tonight, and I definitely wanted to watch it.

I opened my eyes and groaned again. It was Emily, my best friend, trying to awaken me, and she was giving me a big smile, one of those smiles that are hard to say no to.

"What time is it?" I asked her before looking over at my alarm clock. The digits read 7:52.

"Come on," Emily said now that I was awake. "Your mom has food ready too. Come eat and watch your concert with us."

I groaned again, but I swung my legs out of my bed and stood up. I wasn't completely rested, but I felt better than I had earlier in the morning.

I stepped over to my vanity and peered at my image. I didn't look too bad. I'd fallen asleep wearing my makeup, but it didn't look like it had rubbed off much. After I quickly brushed my dark brown hair, I felt that I was presentable enough to leave my room.

I turned back toward the door. Emily was still standing there.

"Bathroom," I told her, and she nodded.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen." I returned her nod and followed her out the door, but veered into the bathroom before joining them in the kitchen.

"Hi, honey," Mom said and gave me a hug. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But I still feel like I could sleep for days."

She laughed, but gave me a loving smile. "You've been so busy for the last week, that I'm not surprised. Grab some dinner and come into the front room."

"Okay," I replied and grabbed a plate and started filling it up.

Once I had my food, I joined Emily at the door to the kitchen and we stepped through into the front room, where the TV was already on. It looked like some entertainment news show was currently running. I knew that the concert was not being replayed on one of the big broadcast networks, but I still couldn't believe that I was going to be performing on TV!

"We saved you the middle!" my brother Austin yelled from the couch. I smiled broadly. Not only was my whole family here, but they had also saved me the best seat, right in front of the TV, and right next to where Emily had sat down.

"Thank you," I told Austin and set my plate on the small coffee table. We rarely ate in this room, but apparently Mom was making an exception for tonight.

The only person missing was Ethan, who was my other best friend. Emily and I had met when she moved into the house next door when I was two, and we'd befriended Ethan in kindergarten. He had to go to a family dinner tonight, but at least he was there last night and got to see me on stage.

I sat down, waiting for the concert to start, and thought back to where my life had taken me over the last few weeks. Learning that I truly was female had been a huge shock, but one that I was starting to cope with. It was almost easier to cope with that than it was to cope with all of the ‘Sarah Carerra’ stuff that had taken over much of my life.

It had only been three weeks since I had sung karaoke at Johnny's party. His dad, Scott, worked for a record company, and I was signed within a week. Well, Sarah was signed within a week. Sarah Carerra was originally meant to be a way for me to keep my normal life out of the spotlight. But I had learned that Sarah was now an integral part of me. She was the part of me that loved to sing, that loved to perform.

Despite my exhaustion after the many days of hard work that I had gone through during the last week, I wouldn't trade it for anything. The choreography lessons, the studio sessions with the band, the concert itself...I still couldn't believe that this was my life!

"Are you okay?" Mom asked me while taking a seat on a chair next to Dad.

I looked up at her and smiled. "Yes," I replied. "I've never been better. I was just thinking about how amazing my life has become. I really love you guys."

"Oh, honey," my mom replied. "You know we'll always be here for you. We love you too."

I smiled again when I noticed that everyone else in the room was nodding agreement.

"Did you hear the good news?" Austin asked excitedly. I shook my head. I was totally oblivious to everything while I slept in my room throughout the day.

"Intuition was #1 on the countdown!" he continued excitedly.

"What?" I screamed in excitement at the same time that I felt a small sliver of despair. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah!" he replied. "You beat out Josh!"

And that was the cause of the despair. Despite the immense success of Josh's career over the last three years, he had never managed to have a number one song. He'd had many number two's, but it wasn't until three weeks ago, the week that Sarah Carerra came into existence, that he had finally hit the top of the charts.

Now, after only two weeks of being on top, I had pushed him down to second. This was definitely a blow to my plan to win him back. Despite any feelings he may or may not have for Sarah, I knew he wouldn't be happy about this. He'd been jealous when we talked about how we got started in the music business when he had taken me to dinner, just before I was his date at the Tween Awards. Now, I could picture that jealousy flaring up again.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, seeing the frown that had crossed my lips.

"Nothing," I replied. But she didn't buy that explanation and glared at me. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this from her. "It's just...I mean...I pulled Josh off the top! He'll never want to get back together now!"

Emily started laughing, which only made me feel worse.

"Megan!" she exclaimed. "Get real! Your first song is on top of the charts, and after only two weeks! Celebrate! We can worry about Josh later."

I grinned sheepishly, and then nodded my head. She was right. I may have already lost Josh anyway; so I should enjoy this moment for what it was. "'Intuition' was really #1?"

"Yes, Megan." This time the response came from my dad, who was also my agent and manager. I smiled back at him. I couldn't believe that it would become that big of a hit so quickly!

"Wow," I replied and sank back into the couch. I had a number one hit!

"Congratulations," Mom said, and I returned her smile with a short laugh.

"I can't believe this is happening," I told her.

"I can," she replied. "After watching you last night...I can."

"It's starting!" Austin interrupted. I turned toward the TV, and the program began with an intro to Josh's concert "with special guest, Sarah Carerra."

It then cut to a scene of Josh. It looked like a studio backdrop. It had to have been recorded before the concert. He welcomed everyone to the concert presentation, spoke for a moment on what to expect, and then did something totally unexpected by me.

He said, "Please welcome my good friend, Sarah Carerra."

Immediately, they cut to the start of 'Rock Star' and I watched mesmerized as I performed on stage. I wondered...I wondered if Josh still felt those words. Did he still consider me to be his friend after I had toppled his first number one single?

I tried not to, but I couldn't help but think of Josh throughout the night as we watched the replay of the concert. He'd given me this opportunity and what had I given to him in return?

Watching the concert was completely different from performing it. I had a small exhilaration while we watched when I felt some of the 'rush' at the memories that I could add to the images that I was seeing on screen. I choked up as I watched myself sing 'Open Your Eyes'. I smiled at the fun the crowd and I were having as I sang 'I Just Wanna Have Fun'. I started to cry and held Emily closer when I dedicated 'Ever After' to her. I watched the change in me where 'Intuition' became my song, and not just the one the studio wanted me to sing.

By the end of the night, I was mesmerized at my ability to actually perform a concert. I had been so nervous before stepping on that stage, but now the thought of getting back up there and performing again was one of exhilaration. I couldn't wait for my next opportunity to perform!

After the concert had ended and Emily had gone home, I excused myself from my family. I still needed sleep.

*  *  *

"How do you know this guy?" I asked my dad as we walked toward the entrance to the office of his friend the following morning. I still wasn't sure what part of the government he worked for.

"He's helped some of my other clients update their information," he replied. "Not all of them are using their real names."

"Oh," I replied. We'd talked about updating my license and other documentation to reflect my new gender and identity. Nevertheless, I was very nervous that someone could prevent me from changing anything. I'd already proven that I was biologically female, but the government didn't always see things the way their citizens did.

"Don't worry, Megan," Dad tried to put my concerns to rest. "I've known him for a long time. There won't be any problems."

I grinned back at him, but I was still nervous as we walked inside.

"Don Campbell to see John Shepherd," my dad told a receptionist. She turned toward her computer and pressed a few keys.

"He's expecting you," she replied. "Do you know where his office is?"

"Yes," Dad said confidently.

"You can go on back," the receptionist continued.

Dad smiled at her and then led me down a nondescript corridor to a nondescript office. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't anything more than a cog in the wheel.

The door was open, and a slightly balding man with dark hair and a five o'clock shadow looked up at us.

"Don," he said with a grin as he recognized my dad. "It's good to see you again."

"Hi, John," Dad replied. "It's been a while."

"Come in, come in," the guy continued, waving his right arm in a gesture meant to reinforce his words. He stayed seated at his desk the whole time.

I followed my dad into the office and sat down on one of the cheap looking chairs in front of his desk. The guy, John, was looking at me closely while I sat.

"John, this is my daughter, Megan," Dad said after he was settled.

"It's nice to meet you, Megan," John replied, sticking his hand out for me to shake.

"It's nice to meet you too," I replied. He seemed friendly enough, but I didn't like the way he kept looking at me. It seemed wrong, somehow, but I didn’t know why.

He turned back toward my dad. "Do you have the letter?" he asked.

"Yes," Dad replied and pulled an envelope from his day planner before handing it to the man.

John opened the envelope and removed the letter that Dr. Holbrook, the gender specialist I had been seeing, had written for me. Dad had let me read it, and it was a straight-forward declaration of my true sex. It clearly stated that I was genetically female, and not the male that I had been declared at birth. He quickly read through the document before returning it to the envelope and handing it back to my dad.

"Alright," John said. He then turned toward his computer and clicked a button with his mouse. A second later, a printer next to his computer started spitting out papers. Once it stopped, he picked up the stack and turned back to us. "I just need you to sign these. One is the approval to change her birth certificate, and the other is the paperwork to apply for a new license. I've also printed out the paperwork for a passport for Megan and a passport and a license for Sarah."

I sat there stunned! All of my previous dealings with the government left me doing all of the work. Today, it sounded like he had done all the work and just needed our signatures!

He handed the papers to my dad, who quickly read through them, signed them, and then handed them to me. They looked like standard government forms, and after I quickly read through them to make sure that all of my information was correct, I signed them on the line above the "Parent/Guardian" line that Dad had signed on.

"Congratulations, Megan," John said. "You are now female."

I smiled. I was female before he said that, but it was nice to have it legally recognized!

"Thank you," I told him. He was looking at me again. I grimaced at his look, and he seemed to realize what he was doing.

"I'm sorry," he said while frowning. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just find it hard to believe that you were ever living as a boy. Please forgive me."

His apology didn't really make me feel any better. In fact, it made me feel more like I was on display for his amusement.

"If you'll follow me," John said while standing up. It appeared he realized that he had possibly gone too far, and he looked slightly guilty now. "We can get your picture for your driver’s licenses and passports."

I nodded and stood up, grabbing the bag that held my glam and wig. I would need them if I was taking pictures as Sarah.

John led us out of his office and down the hall to a small room with a camera and a seat. He had me sit on the chair and then he took a couple of pictures as Megan before he told me we needed pictures of Sarah.

I was nervous when he stepped back outside, leaving Dad and I alone in the small room. I didn't fully trust this guy, especially now that he had been endowed with my most precious secret. Dad had assured me that he was trustworthy, and that he had signed a non-disclosure agreement, but I still didn't feel good about it.

After donning the wig and glam, Dad opened the door to let him back in. His eyes opened wide when he saw me.

"You weren't lying, Don!" he exclaimed after the door had closed behind him. "She really is Sarah Carerra!"

I grimaced again. He should have realized that before now. He had a large smile on his face as he took a few more pictures, and then told us that he would meet us back in his office.

Once he had left for the second time, I quickly returned the wig and the glam to the bag. That would keep them safe and secret. We then headed back to John's office.

John wasn't there when we arrived, but Dad motioned for me to sit down. We didn't have to wait long before John reappeared, holding two laminated cards.

"Here you go, Megan," he said while handing the cards to me. I stared at the new licenses that I had been handed. Both pictures looked amazingly good for a license, but Sarah's was definitely the better photo. She seemed to be so photogenic.

All of Sarah's information was the same as Megan's, which could be trouble later if anyone obtained both of them. But we had put the perception out that Sarah sometimes stayed at my house.

"Thank you," I told him again. He nodded at me before turning to my dad.

"The birth certificate and the passports will be mailed to you in the next couple of weeks," John said.

"Okay," Dad said. "Is there anything else we need to do?"

"No," John replied, but stepped back around his desk and picked up a small briefcase. "But there is one thing that I was hoping you would be willing to do."

He placed the briefcase on his desk, opened it, and pulled out a long roll of paper. I knew instantly what he wanted, and I nodded to him when he looked up at me.

"Thank you," he told me this time as he unrolled the poster on his desk and then reached for a permanent marker that was lying nearby. He handed the marker to me.

"This is for my daughter, Kendra," he said. "She's your biggest fan."

I chuckled to myself. It seemed like everyone was my biggest fan. I signed Sarah's name to the poster and looked up to see the smile on John's face grow bigger.

Not only had he made my day, but I had made his.

*  *  *

I had planned to go over to Emily's house for the afternoon after we arrived home, but Dad asked me to sit down on the couch in the front room while he went to get my mother. I didn't know what was going on, but it sounded like I was in for a serious talk. We hadn't had one of these in quite a while.

Eventually, my parents came in and Mom sat down next to me while Dad sat down in his normal chair.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked worriedly. I didn't think I had done anything wrong.

"No, honey," my mom replied with a smile that instantly put me at ease. "This is about your surgery."

"Oh," I said. The worry that had just left me came flooding back tenfold. The doctors had determined that I was genetically female, but I did not have what was "normal" for a girl between my legs. They wanted me to undergo surgery to create the external genitalia that someone would expect me to have.

I wanted this surgery. I really, really wanted this surgery. But the thought of having it also scared me to death. I'd only ever had major surgery once before. When I was 10, my family was in a car accident and I had lost much of what had led doctors to pronounce me to be male at birth. Brett, the boy I had been before that accident, died that day. I didn't know it for six years, but that was the day that Megan had been born. She wasn't complete yet, but this surgery would finish the job.

"If it's okay with you, we'd like to schedule the surgery for a week from tomorrow," Dad said.

A week from tomorrow! That was so soon! I didn't know if I was ready for this to happen that quickly! I knew that my doctor felt that I should have the surgery as soon as possible to prevent any problems that might be caused by me having a period, but I was still shocked that it would happen so soon.

"Are you okay?" Mom asked from beside me. When I met her gaze, she looked really worried.

"Yeah," I replied. "It's just...it's scary!"

She immediately reached around me and wrapped me in a hug. "Oh, honey," she said. "I know that this is scary, but you need to have it soon."

"I know," I told her. "And I want it. But..."

"I understand," she interrupted me before I could find the words to describe my feelings. This was a big step. Mom held me in that hug for a few minutes while I came to terms with what they had told me. It wouldn't be long before my body matched my new driver's license.

"We wanted to schedule it this week," Dad told me when Mom had let go. "But you have a few appointments as Sarah between now and next week. Not to mention the trouble we'll have with Kevin's family here."

"Uncle Kevin is coming?" I asked, even more worry filling my already full mind. How were we going to keep Sarah a secret with a family full of relatives staying around the house?

"Yes," Dad said with a grimace. "Remember that we set this up a few months ago, before Sarah ever came into existence." Apparently he felt the same way as me.

"Where is everyone going to stay?" I asked. We had converted one of the spare bedrooms into Sarah's room. That only left one spare room for my dad's brother, his wife Olivia, and their three children: two boys and a girl.

"James and Logan can sleep out here in the front room," Dad said. "Kevin and Olivia will stay in the spare bedroom. Madison can either sleep in your room or Sarah's room. I'll let you choose."

That was a tough decision. The pull-out bed on the couch in Sarah's room was comfortable as far as couch beds go, but it didn't compare to my own soft bed. But having Madison in Sarah's room was dangerous when I needed to change into Sarah. Almost certainly Madison would start getting into Sarah's things too, or at least going through the clothes in her closet.

I opened my mouth to reply, but closed it after thinking about something else. The second time I opened my mouth was to ask a very important question.

"Are we going to tell them about Sarah?" I asked.

"If we can help it, I don’t want to," Dad replied.

"Then I should stay in Sarah's room," I told him. "Otherwise, Madison will be snooping all over the place. She probably will anyway."

Dad nodded. "It's up to you. If you need to tell her the truth, then you can. She is family and I know the two of you have a good relationship."

"I'll try not to," I told him. Unlike Emily and Ethan, this wasn't something I necessarily needed to share with my cousin to keep our relationship intact. Once Madison found out I was a girl, we were already going to have enough to talk about. Sarah could easily be pushed aside.

"Anyway," Dad continued. "They arrive on Friday, and they'll be here until the following Saturday."

"So I'll be in the hospital for most of the time they're here?" I asked downcast. That really bummed me out. Madison and I had always had a good relationship. She was a year younger than me, but we always seemed to click when we got together. She would be ecstatic to find out I really was a girl, just like Katy had been when we went to Aunt Judy's birthday party a couple of weeks ago. She was going to be upset that we wouldn't be able to hang out as much.

"Unfortunately," Dad said. "But at least this way you'll be able to do some things with them before the surgery. If you had the surgery before they came, you would have to take it easy the whole time they were here."

That made sense. If I was going to be sidelined and be forced to take it easy, it would be better to have a few days of fun beforehand.

"Okay," I told him. "What about Sarah? What do I have going this week?"

"The next couple of days are free," Dad replied. "On Friday you'll be performing on 'The Tonight Show'."

"Are you serious?!" I asked him excitedly.

"Yes," my dad replied. His grin turned into a wide smile with my excitement. "It's just a performance though, no interview."

Still...it was 'The Tonight Show'!

"You don't have anything during the weekend," he continued. "But on Monday you'll be interviewed on 'Wake Up!' and you’ll perform 'Intuition' there also. Then you have two weeks before any other commitments to help you recover."

"Okay," I replied, but my excitement had grown again. Not only was I going to be on 'The Tonight Show', I was also going to be on 'Wake Up!' 'Wake Up!' was a morning show designed to appeal to the younger generation between my age and mid- to late-twenties. I didn't get to see it very often, but I enjoyed it when I was able to watch it.

"Alright then," Dad said with a smile. "Are you okay with having the surgery next Tuesday?"

I took a deep breath and let it out before I was able to respond. But when I did, I was confident in my answer.

"Yes," I told him. "I am."

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.02 - Tonight with Sarah Carerra

The next few days passed slowly, but I was glad for the calm that had settled after the concert was over. It was a good break from the full-throttle schedule that I had been living for the last week and a half.

I spent much of the time hanging out with Emily and Anna, her younger sister. We tried to include Ethan, but it was apparent that he felt odd hanging out with us after I had kissed him on the cheek at the concert on Saturday. He had been in love with Sarah Carerra before he found out that she was really me. Now, I think he had conflicting emotions about loving his best friend. Either way, he had been avoiding us, or at least me, instead of confronting the problem head on.

But without him, we had a chance to do girly things. We did a lot of shopping, we went to the salon, we did all of the things that we could not do with Ethan around. It wasn't our fault that he was avoiding us, so we were taking advantage of it.

Anna was initially upset because she had not been invited to attend the concert. She didn't know that I was Sarah Carerra, and we were trying to keep it that way for now, but she had been unhappy to be left out. Spending this much time with us had finally made her feel somewhat better, although she was still mad that she didn't get to see Sarah Carerra perform in person.

Friday morning was a bright, sunny day. It seemed like the perfect day to perform on 'The Tonight Show' and have Uncle Kevin’s family come to visit. I'd already moved much of my clothing into Sarah's closet to keep from interrupting Madison when I got ready each morning. I had also taken the few things that I didn't want to live without and they made Sarah's room feel more like my own. It felt odd to consider it my room for the week, or at least for the four days I had until my operation. I'd be in the hospital for most of the week afterward.

After taking a shower, I stepped into Sarah's room to get dressed. Julia, my image consultant, had decided that I should dress similarly to how I was dressed during the concert, but with a more expensive edge. We had decided on a pair of jeans and a very stylish off-white, almost cream top that wasn't quite a tank, but still left my shoulders bare. It was also made of a silky material, was fitted, and had an intricate golden weave about an inch toward the bottom that really set it apart from the dark-washed jeans. We topped it off with a pair of matching heeled boots that were mostly hidden under the cut of the jeans. Two simple bracelets and a small pendant necklace made up the accessories.

In short, my outfit looked very expensive. Unfortunately for my own pocketbook, it HAD been expensive. I knew that I was wearing over $1,000 worth of clothing. But it was exactly the type of image that we wanted to portray on ‘The Tonight Show’. Sarah Carerra got all the glamour that a girl could want, but she was still a down to earth girl.

After getting dressed, I pinned up my long brown hair before I opened the locked armoire located in Sarah's room. Inside were the many wigs that helped disguise my true identity when I performed as Sarah. I pulled out the same blonde wig that I had worn during the concert. I had been wearing the same style for the last couple of weeks. It was the style that everyone was starting to recognize as Sarah's. I quickly did my makeup with a dramatic flair. Stephanie, my personal makeup artist, would be at the studio to get me looking my best when I went out on stage, but I could do a passable job by myself until she got her hands on me. Once I was ready, I stepped out of my room and headed for the kitchen, where I could hear my family eating.

They smiled at me when I stepped into the kitchen, and I had to smile back. Not only was my family here, but so were Chloe and Xander. Chloe Carpenter was Emily's second identity, the one that allowed her to accompany Sarah without the risk of someone recognizing her. Her long blonde hair had been hidden under a long red wig and she looked like a model wearing her high fashion outfit.

Xander Dailey was Ethan's second identity. His short brown hair had been replaced with blonde locks that fell over his eyes and to the top of his neck. He still looked uncomfortable in the preppy polo shirt he was wearing, but he seemed to be acclimating to them.

But the best part was that Ethan was here. This was the first time that I had seen him since we dropped him off after leaving the airport Sunday morning. He'd been avoiding Megan, but apparently he wasn't avoiding Sarah.

"Hi guys," I said with a smile. "It's nice to see you again, Ethan."

Ethan blushed! I couldn't believe it! I was only trying to tell him how happy I was that he was here this morning, and he was reading into it again. I didn't know what my feelings toward him were, but I didn't like the uncomfortable feeling I got when interacting with him now. If only I could take back what I had done at the concert.

"Hi, Megan," he said. I was glad that he had used my real name, instead of calling me Sarah. It gave me hope that we could work our way through this.

"Eat quickly," Dad said. "We're already a bit late. We need to be at the studio in an hour."

"Okay," I said before grabbing a plate and settling in to eat between my friends. It was good to have them back.

*  *  *

"Stephanie!" I greeted my makeup artist excitedly when I was shown to the green room at the studio. Dad, Emily, and Ethan were right behind me.

"Hi, Sarah," she replied. "You certainly look expensive today. Not much tomboy left in you, is there?"

I laughed at her quip. Stephanie knew that I was really Megan, but she didn't know more than that. Both she and Julia thought that I was a tomboy before becoming a pop star. "Yeah, you can blame Julia for that," I replied.

"Sound check in fifteen," said the worker who had shown us to the room, before he turned and left.

"Sit," Stephanie said immediately. I sat and she wrapped a protective cover around me to protect my expensive investment. I didn't realize we were so late. As she worked on removing what I had applied earlier, she started talking about her plan for the day.

"We're going more dramatic today," she said. "The expensive clothes will look better with a more polished look. Dark eyes, solid lip. We want to make you look flawless."

I sat there while she continued to remove my makeup, and started reapplying it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my dad, Ethan, and Emily sink down on the couches in the room. I figured that this was going to be pretty boring for them. Fortunately, they had tickets to see the show and didn't have to wait backstage for me, but the show didn't start for another hour. I had wanted Mom and Austin to come too, but Mom said she needed to be home in case Uncle Kevin showed up, and Austin was going out with friends. He had seen the concert, and knew he could watch the show later that night.

"Take a look," Stephanie said, and stepped back to give me the ability to look into the mirror.

"Ooh," I replied. I looked really good. The flawless makeup made me look slightly older. I took off the cover and stood up to get the full effect. Once again Stephanie had done a masterful job. She was worth every penny that she charged. "It's perfect, again," I told her.

"Thank you," she said with a grin. "I have a couple of other clients who have appointments this afternoon. Do you want me to stick around in case it gets messed up or can I run and see them?"

"You can go, Stephanie," I smiled. Dad had retained Stephanie to be there when I needed her, but I was certain she had other clients whom she needed to keep happy too. "I'll be fine. Makeup is meant to last all day, anyway."

She chuckled at my words, but I could see the gratitude in her eyes. I was paying her a lot to be here, but she needed other clients to help pay the bills. I wasn't going to stop her from doing that.

"Would it be easier for you to come to my house instead of meeting me at studios and such?" I asked her. Stephanie was one of the few people who knew Sarah Carerra's true identity. Having her come to the house wouldn't be a problem.

"Maybe," she replied. "Sometimes your house is closer, like today. Other times it's easier to meet you where you are appearing."

"Let me know where you would like to meet in the future, then," I told her with a smile. "We can work something out that works for both of us."

She smiled back at me. I could tell that she hadn't expected me to say anything like that. "Thank you," she said again.

"You're welcome," I replied. It couldn't hurt to keep those people I worked with happy.

"I'll see you on Monday, then," she told me.

"Okay," I said. "See you then."

"Five minutes," we were interrupted by an intern. This one looked anxious because I was still in my dressing room instead of nearing the stage. But nobody had come to get me.

"Coming," I told her, and I could see her anxiety wane as I stepped out the door behind her. My small entourage was right behind me. They had nothing better to do.

I followed the intern down a few halls before entering a backstage area. She walked me around a curtain to where my band was waiting for me.

"Hi, guys!" I greeted them warmly. I hadn't seen them since the concert.

"Hi, Sarah," Jason greeted me back. The others soon followed. Jason Olson was the lead guitarist of the band 'Pop Fly'. He, along with bass player Connor Christiansen and drummer Stacy Miller, made up the core of the group that accompanied me on stage. Sophie Lund and Holly Anderson were the two others. They provided harmony and backup vocals.

"You look really good," Sophie told me. I laughed. Sophie always looked exquisite. She had one of the best wardrobes I had ever seen. I looked expensive today, but she looked expensive every day. Even when she and Holly were wearing the same clothes, like they were now for our performance, she managed to make hers look more expensive. To have her mention my clothes looked good was a real compliment.

"Thank you," I told her.

"One minute!" someone yelled from behind me. I wanted to talk to them more, but we had a sound check to perform.

"'Intuition' for the sound check?" I asked Jason. He nodded back to me and I made the preparations I needed to in my head to get ready to perform again.

Unlike Saturday night, where I had been really nervous to walk out on stage, I was actually excited to be performing again. There wasn't a nervous bone in my body. I really had become addicted to the rush I felt every time I performed.

I stepped up to the microphone, smiling to myself when I recognized the white shimmer before seeing my name stenciled along the side. Dad had presented this microphone to me at the concert, promising that it would always be there for me when I performed. It was almost like having him on stage with me.

I looked out on the empty set of 'The Tonight Show' for the first time. Nobody was in their seats. Todd Thomas, the current host, was nowhere to be seen, and only the sound technicians were nearby. But I was on 'The Tonight Show' stage!

It had been one month to the day since I had performed for Scott and he had offered me the chance to record a demo CD. In one month I went from being a nobody to having a number one hit and performing on a syndicated program like 'The Tonight Show'. It still amazed me at how popular I had become so quickly.

"Start when you're ready," one of the sound technicians yelled, and Jason started his intro immediately. I closed my eyes briefly, listening to the sound of the music. I started singing before opening my eyes again.

This was the first time that I had sung 'Intuition' since it had become a number one hit. It seemed so surreal to me that it was that popular already. I only hoped that my other songs would be as successful. I'd only started my music career, and I wasn't ready for it to end.

When the song came to a close, I stepped back from the microphone and smiled. It felt good to perform again.

*  *  *

The band, my dad, my friends, and I were all sitting in the green room half an hour later when there was a knock on the opened door. I looked up, still chuckling from the conversation we had been having, to see Todd Thomas standing there.

"Sarah!" he said in a friendly tone, like we were the best of friends. "It's so good to have you on the show!"

I stood up from where I was sitting between Emily and Sophie and stepped closer toward the door.

"I'm happy for the opportunity. I'm a big fan of the show," I told him with a smile while taking his outstretched hand. Todd was in his mid-thirties. He was an athletic looking guy with dark hair and a goatee. Ever since taking over as host of 'The Tonight Show', he'd really appealed to the younger generation, including me. I watched his show whenever I got the chance. Admittedly, that wasn't nearly as often as I would have liked.

Todd then pulled out a well used notebook before grinning at me again. "I try to get all of my guests to sign this," he said. "Would you be willing to?"

"Of course," I said, returning his grin with one of my own. I took the book from him and flipped through it to the last page. There were some big names there, and I felt privileged to be able to add my own. I quickly scribbled my name and handed the book back to him.

"Thank you," he said. "Are you nervous? This is your first time on a talk show, right?"

"Yeah, it's my first time," I replied. "But I'm not nervous. If you were interviewing me that might be different, but singing is second nature to me now."

He chuckled for a moment before speaking again. "I guess I'll have to have you back soon for an interview. We'll see if we can't get those nerves going."

I laughed with him, and I could hear the rest of the people in the room chuckling too.

"Is this your band?" Todd asked while looking around the room.

"Yeah!" I replied excitedly. I was glad that Todd was interested in meeting them too. I pointed to Jason. "This is Jason Olson. He's the band leader and lead guitarist of 'Pop Fly'."

"Pleased to meet you, Jason," Todd said with an outstretched hand.

"Likewise," Jason beamed back while shaking Todd's hand.

"Next to him is the rest of the band, Connor Christiansen on bass and Stacy Miller on drums," I continued the introductions, Todd giving each of them a handshake. "Sophie Lund and Holly Anderson sing harmony." I didn't want to call them ‘backup singers’.

"It's nice to have all of you here," Todd said before turning to the last group in the room. "And you guys are?"

"Don Campbell," Dad said while taking Todd's hand. "I'm Sarah's manager. This is Chloe Carpenter and this is Xander Dailey, Sarah's two closest friends."

"Welcome, welcome," Todd said with a smile to them before turning back to me. "It's nice to finally meet you and your band, Sarah. I need to run, but I'm glad to have you on the show."

"Thanks, Todd," I replied.

"I'll see you all out on stage," he continued while stepping back over to the door to the room. "Break a leg."

I chuckled politely, and then he was gone.

*  *  *

"When we come back, Sarah Carerra will perform for us, stick around!" I heard Todd say from the other side of the set. An intern had retrieved us from the green room five minutes earlier, and we were waiting backstage to take our places. A red light turned off next to where we were standing, and another person started waving us forward.

"Get ready," she told us while motioning toward the stage. I knew that we weren't live or anything, but they were still pushing a pretty strict schedule on us. The band and I walked over to where our instruments and microphones were, and waited for our next cue. We were told that we would be introduced, and then we needed to start the song immediately.

Once we were in place, the curtain in front of us was raised, and I looked out on 'The Tonight Show' set once more. This time, it was completely changed.

A cheer swept the audience as the curtain was raised, causing me to smile. Singing my song earlier for the sound check had been one thing, but performing it for an audience was completely different! I couldn't wait to be singing again!

Todd was standing behind his desk, where he was shaking hands with some actress who had been in an artsy film. I recognized her, but I couldn't remember her name or the name of the movie. It wasn't long before she said goodbye and made her way off the set behind us.

The crowd quieted down, and I stood there waiting for the music to start. My heart had already started pumping, and I could feel the rush of being on stage starting without even a single note.

The red light that had gone off earlier came back on. The crowd started to clap. I watched as a short heavyset man stood up and counted down on his fingers before pointing at Todd.

"Welcome back," Todd said into one of the many cameras surrounding the set. "My next guest has quickly taken the teen music scene by storm with the release of her first single, which rose to the top of the charts after only two weeks. Her first album isn't scheduled to be released until July 8, but she's already making a statement for herself. Please welcome Sarah Carerra!"

Another small cheer rang through the crowd as Jason immediately started his intro for the second time that day.

I sang the song with as much passion and determination as I could muster. This was likely the first time that many of Todd's viewers had heard my music, and I wanted to make a good impression.

Unlike some of my songs, I knew that this song was supposed to appeal to not only the teen crowd, but also to the greater demographic that Todd's show hit. According to Dad, the more people I hooked here, the better off my career would be. I knew he meant monetarily, but I figured that the more fans I had, the more likely I would be performing for many years to come. And I had started to realize that performing was something I had been born to do.

As the song ramped up into the final chorus, I looked out at the crowd again. My eyes landed on Dad, who was sitting directly in front of me, three rows from the top. He was beaming. This was the first time I had been able to see Dad's face while I performed, and I was mesmerized at how proud he looked.

My smile widened as I continued the song. I loved my dad so much. He had done a million things for me throughout my lifetime, but now I was giving something back. It was more than the money that I was helping to make for him; this was about seeing his child succeed. He'd taught me how to be a good person, and now it was paying off.

When the song came to an end, the crowd started clapping again, and a number of people started whistling and cheering. Todd stood up and came over to where I was standing while the crowd continued.

"Sarah Carerra, everybody!" Todd yelled over the cheers before coming over and shaking my hand once again. He then turned back to the crowd. "I'd like to thank all of my guests. Stay tuned for 'Late Night'!"

The crowd cheered for a few more minutes while Todd thanked me again and then shook hands with each of the band members before he waved to the crowd and stepped off the set behind where we had performed. My entire appearance on 'The Tonight Show' hadn't been much longer than the three and a half minute song, but it certainly left a warm glow in my chest.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Want to see Sarah Carerra perform in a city near you?
I'm looking for places to have Sarah perform on a short concert tour at the end of the summer. If you know of anywhere that you think a new up and coming artist should perform, post it here or send me an email at angeljedigirl (at) gmail.com. I'm looking for smaller venues like amphitheaters or maybe even a state fair. If you have a favorite place to go see a band or show, pass it on.

Who knows, you may even get free tickets and backstage passes. Send in your ideas now.

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.03 - Family Therapy

"That was your mom," Dad said while hanging up the phone as we approached the car. We had just left the set of 'The Tonight Show'. "She said that Kevin and his family have arrived. You might want to take the wig off in the car on the way home."

"Okay," I said. I was still worried, though. I could take off the wig, but I didn't have a change of clothes. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain why I was wearing such an expensive outfit. I couldn't even take off the glam for once, because the whole outfit fit that category. I would just have to hope for the best.

I'd found out the hard way last Saturday that pinning a wig in place while riding in a moving vehicle could be a painful experience. However, removing one was much better. By the time we got home I had not only removed the wig, but I had also been able to get my own long locks styled in a decent manner.

Uncle Kevin's van was parked in the driveway when we turned in, but nobody was outside. Dad pulled around it and into the garage.

"We'll let you spend time with your family," Emily said while we stepped out of the car.

"Okay," I told her. I'd much rather hang out with both Emily and Ethan, but I also wanted to see Madison again. I didn't get to see her very often. My two best friends left through the open garage door with a small wave, and I turned to follow Dad into the house.

Mom and Aunt Olivia were in the kitchen making sandwiches for a late afternoon lunch when we entered.

"Hi, Mom," I greeted her when she looked up from where she was buttering a slice of bread. "Hi, Aunt Olivia."

"Hi, Megan," Mom said, looking up and giving me a wide smile. I immediately knew that she wanted to ask me about 'The Tonight Show', but we had already made the decision to try to keep the secret from Dad's relatives. The time may come when we'd need to tell them, but it wasn't now.

Aunt Olivia was staring at me. Dad had told his brother about me earlier in the week. His family knew that I was now a girl before they ever left their home. But like so many others, seeing the difference was a big shock for my aunt. She seemed utterly speechless as she stared at me.

"Don?" I heard Uncle Kevin ask loudly from down the hall toward the bedrooms. "Is that you?"

He rounded the corner into the kitchen, and I saw his face light up. Dad and his brother didn't see each other often, but that didn't mean that they didn't have a good relationship. Dad embraced his brother in a friendly welcoming hug.

"It's good to see you again, Kevin," Dad said. "How was the trip?"

"It was fine," Uncle Kevin replied. "The kids didn't fight for once, and the van ran smoothly. I couldn't have asked for anything better." Uncle Kevin then glanced over at me, seeing me for the first time.

"Wow," he exclaimed. "This must be Megan?" His gaze shifted to Dad for a moment, who confirmed his question with a nod of his head. He then turned back to me. "I must admit, when I heard the news about you I wasn't expecting you to look so...so...natural!"

I started to blush immediately. I'd managed to get through most of the week without this reaction, and I had hoped that it might be a thing of the past. But no, blushing easily still seemed to be an ingrained part of the personality that had started to shine through me when Megan finally came to the forefront of my life.

"Thank you," I replied, feeling the heat coursing through my cheeks. I glanced over at Aunt Olivia. She was nodding her head in agreement, but she still seemed to be at a loss for words.

Uncle Kevin turned back to the doorway into the kitchen, yelling into the front room and down the hall. "Kids, your cousin is here. Come and meet her."

My heart started racing again. While Uncle Kevin seemed to take my appearance pretty well, I wasn't sure what Aunt Olivia thought. Yet her nodding seemed to indicate that maybe she agreed with him. How would their kids take it?

The first to arrive were the boys. James was their oldest child. He was a year older than me. Despite the closeness in age, I never had gotten along with him very well. It wasn't that we disliked each other at all; we just had completely different interests. He was an athletic boy, playing on both the football and basketball teams at home in Montana. I was neither athletic nor a boy. We were cordial with each other, but that was it.

Unfortunately, his eyes grew really wide when he saw me. I knew that I was attractive, and I was sure the expensive clothes didn't help. I immediately had the feeling that I was the type of girl he was interested in. Cousin or not, I had piqued his interest. I just hoped that didn't become a problem.

Logan was the youngest child. He was two years younger than me, the same age as Austin. The two of them were always hanging out with each other when our families got together. But instead of the look of attraction that I had received from his brother, Logan seemed to be staring at me in wonder. He'd only ever known me as a boy. Seeing me must have been a shock.

"Hi," I said to them with a grin, and I gave them a small wave.

"Hi," they both responded, but that's all I got from them. They seemed to be just as shell-shocked as their mother.

"Madison!" Uncle Kevin yelled down the hall again when it became apparent to him that his two boys weren't going to say anything more.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I heard her grouch from down the hall. She didn't seem to be as enthusiastic about meeting me as I had hoped she would be. But when she came into view, I was amazed at just how much she had changed since the last time I had seen her.

Madison and I looked a lot alike. That had always been true, ever since we were little girls, so to speak. The resemblance only became closer when I had made the decision to let my hair grow long a few years ago. Her dark brown hair only reached to her shoulder blades instead of her lower back, like mine did, but it still served to emphasize the beauty that she portrayed. She had dazzling eyes, green instead of my dark brown. She was also pretty tall for her age, and taller than me. We weren't twins by any means, but we probably could have passed for sisters.

But the biggest shock to me was that despite her being a year younger than me, it was readily apparent that she was physically more mature. Dr. Holbrook, who had been the one to discover my true genetic heritage last week, had told me that I was a “late bloomer”. That wasn't true of Madison. I could only hope that I would look as good as she did as I continued to grow.

"Hi," I repeated my greeting when she had stopped in her tracks, just like her brothers had. Instead of a look of wonderment, she had a confused look on her face. I knew immediately what it was. We had spent a lot of time together while growing up before Uncle Kevin had moved his family to Montana, where he now had his own dental practice. We'd hung out with each other every time the families met afterward. But I had never been a girlfriend to her. I had always been her male cousin. Now, it was very apparent that assumption had been wrong. Despite how much we had started to look alike during the last couple of years, she had never once thought of me as a girl.

But I was. I knew that now with a certainty. I should have known it earlier. The signs had been there throughout my life, but neither I nor my friends and family had seen them.

"Hi," she replied softly. She too was taken aback by my appearance. For the first time since hearing that they were coming to visit, I was worried that my relationship with Madison might not survive the changes in my life.

We all settled into an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Mom brought us back to reality. "Sandwiches are almost ready," she said, which caused everyone to glance at the food. It had been a long time since breakfast, and I hadn't had a chance to eat between the sound check and the performance. Mom added, "Megan, you’d better change."

I looked down, once again remembering that I was wearing expensive clothes. A small fortune had been spent on Sarah's wardrobe, and I had no desire to mess it up. I nodded to Mom and gave my relatives a slight grin before I stepped past them and walked down the hall. Our first meeting hadn't been quite what I had hoped for.

*  *  *

"Are you really a girl?" Logan asked me half an hour later. He, along with my other cousins and I, were sitting around the table on the patio in the backyard. We didn't have much of a backyard, but it was a nice place to get out of the heat of the L.A. sun, since the patio was completely covered by a canopy of green leaves from the many trees. We'd all pretty much finished up our sandwiches, and we were awkwardly sitting there together. Austin was still out with his friends, leaving me to entertain them alone. I'd changed into a pair of shorts and a tee, making me blend in better with my cousins.

"Yep," I replied and took another sip of my lemonade.

"Why?" he asked me next. He really seemed curious about my change. Madison and James leaned in closer to hear my answer too.

"Well," I started before thinking about how to describe the recent events of my life. "Apparently I've always been a girl, despite what the doctors thought when I was born. A few tests that I had a couple of weeks ago proved that I really am a girl. I've got all the parts a girl has and none of the parts that a boy has."

"All of them?" Madison asked in shock. James had a similar expression. He had seen me in locker rooms before when we'd gone swimming. I knew he was questioning what my statement really meant.

I blushed again. I was more than happy to talk to Madison about this. But talking to her brothers about it was a difficult thing to do. If I couldn't even talk to my own father about my body, how could I expect to be comfortable talking to my cousins?

"Pretty much," I replied, trying to keep it vague. "I'm supposed to have surgery on Monday to fix the rest."

It was vague, but it seemed to be enough for James and Madison. Logan looked slightly confused, but he didn't ask for clarification. Instead, he continued his questioning.

"Do you like it?" he asked next. I chuckled to myself. Learning who I truly was had been the best thing to happen in my life. I couldn't imagine stumbling through the rest of my life like I had been the last six years. I knew without a doubt in my heart that I was female, that I had always been female. And I did like it. I would never go back.

"Yes," I replied confidently, and I recalled my conversation with Austin backstage in Salt Lake. Logan looked even more intrigued at my answer. "Why? Do you want to join us?"

"No!" he replied adamantly. The disgust he had at the idea of joining the fairer sex was enough to let me know that while he was intrigued with my situation, he definitely didn't want to go through with it himself. I laughed outright, and my two other cousins also laughed.

"How can you just change like that so quickly?" Madison asked. "I mean, you seem completely different. How can you be a girl all of a sudden?"

"It wasn't something that happened instantly," I replied. "This has been happening for years now. Ever since the accident at least, but maybe even earlier. I've been becoming more and more feminine as I grew up. Looking back on my life now, I honestly don't know how I lived with myself before becoming Megan for good."

"But you were never the least bit girly," Madison opined. I smirked at her. So many people disagreed with that statement and often told me just how feminine I was before they found out the truth.

"That's not true, Maddie," James spoke up for the first time. "Brett was one of the most feminine boys I had ever met. You just never saw it. Why do you think you two have so much in common?"

Madison just sat there, stunned again. I could see her thoughts running through her head. She started by doubting her brother, but then there was a spark of something. She seemed to understand that there was a side of me that she hadn't noticed. In the end, her face still showed confusion, but she nodded at me. She seemed more accepting of me after that.

"I guess that explains why your room is so girly now. You have good taste," she finally said. I had to laugh.

"Truthfully," I told her. "I haven't changed anything in there since I started living as a girl, other than getting rid of my old clothes."

"Really?" she asked me incredulously. Apparently she still had some reservations about me.

"Really," I replied.

*  *  *

The rest of the evening was spent reconnecting with my relatives. Madison started to see me for who I really was. Aunt Olivia started talking to me and had nothing but praise. Uncle Kevin still seemed amazed, but still treated me like a niece. James seemed to be hanging around me more than he ever had before. Things were pretty much the same between Logan and me. Once Austin had come home, I was pretty much forgotten by him.

At the end of the night, we were just family. Things were different than the last time we had gotten together, but we would get through the changes.

I found myself sitting on the love seat in the front room while we watched 'The Tonight Show'. Madison was sitting next to me, and after our rocky start we had finally reconnected the way we always had. But this time, we were girlfriends. She admitted at one point that she didn't see any boy in me anymore.

My parents and my aunt and uncle were also watching and talking while we waited through Todd's first guest. Austin and Logan were in his room, where they had decided to sleep. James was grudgingly waiting for us to leave so he could get his own bed ready on the couch.

"Why are we watching this again?" Madison asked. I laughed. I hadn't had the opportunity to meet any of the other guests that Todd had on the show, but I didn't feel like I had missed out on anything. We were now watching his second guest, the woman who had been in the artsy film. It turned out she was just as boring in real life as I thought her movie would be. Either way, it was painful to sit through.

"Because Sarah Carerra is performing," I told her again. "She's one of Dad's clients, and a close friend."

"You're friends with Sarah Carerra?" she asked me with disbelief. I'd told her that I'd met her, but I hadn't mentioned our relationship. I'd also managed to keep her out of Sarah's room for the time being.

"Yeah," I replied. "I knew her before she got a record contract."

"Can you introduce me to her?" Madison asked excitedly, causing my nervousness to once again grow like it did every time she got close to the secret I was keeping from her.

"I don't know," I told her. "I guess that depends on her schedule. I don't get to see her very often anymore," I lied.

"Oh," Madison replied in a downcast tone. "Ok."

The show was now on the commercial break between the actress and my song. I could once again feel the rush start as I anticipated seeing my performance.

"Welcome back," Todd said on the TV. "My next guest has quickly taken the teen music scene by storm with the release of her first single, which rose to the top of the charts after only two weeks. Her first album isn't scheduled to be released until July 8, but she's already making a statement for herself. Please welcome Sarah Carerra!"

A hush settled in the room as both of my parents ended their conversations and turned toward the television. I glanced over at my mom. I'd had the privilege of seeing Dad in the audience while I sang, and my mom now had the same proud expression on her face.

"Wait..." Maddie said when the TV cut to a picture of me on stage. I glanced sideways at her, and she had a confused look on her face again. For a moment I was worried that she could see through my disguise, but a second later she shook her head and continued watching.

"Can you imagine being famous like that?" Madison asked me after the song had ended. "I bet it would be a blast being a singer."

"Yeah," I said while chuckling and leaning back on the couch. It was a lot of fun, but I couldn't tell her that. "It must be fun," I said instead.

She looked at me oddly for a moment, before smiling back at me.

"Come on," Mom interrupted us. "Let's let James put his bed together."

"Okay," I replied and stood up. I was already starting to feel tired. I'd recuperated since the concert, but I had no desire to burn out unnecessarily. There was no telling when my life would turn crazy again. "I think I'm ready for bed, anyway."

"Are you coming with us tomorrow?" Madison asked me while we walked down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

"Where are you going?" I asked her. I didn't have any plans for tomorrow other than my therapy appointment.

"We're going to the beach," she replied. "I'd love to see you in a bathing suit."

I laughed. She might be more shocked than anything else. "We'll see," I told her. "I have a therapy appointment in the morning, but maybe I'll come and find you guys afterward."

"Okay," she said.

I stopped in front of Sarah's door and removed the key from my pocket. We planned to keep it locked to help prevent the cousins from entering the room. Madison stopped with me, obviously curious about the contents of the locked room I was staying in.

"Good night, Maddie," I replied, and gave her a hug to try to hurry her along.

"Good night, Megan," she replied. I think she realized that I wasn't going to open the door with her around. She seemed hurt that I wouldn't let her in on whatever we were keeping a secret, but she turned and headed for my room. With a soft sigh of relief, I opened the door and prepared for bed.

*  *  *

"Good morning, Megan," Mary, my therapist, said while stepping out of her office and into the waiting room where my parents and I were seated. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" I replied. I had been seeing Mary since the accident when I was ten. She wasn't just my therapist; she was also a really good friend. I met with her every Saturday now, and she had asked to have my parents join me this week.

"Come on back," she smiled. Once my parents and I had stood up, she turned and walked back toward her office with us following behind her. I took my usual spot on her soft couch, and Mom sat down next to me while Dad sat on Mom's other side. Mary sat across from us in a chair.

"I saw the concert on Sunday," she mentioned as an icebreaker. "You did very well."

"Thank you," I replied while blushing slightly. I knew that Mary's daughters were fans, but it still felt weird to talk about this with someone who knew my secret.

"How did it go?" she pried for more information.

"It was amazing," I said, and I could feel the rush start with just the memory of being up on that stage. "I was nervous at first, but I didn't even make it through the first verse of the first song before I was loving every minute of it. Performing on stage like that was the best thing I've ever done."

Mary chuckled. She knew a lot about me, but even she seemed slightly surprised at my reaction.

"And you did a wonderful job," she said. "If you ever perform around here, I'd love to buy some tickets. My daughters would love to go to one of your shows."

"If I ever perform around here, you won't be buying tickets," I replied immediately. "I'll make sure that you have excellent seats and backstage passes. Right, Dad?" I looked over at my dad for confirmation. He nodded, and the smile on Mary's face grew exponentially.

"You really are an amazing young woman," Mary said before pausing. I knew we were now getting to the heart of our session. "Speaking of young woman, how are you feeling about the news you shared with me last Saturday?"

"I," I started, but stopped shortly after starting. "I have mixed feelings," I finished my thought. "On one hand, it's the best thing that could have happened to me. But I'm scared to death to have this surgery."

I looked up at Mom and she returned my look with a comforting smile. Dad, on the other hand, looked like he didn't want to be discussing this topic.

"That's a natural worry, Megan. Don't feel bad about having those feelings," Mary told me with a smile much like Mom's. "This is a big milestone in your life. I would be worried if you weren't feeling some trepidation about this news."

I grimaced. She was right. It was only natural to be worried about something that would change my life so completely.

But would it really change my life? I mean, I had been born a girl. I had been living like one for a month now. I had thought of myself as a girl for at least three weeks, perhaps even longer...What would it really change?

"It will make me complete," I finally voiced my realization. "And nothing is better than that."

"Oh, honey," Mom said while wrapping me in a hug. "You don't need this surgery to be complete. You are already complete."

Mary was nodding her head, and Dad kept looking like he wanted to be somewhere else. But they were right again. I know I didn't need this surgery to validate my womanhood, but it still would complete me physically. I nodded my understanding.

"What about you two," Mary turned her attention to my parents. "How are you two taking this?"

My mom opened her mouth to respond, but it was Dad who spoke first.

"I couldn't be happier," he said with one of the biggest smiles I'd ever see him wear. "I mean, I love my two sons. I'd do anything for them. But I always wanted a daughter too. Now I'm getting the best of both worlds. Megan has brought so much joy into my life. I can't imagine life without her anymore."

I smiled at him while Mom took the time to respond.

"I will admit," she said. "I was disappointed when Brett was born. I thought for sure that I was having a girl. I could feel it. We didn't know the sex beforehand, and I thought for sure the doctor had made some kind of mistake when he told me I'd had a boy. Finding out sixteen years later that he did make that mistake has been overwhelming at times." She turned toward me. "I love you, honey. Ever since you were born I've seen you as my little girl. I don't know why, but you always seemed like there was something more to your life that I wasn't giving you. I couldn't figure it out, but I could see the feminine tendencies that you always had growing up. I always thought that's what I had felt when you were in the womb. But now I have the daughter I always thought I would have. I couldn't ask for anything more."

I was in tears at her words, and I had to lean over and wrap her in a hug. I had no idea that she had felt that way. I had no idea that I had even been feminine as a kid! I couldn't believe how much going through this had helped me to become closer to my family. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Thank you
Thank you everyone for helping me to decide where Sarah Carerra will perform over the next few months. The responses I received were overwhelming, and I unfortunately cannot send her to all of them.

Sarah Carerra will be coming to 13 cities at the end of the summer and I hope that one of them will be near you. But if it isn't, remember that there will be more appearances in the future. If you still have a good idea of where she could perform (likely in more of the winter months) please continue to send them in. Just like in real life, I'd like Sarah to go where her fans are.

Thank you again, the full schedule will be released soon.
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.04 - Song and Sand

Uncle Kevin and his family were gone when we arrived home after seeing Mary. I assumed that they had already headed down to the beach, and Mom said she'd drive me down after lunch to catch up with them. In the meantime, I had something very important that I wanted to do.

I stepped into Sarah's room. Normally, I would have locked the door behind me, but with our relatives gone, I left the door closed but unlocked so that my mom could come and get me when lunch was ready.

I'd had two songs running around in my head since the concert - two songs that I wanted to write down on paper. It had been a while since I had written a song, but I needed to get these out of my head soon. I'd dabbled with one in my free time over the last week, but today I decided to settle down and work on the one I had been avoiding.

I opened my guitar case and pulled out the black guitar that we had purchased a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't had it for long, but I was in love with my new guitar. It was the perfect instrument, at least in my mind.

I took the guitar, picked up the notebook and pencil sitting next to the case, and stepped over to the couch. I sat down and placed the guitar on my knee, and then I flipped through the notebook to a blank page to write down the new song. The few pages with writing were filled with half songs that still needed work, including the other one I had also dabbled with over the last week. That song was about my new, crazy life, and just how amazing it had become. I couldn't wait to finish it.

But today I was focused on something else. My session with Mary and my parents this morning had led us to Josh on many occasions, and this song was all about him. It didn't mention him by name, but I felt that it would be a powerful song once I had finished it.

I started by plucking at the strings of my guitar, trying to find the song that was in my head and to bring it into reality. It took me a few minutes, but the melody started to flow out of me just as easily as it flowed through my mind. After another half an hour, and a lot of erasing in the notebook, I started to write the lyrics.

Many of them were already finalized in my mind, and I decided to try singing it before writing down a single word.

I started playing the tune once more. This time through, I started to sing where I knew the words belonged. I didn't know all of them, but the ones that I did know fit perfectly into the song. Once I had sung through the whole thing, I started frantically writing the words down in the notebook. As I did, more words came to mind, and I had to hear how they sounded in the song.

I went back and forth like this for another 45 minutes, until finally I felt that the full song was on paper. This was the quickest I had ever written a song, and I couldn't believe how well it had come together!

For one last time before lunch, I started to sing the song again. This time I tried to put my heart into it, to see how it would sound when I really performed it.

I couldn't believe that I had written a love song about Josh! I didn't think I was even going to be able to win him back anymore. But it was definitely a powerful song. As I sang, I could see his face in front of me, and it made the whole song worthwhile. I needed to call him, to try and do something to get him back.

When I finished playing, I sighed.

"That was amazing!" someone said from nearby. I yelped, I jumped, and I nearly dropped my precious guitar.

"Maddie!" I screamed at the voice. "What are you doing here?" They were supposed to be at the beach, but she wasn't even wearing a bathing suit!

"I'm sorry," she said, looking guilty at either coming into the locked room, or scaring me; I wasn't sure which. "I didn't know that you could sing like that! You were amazing!"

"It was nothing," I replied, and tried to shrug it off. I didn't want her to get close to my music career.

"No it wasn’t. It was a lot more than that," she said with a sly grin. "You don't write songs like that for nothing. Who was it about?"

"Nobody," I said immediately. The last thing I needed to do was start to talk about Josh. That would lead to the secret quickly. "It's just a song."

"Not when you sigh at the end like that," she continued, and the sly grin hadn't left her face. She looked around the room for the first time. "It's about Josh Holliday, isn't it?"

I was speechless for a second. How did she know? There was absolutely no reason why she would know who this song was about. As far as she was concerned, I didn't even know Josh Holliday.

"No!" I emphatically answered. She didn't seem to buy it though, her grin slid into a smirk at my answer. "I don't even know Josh Holliday."

"You know, I've been watching Sarah Carerra for a while now," Madison said, making me jump at her use of my alternate name. "I've been reading about her in magazines. I bought her single. I watched her concert last Sunday. And you know what? She had the same look on her face as you just did when she sang 'Open Your Eyes'. I'm just guessing, but you have it bad for him."

"I don't even know him!" I reiterated.

"Megan, don't lie to me, please," she said, taking a seat on the couch next to where I had been working. "I just learned that my favorite cousin is Sarah Carerra! I want to enjoy this moment!"

"I'm not Sarah Carerra!" I blurted out without even thinking. But the look on Madison's face told me that she didn't buy that statement for a minute. She knew, somehow she knew! I sighed and slumped back down onto the couch next to her.

"How did you find out?" I asked. The least I could do was try to not let the same thing happen in the future.

"Well, I knew something was up when you came home yesterday," she said. "I mean, you were wearing some wicked awesome clothes. But I didn't start to get suspicious until I saw Sarah on 'The Tonight Show' in the same clothes you had been wearing.

"I wasn't certain until I stepped into this room, though." She looked around again. I looked with her. The posters on the walls of Sarah, signed by me, were a pretty good indication of whose room this was. The other decorations that Mom and I had added after Dad had converted the room from a spare bedroom had only made it more obvious.

"That song sounded amazing, and when I heard it while passing by in the hall, I had to see who was singing," she continued. "I didn't expect it to be you. How could you keep this from me?"

"I'm sorry, Maddie," I told her. "This secret is very important to my life. If people find out who I am, I won't have a normal life anymore. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't think it was time."

"So you're doing the whole Hannah Montana thing?" she asked. There didn't seem to be any animosity in her question. Perhaps she wasn't really mad at me for not telling her.

"Yeah," I replied. "My therapist suggested it. She wanted me to have a regular life as a girl too. This was before we found out that I really am a girl. She wanted me to experience life as a female before I decided which way I was going to live."

Madison thoughtfully pondered this information. Then that sly grin appeared again.

"So, was it about Josh?" she asked again.

I laughed. I wasn't going to get out of this without telling her.

*  *  *

"Lunch is ready," Mom interrupted us a while later. This time we were in my room, where we were getting ready to go to the beach. Apparently, they had run some errands earlier and hadn't planned on heading down until after lunch.

"Okay," I told her from my dresser. I had just pulled out my only bathing suit, a black bikini. "Be right there."

"You can wear a bikini?" Madison asked me with wide eyes. Even though she seemed to have accepted me as a girl, it was apparent that she still didn't understand how far that statement already reached.

"Yeah," I told her with a sly grin of my own. I knew I could pass completely in the bikini. I'd worn it to the beach once since Mom had insisted on buying it for me. She would be totally surprised when she saw me wearing it.

"Put it on!" she said excitedly.

"After lunch," I replied, knowing that it would torture her. She just groaned.

*  *  *

"Would you just take it off already?" Madison screamed at me. We had just placed our towels down on the sand, and she wanted me to take off the summer dress that was covering my bikini. I'd managed to lock myself in Sarah's room after lunch where she couldn't see me change, and she was practically dying to see what I looked like in the bikini.

I laughed, but started pulling the dress over my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw James and Aunt Olivia stop to watch too.

For the second time in a row, I heard an audible gasp when I uncovered my bikini-clad form. Ethan had gasped last time I came to the beach. Today it was James' turn. I didn't like the way he was staring at me now that my curves were on display.

"I guess you really are a girl!" Madison exclaimed from beside me. I just grinned at her.

The rest of the afternoon was spent much the same way that we spent nearly every afternoon when we came to the beach. We rode the waves and sat in the sun. As evening was approaching, we even ventured out on the pier and rode some of the rides. I hadn't been out on the pier in ages, and it was nice to take a break from just sitting on the sand.

It felt just like old times.

*  *  *

A short while later we were on our way back home. Mom and Aunt Olivia had left early to get dinner ready, so Austin, Dad, and I had filed into Uncle Kevin's van with his family for the 15 minute drive back home.

Madison slid in beside me. "Music please," she called from where we were sitting on the back seat. I heard James grimace, but Uncle Kevin turned on the radio anyway. He then switched around the stations until he found one that was playing music. I grinned inwardly when I recognized it as my favorite station.

I had gotten Madison to promise to not tell anyone else in her family about Sarah, and we had to resort to talking about other things for a while. But when the intro started, I was only a second faster than Madison in recognizing my song coming from the van's speakers. She sat up immediately and turned toward the front.

"Turn it up!" she yelled. James groaned again. He apparently recognized the music too, but had a different reaction.

"Please don't," James added his own opinion on what the settings for the radio should be. "I can't stand Sarah Carerra."

I felt a stab of pain that my own cousin would say that.

"What?" I found myself saying before I even realized it. "Why?"

James turned around and looked at us. He looked almost betrayed that I would take Maddie's side in this argument. Little did he know...

"Because she's only been on the music scene for two weeks, and she's already got a number one hit. She should have to work for it," he said. "Besides, this song isn't anything fancy. She should do something original."

I just stared at him. I had never heard anyone tell me that they didn't like Sarah Carerra or her music. Hearing it from my cousin was not something that I had expected.

"How can you say that with Megan sitting right here?" Madison asked him, clearly distressed by his words. I winced. She knew my secret but James didn't! However, she was referring to me like he did.

"What do you mean?" James asked, confused.

Madison realized then what she had said, but I feared that it was already too late.

"Nothing," Maddie replied, but I knew that James would not accept that answer. When James realized that Maddie wasn't going to respond, he turned toward me. He didn't ask anything, he just lifted his eyebrows. I grimaced.

"Are you going to tell them?" Austin asked from where he was sitting next to Logan. He probably thought he was trying to help, but all he did was confirm that there was something the others didn't know.

I turned back to James, who was still looking at me. In fact, everyone in the car was looking at me now. I could even see Uncle Kevin glancing at me in the rear-view mirror as he drove. I didn't know what to do, and glanced up at my dad, who smiled slightly at me before nodding his head slowly.

I sighed. I hadn't wanted to tell them, but I knew I could not keep it a secret anymore. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and listened to the music. Once I knew where the song was, I started singing along. When I opened my eyes again, everyone was still staring at me. I continued to sing until the song came to an end.

There was silence in the van for a moment. Nobody knew what to say.

"Are you kidding me?" James finally blurted out. "You're Sarah Carerra?"

I stared intently at him. How could Madison do this to me? She had promised not to tell anyone, and now three more people knew my secret! Even if they were family, they were liabilities that could now leak that secret to the public. I hoped they could be entrusted with it. My life as I knew it would be over if they couldn’t.

"Yes," I replied softly but clearly. "I am."

*  *  *

When we walked into the front door of my house a short time later we were greeted by the wonderful smell of a homemade dinner. Mom was an excellent cook, and with the help of Aunt Olivia I figured we were in for a good meal. But there were other things on my mind that distressed me.

"Alright, we're home," James said to me. "Prove it."

Despite his initial reaction, he didn't believe that I was Sarah Carerra. Even Dad's confirmation wasn't enough for him. But there was an easy way to confirm it.

"Follow me," I said while stepping toward the hallway. As we passed the kitchen, I looked in to see Mom and Aunt Olivia who were hard at work. I grinned slightly at them and continued walking past. Madison had other ideas.

"Mom!" she said excitedly. "You gotta come see this!"

"What is it?" I heard Aunt Olivia ask in a slightly concerned tone. My own mother looked up too.

"Just come see!" Maddie continued, urging her mother to follow us. I knew my own mother would be right behind her.

I continued walking down the hall until I reached the door to Sarah's room. I turned back to everybody in the hallway, noticing the curious looks that most of them were giving me. They knew the truth now, and despite any negative emotions that brought to me, I was always happy to share this side of my life with those I loved. I turned the knob and took a step inside, allowing the others to follow me in.

"Welcome to Sarah's room," I told them. I could see James' eyes open wide when he saw some of the decorations around the room. The posters could have been purchased by anyone, but every single one of them was signed by Sarah Carerra. Some of the other pictures were harder to obtain. There was a picture of Josh and me on the red carpet, a few other promotional photos that hadn't been turned into posters, and a framed photo of Sarah Carerra with a young girl in what appeared to be an airport terminal.

But it still wasn't enough for James.

"Nice room," he said. "But it still doesn't prove that you are Sarah Carerra."

I smirked. I had a feeling he'd want more. While everyone had been looking around, I had stepped over to the one thing that would prove it to him without a doubt.

I turned toward the locked armoire and punched in the access code on a small keypad, unlocking it before pulling open both doors.

"What about these?" I asked him, pointing to the many wigs that were sitting atop foam heads inside. I stepped back from the armoire and started gathering my hair on top of my head, reaching for a few pins when I was done. My family continued to watch as I pinned my hair before turning back toward the wigs. I picked up the one I had used for both of my performances, and slowly placed it on my head before turning back to James.

"It's nice to meet you, James Campbell. My name is Sarah Carerra." I held my hand out as if we were meeting for the first time, and I watched his eyes widen once again, before his gaze turned crestfallen. Then I realized too late why he refused to believe me. He refused to believe me because he, like Ethan, had a crush on Sarah Carerra. He didn't hate her at all!

I sighed once again. This certainly wasn't the reaction I was hoping for.

"I'm sorry, James," I told him, dropping my hand in the process. "I didn't know."

He nodded, but nothing escaped his pursed lips. I had just crushed the dreams of another young man who had fantasies about meeting Sarah Carerra.

I quickly took the wig off and replaced it in the armoire. The magic of Sarah Carerra was lost to me for the moment, and I didn't want to be wearing it.

"Can...Can I have your autograph?" James asked a moment later. I smiled as I pulled the pins from my hair. At least I hadn't alienated him completely.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.05 - Wake Up!

The rest of the weekend was generally uneventful. I had strained my relationship with James, but we were still getting along. I even performed some of my songs for them, and we enjoyed each other’s company.

With the exception of Dad and Madison, who were going to accompany me to the 'Wake Up!' show, everyone was going to Disneyland on Monday. I wanted to go with them, and I hoped to catch up with them sometime later in the day because it was the last day I was going to be out of bed for nearly a week. By the time I was back on my feet after the surgery, they would be getting ready to return to Montana. But I was also supposed to meet Tracy, one of my cousins from Mom's side of the family, for lunch. We'd been trying to set up a time since the Monday after the concert.

Monday morning turned out to be hectic. I had to share a bathroom with Madison while getting ready, since we both needed to be ready early. Fortunately, she let me go first so that I would be ready when Stephanie arrived to do my makeup.

'Wake Up!' was broadcast live from 6:00 to 9:00 Pacific Time, with my interview occurring during the 8:00-8:30 timeframe. I needed to be there by 7:30 and ready to go on stage by 7:45.

After showering, I let Madison into the bathroom while I stepped back into Sarah's room to get ready. Julia had come by the day before, and together we had picked out an outfit for today. She wanted me to look more feminine, and today I was going to be wearing a dress.

The dress was pink with white vertical pinstripes. It fit close to my body and had a halter-style strap that went around my neck. The skirt was made up of three different ruffled layers, ending a few inches above my knees. A small, silver band highlighted my waist, and a pair of white open-toed heeled sandals adorned my feet.

I was in the process of pinning the wig in place when the door to Sarah's room opened, and I heard laughter. Turning to see who was there, I was happy to see Emily come in, dressed as Chloe, and followed by Madison. Before Madison had moved to Montana, the three of us would often hang out together. Madison hadn't lived close enough to come over every day, but when she did, the three of us were always together. It was nice to see the two of them together again.

"Morning, girls," I told them before picking up another pin to put in place.

"Morning, Megan," Emily said. Madison's face lit up with excitement when she saw me.

"I still can't believe this is happening," she beamed. I hadn't touched the wigs again since my ill-fated attempt to convince James I was Sarah Carerra. This was the first time she'd seen me dressed up.

I smiled back to her. I was glad that she would get the chance to step into Sarah's life, even if it was for only a brief time. My dad only had one sibling, and Madison was the closest cousin I had on his side of the family.

I stood up from the seat in front of my vanity. I was hoping to get some breakfast before Stephanie showed up.

"What are you wearing?" Madison gushed. "That dress is beautiful!"

"Get used to it," Emily stated. "She gets all the good clothes, while we get to do nothing but watch."

I laughed at her. We'd bought some really nice clothes for Emily when we purchased Chloe's wardrobe, but Emily was right. They weren't quite up to the caliber of what Julia and I had picked out for Sarah. I couldn't help that, though. We were working on completely different budgets. I vowed privately that someday I would make it up to both of them. I'd get them something extra nice.

"Come on," I said to change the subject. "Let's get some breakfast."

Mom was making waffles when we entered the kitchen. Most of the family was already up. They were going to leave right after my performance, and had already started to get ready.

"Morning, Sarah," Mom said to me, causing the few members of the family in the room to look up from their food. Unfortunately, James was one of them, and he looked up at me with a mixture of awe and regret. I smiled at him, but we didn't say anything to each other.

"I have something for you," Mom continued with a smile before stepping over to the table and picking up a small, wrapped box. "I hope you like them."

"What are they?" I asked, taking the box from her with appreciation.

"Just a small token of appreciation from your father and me," she said. "We're so proud of you, honey."

I smiled back at her before I turned my attention to the gift. I unwrapped it, and inside was a small, black jewelry box. With wonder, I slowly raised the lid, and then gasped.

"Mom! You shouldn't have!" I exclaimed at the sight of the silver drop earrings. They looked like they were expensive, and they were very beautiful.

"You deserve them, honey," she said while wrapping me in a hug. When she let go, she took the box from me. "Would you like me to put them in for you?"

"Can I?" I nearly gasped the question. It had been more than four weeks since I'd had my ears pierced, and I was still wearing the starter studs. Finally being able to wear something else would make my day even better.

"Yes," Mom replied. "I think you'll probably be okay removing the studs. Come here and let's see."

I stepped closer, and she reached up to my right earlobe and started turning the earring, much like I had been doing every day for the last four weeks. I didn't feel anything other than the post turning in my earlobe.

"How does that feel?" she asked. "Any pain or catching?"

"No," I replied. "It just feels like they’re turning around."

She repeated the steps on my left ear with the same results before pulling out the stud. She then repeated the step on my right lobe before reaching for a bottle of peroxide that was also sitting on the table. She dabbed a cotton ball with the peroxide and proceeded to clean my ears and then the earrings.

"Ready?" she asked me, and I nodded excitedly. She then reached back up to my ear and slipped the earring into the hole. I knew I was beaming when she repeated the process for the other one. Once it was in, she stepped back, smiling back at me. "Take a look," she said and pointed toward the small decorative mirror that was hanging in our hallway. I walked over and looked at my reflection.

I looked so different with the earrings dangling from my ears, and they certainly felt completely different than anything else I'd worn! But for some reason, they also made me feel more feminine, and I was happy to finally be rid of those starter studs. I turned back to Mom.

"Thank you," I told her, and hugged her with all my might.

"You're welcome, honey," she said, returning the hug. "Now come and get some breakfast."

*  *  *

An hour and a half later I was standing just off the set, waiting for my cue. Dad, Emily, and Madison had all been given seats in the audience, and I was alone. I'd done a quick sound check with the band during a commercial break, and the only thing left for me to do was walk out there for my first interview.

I was nervous. For the first time since before the concert, I was nervous.

"Please welcome Sarah Carerra!" I heard a male voice say. I knew that it was the voice of Matt Donaldson, one of the co-hosts of 'Wake Up!'.

I stepped forward and into view of the clapping studio audience and continued toward the center of the set, where a few soft chairs were arranged around a circular table. Matt and his co-host, Aubrey Smith, were already standing. Once I reached the two of them, I embraced Aubrey in a short hug before shaking hands with Matt and then moving over to the seat that I had been told to sit in. I smoothed my skirt before slowly lowering myself down and crossing my legs.

Once the clapping had died down, Aubrey was the first to speak.

"Welcome to 'Wake Up!' Sarah," she greeted me.

"Thank you," I replied to her. "I'm honored to be here."

"Let's start with the big question," Aubrey continued. "What is your life like now that you have a number one hit?"

"Oh," I said, surprised that she was asking such a big question. "Well, I'm still amazed at how popular I've become. A month ago I was a nobody, and now I'm recognized nearly everywhere I go. It's a lot to get used to."

"How did you get your break?" Matt asked me next. I smiled at him while remembering that fateful night at Johnny's party.

"My best friends Chloe and Xander dragged me to a party where a karaoke machine had been set up," I related to them. "They managed to get me up on stage where I was heard by a scout for Olympic Records." It never hurt to mention the company's name. "He persuaded me to record a demo of 'Intuition' the very next day, and I was signed within a week."

"That's pretty impressive," Aubrey stated. "Was this the same Chloe that you dedicated a song to during your concert last Saturday?"

"Yes," I said, smiling at the memory of that moment. I'd thought for sure that Emily wasn't there that night. "I've known her since I was two. We met Xander in Kindergarten. Xander isn't here today, but Chloe is in the audience." I looked out at where she was sitting and smiled at her.

"Oh!" Aubrey said in surprise. Then she turned toward the audience. "Well, we're going to have to meet her then. Chloe, could you stand up for us?"

I watched Emily sink down into her seat for a moment before Dad gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder. I knew she was even more timid than I had been to get up in front of an audience, but she managed to take a moment and stand up, and some of the cameras turned to catch her.

"It's nice to meet you, Chloe," Matt said while waving at her. Chloe waved back before sitting back down.

"Did she at least get to see the replay of the concert?" Aubrey asked next.

"Chloe got to see more than that," I replied. "I didn't know it at the time, but my manager had actually flown both her and Xander to see the concert. I was so happy when I met up with them afterward."

"Aww," the crowd said together, causing me to blush slightly. I don't know if it was real or studio prompted, but it wasn't what I was expecting them to do.

"Let's talk some more about the concert and your music," Matt went on. "'Intuition' is not your song - you've already said that." He stopped talking for a moment and I nodded my assent. "But I understand that you do write some of your own music?"

"Yes," I replied. "The record company gave me 'Intuition' as a platform to launch my career. I only wrote one of the songs that I sang at the concert, 'Ever After'. Actually, Chloe and I wrote it together, which is why I wanted her there so badly to hear it. I have one other song that has been recorded, and quite a few more that I'm currently working on. I know the record company wants me to come up with quite a few for the CD."

"What do you write about?" Aubrey asked. "Anything in particular?"

"I usually write about what's in my heart at the time," I stated. "'Ever After' is a fairy tale that we came up with one afternoon. This week I've been working on a song that’s all about some of the amazing things that have happened to me over the last month. Saturday I sat down and wrote a song about my feelings for..." I blushed immediately when I realized I had almost told a nationwide audience that I had written a love song about Josh.

"Oh!" Aubrey exclaimed immediately. "So there is a relationship in Sarah's life!"

I knew I was turning red, but there wasn't much I could do to stop it.

"Is it Josh?" Matt added, increasing the burning sensation in my cheeks.

"No!" I insisted, but I'm pretty sure that my deep color betrayed my lie. Now everyone knew my feelings about Josh Holliday! I just hoped he wasn't watching.

The audience was laughing with me now, chuckling at my reaction to the question.

"How is Josh, by the way?" Matt pushed the subject even more. "We haven't had him on the program in a while."

"I don't know," I told them honestly. "I haven't seen or talked to him since the concert.”

"Men never call, do they?" Aubrey said with a straight face. Her reaction just made me blush and the audience started laughing again. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was promote the idea that Josh and I were a couple! That certainly wasn't what he wanted!

"I honestly haven't tried to call him," I told them once things had calmed down. "Josh and I are good friends, that's all."

I was afraid that they were going to take that opening and run with it some more, but I got the feeling that they could feel my distress and wanted to change the subject.

"Speaking of the concert," Matt came to my rescue. "The reviews have been really good. I think one even went as far as saying, "Sarah's ability to change her sound for each song makes her a talent among many." I hadn't read that one, but it certainly made me smile.

"I just try to sing the songs the way they feel to me," I told them. "I don't know what else to say."

Both Aubrey and Matt chuckled for a moment before moving on to the next subject.

"What does the future hold for Sarah Carerra?" Aubrey asked. "Any plans?"

This one I could answer better. I'd talked to Dad about what was planned for the summer.

"Well, I'm supposed to finish the album in the next few weeks," I told them. "I know that we plan to make a video for 'Intuition' and a second single, and then we'll be preparing for a short tour at the end of the summer. Things are just happening so fast, I sometimes don't know what all is going on."

"Your album is scheduled to go on sale July 8th, correct?" Matt asked.

"Yes," I told them. I had found out the date last week. It meant spending a lot of time in the studio finishing it after my surgery if we wanted to get it out on time. "It's entitled 'Intuition', but it will contain a number of other songs that I hope my fans will enjoy just as much."

"What are your favorite songs on the album?" Aubrey asked.

"Well, we've only got about half the songs finished," I replied. "It's kind of hard to pick favorites, because I like all of them. But if I had to choose, I would definitely have to say 'Ever After' and probably 'Love?'. But there are so many that I would mention too, like 'Open Your Eyes' and 'I Just Wanna Have Fun'."

"I don't think I've heard 'Love?'. Did you sing it at the concert?" Aubrey asked.

"No. I sat down and wrote it on Saturday..." I trailed off. How had I steered the topic back to what I had been dying to put behind me?

"Ah," Matt said. "So it is a love song about Josh Holliday."

"No!" I replied again. "I thought we already determined this!" I had started to blush again, and I knew I wasn't any more believable now then I had been earlier.

Everyone in the studio was laughing again, and all I could do is sit there in embarrassment. I couldn't believe that I had brought this on myself a second time!

"Alright," Matt said with a chuckle. "If you aren't going out with Josh Holliday, are there any other boys in your life right now?"

I smirked. Of course there were other boys in my life. There was something going on between Ethan and me, and I know that I was ogled all the time when I was out as Sarah Carerra. But there wasn't anyone that I had my eye on. Anyone other than Josh, that was.

"No," I told him. "Not at the present time."

"There you are, guys," Matt said while turning toward the camera and the studio audience. "Sarah Carerra is single. Mail your applications today."

There was some light-hearted laughter around the studio for a moment. When it calmed down, they steered the conversation in another direction.

"Seriously though," Aubrey started. "You have an excellent voice."

"Thank you," I replied when she paused for my response.

"What did you do with it before you were discovered," she continued. "Choir, theater, anything?"

I smirked again. I knew how my next answer was going to be received. "Honestly, I hadn't done anything. I was always trying to hide my voice. I was slightly ashamed of it."

"But you never had to be!" I heard someone yell from the crowd. I knew who it was.

"Thanks, Chloe," I replied through the laughter. "The truth is I never thought I was any good. I loved to sing, but other than Chloe and Xander, and a few times with my family, I didn't really let other people hear me."

"Really?" Aubrey said. "I find that hard to believe."

It was my turn to laugh now. I had been ashamed of my voice because it had never broken and lowered like the other boys. The accident had seen to that. Although if I truly was a girl my voice probably wouldn't have lowered even if I hadn't been in an accident. But either way, I had thought that I was a boy, and a nice alto is not the type of voice that boys desired.

"What about now?" Matt asked next. "Do you still feel ashamed of it?"

"Oh, no," I replied truthfully and without a doubt. "I really love my voice now. It took getting signed to a record deal and singing in a concert, but I finally see it for what it is. I hope that people will continue to like my voice, and that I get the chance to use it for a long time to come."

"So you want to continue making more albums?" Aubrey asked.

"I really hope I get the chance," I replied to her. "I've realized that I've become addicted to performing now. The adrenaline rush you get when you step out on stage is something that I had never felt before in my life. I hope that I get to experience it for many, many years."

"I hope you get that chance," Aubrey told me with sincerity. "In the meantime, perhaps we can give you a taste of that now. Are you going to perform a song for us?"

"Yeah," I replied immediately. "You guys want to hear 'Intuition' again?" I had sung this song so many times over the last month that I was starting to get bored with it, but I was contractually obligated to continue promoting it, especially while it was sitting on the top of the charts.

"That would be great," Aubrey said, and Matt was nodding his head in agreement. "Sarah Carerra, everybody."

As the cheering started again, I stood up and walked over to the area of the set where the band was waiting for me. I stepped up to my microphone, and waited for the song to begin once again. The rush was already flowing through me.

Jason started through the intro, and like clockwork I joined in right on time. Despite my feelings for this song, I still enjoyed performing it, and I made sure to give the fans tuned in to the show a great rendition. They deserved nothing less.

As I started in to the second verse, I felt my voice catch slightly. I didn't know if anyone else noticed, but something started to feel off. Halfway through the second verse, I was hit with a stabbing pain in my stomach.

Immediately, I fell to my knees, unable to continue singing through the pain. I heard a gasp run through the crowd, and the band stopped playing. Sophie was at my side nearly instantly.

"Sarah, are you okay?" she asked. The pain started to subside, and I felt myself start to blush at the embarrassment I had just caused.

"Yeah," I replied, and started to stand back up. "I'm fine."

I don't think she believed me, though. Then I felt the pain rush through my gut again.

The second time I fell to the ground, I was met with nothing but darkness.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.06 - Hospital Blues

The constant hum of machinery and the intermittent beeping were the first things that I became aware of. The smell of antiseptic was next. I opened my eyes a moment later.

A hospital. I was in a hospital. Why was I here? I groaned.

"Are you awake?" I heard someone ask from nearby. I turned toward the voice to find my mom sitting beside the bed, a book in her lap.

"What happened?" I tried to ask, but my throat was dry, and I was not sure how well I was able to form the words. She smiled down at me, her grin slightly forced.

"If I tell you, will you remember it this time?" she asked in a tone that had a hint of humor in it. I didn't understand her question, and my brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. I was totally lost.

"Well, you do seem to be more alert today," she commented to herself.

"Mom!" I groaned. "What are you talking about?"

Mom's face lit up immediately. "You ARE awake!"

She reached for the call button and pressed it, then she picked up a cup that had been sitting on the table nearby. "Here, honey, drink this. It will help with your throat."

I nodded, and tried to pull myself into a sitting position. As I did, I was unnerved to find blonde waves fall in front of my face. Was I still wearing the wig?

I accepted the cup from my mom. I had so many questions, but I needed something to quench my throat if I was going to be able to ask them. I took a sip of the liquid inside. It was water.

Handing the cup back to my mom, I asked my question again. "What happened?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but we were interrupted by the door opening. As soon as it did, I heard many clicks and saw the flashes of cameras going off. That probably explained why I was still wearing the wig. Everybody here thought I was Sarah Carerra! I was still confused!

A nurse quickly rushed into the room, closing the door behind her with a click that I realized meant that the door was locked.

"Is she up again?" the nurse asked, posing the question to Mom instead of looking at me.

"Yes," Mom replied. "But she seems to be lucid this time."

"Oh!" the nurse said in surprise, looking at me for the first time. She had a curious look on her face, almost like she couldn't believe I was sitting there. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Sarah."

"Thank you, I guess?" I said, but it sounded more like a question. "Is someone going to tell me what happened?" I was becoming frustrated now.

The nurse looked over at my mother again, and I followed her gaze. Mom nodded, ready to start again. While she spoke, the nurse started checking the information on the machines that I was apparently connected to.

"You collapsed on stage while singing on the 'Wake Up!' show," Mom told me. "Do you remember that?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I had a horrible pain in my stomach. Am I okay?"

"You are now, sweety," the nurse interjected. Mom nodded.

"Apparently, you started your period earlier that morning," Mom continued to explain. "Dr. Mason believes that since the blood had nowhere for it to go, your body spasmed with pain, and you went into shock and became unconscious."

I sat there, stunned! I was supposed to have surgery to PREVENT this sort of thing from happening, but that wasn't scheduled until tomorrow!

"What about the surgery?" I asked, seeking clarification as to what would happen now. I really wanted to have that surgery, especially if I was having a period!

"Dr. Mason rushed you into surgery when you got here," she replied. "He was able to drop his other appointments and perform your surgery a day early."

"So, I have a...a..." I stammered, not able to complete the sentence.

"Yes, honey," Mom said. "Everything is as it should be now. You've been in and out of consciousness the last few days, but the doctors say everything is fine."

"The last few days? What day is it?" I asked immediately. How long had I been here? Wasn't it still Monday?

"You've been in the hospital for nearly four days, honey," Mom said. "It's Thursday."

"Are you serious?" I asked incredulously. How could I lose so many days?

"You had a bad reaction to the pain medication they gave you," Mom told me. "It made you really groggy, and you've been sleeping it off. You awakened a few other times, but you weren't really awake."

I stared at the door for several seconds. I could still hear many people outside, and I noticed that the blinds that looked out into the hallway were shut.

"Have they been here the whole time?" I asked, pointing toward the door. The anger that grew on Mom's face answered the question before she even opened her mouth.

"Unfortunately," Mom replied. She started to say something else, but glanced at the nurse for a second and then closed her mouth again. "Celebrity misfortunes are big news in the tabloid industry. Even some reputable papers are looking for more information about the teen heartthrob who collapsed. We haven't told them very much yet."

"Oh," I replied.

"Well, everything looks okay," the nurse interrupted us. "Would you like me to change your pad now, or come back in a few minutes?"

The question was directed at me, but I had no idea what she was talking about. I glanced over at my mom.

"You're still having your period, honey," she said. "There are some special precautions that need to be taken to help protect the surgical area while that is going on. Now should be fine, Catherine. I'll see if I can find Don."

"Okay," the nurse, Catherine, replied and set about removing things from a gurney in the corner of the room. Mom stood up.

"Will you be okay for a few minutes while I look for your dad?" she asked. I nodded. I was scared about what the nurse was preparing to do, but I really wanted to see my dad. Heck, I even wanted to see Austin. "Okay, I'll be right back then."

I watched as Mom stood up and headed for the door. She opened it, and looked back at me with love for a moment. Then she smiled and immediately closed the door behind her.

*  *  *

"In entertainment news, hospital spokesperson Jeffery Taggart stated that Sarah Carerra is now awake and is recovering well from the emergency surgery that she was rushed into after collapsing on the 'Wake Up!' show Monday morning."

The picture on the TV changed from the cute news anchor to a clip of me on stage at the concert.

"No official word has been released about the cause of the singer's collapse," she continued. "But a tentative press conference has been scheduled for Saturday morning, assuming that the teen has recovered well enough to attend. Taggart did add that the collapse was caused by a pre-existing medical condition that the singer was scheduled to undergo surgery for on Tuesday."

The picture cut away from my concert and back to the news anchor. "One of our correspondents caught up with Josh Holliday at his home in Salt Lake City earlier this morning for his reaction on Sarah's hospitalization. Sarah stated early Monday morning that the two of them were just friends, despite the rumor that the two have been dating. Derek, what do you have for us?"

The next cut showed a middle aged man standing in front of a nice home. "Thanks, Susan," the man said. "Whether they were dating or not, Josh Holliday’s and Sarah Carerra's names have been linked together a number of times over the last three weeks. I had the opportunity to sit down with Josh this morning and give him a chance to weigh in on the tragedy that befell his counterpart earlier this week."

I sat riveted on the bed, watching the television closely. The nurse had left 15 minutes earlier, and I was still waiting for Mom to come back. I wanted to see the results of the surgery, but the nurse had said that I was still bandaged up to the point where I wouldn’t be able to see anything. After the nurse left, I had turned on the TV to alleviate the boredom that had quickly set in and was surprised to see a news report about me.

The next thing I knew, Josh was on the television. He was sitting on an expensive looking couch in a well-appointed living room. I assumed that it was his house in Salt Lake City. My heart started beating faster just at the sight of him.

"What was your reaction when you found out about Sarah?" Derek, the correspondent asked.

Josh frowned, and I guessed that he was wishing he wasn't having this conversation in front of a camera. My heart went out to him for being put on the spot like this.

"I was really worried," he said. "I was watching the show at the time, and I was shocked to see her collapse like that."

I groaned. I had really hoped that Josh hadn't seen my interview. If he hadn't known my feelings for him beforehand, he knew now. But to actually have him see me collapse must have hurt him greatly. I promised myself that I would personally give him a call to ease his fears.

"Sarah and I have become close friends over the last few weeks. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to her."

I wanted to watch more of his interview, but the door to my hospital room opened at that moment, and Austin came barreling inside, running to my bedside. Dad and Mom slipped in behind him and quickly closed the door. I immediately turned the TV off to devote my attention to them.

Austin threw his arms around me, and I knew that he was crying. I felt tears start to well in my own eyes at his emotion.

"Don't ever do that again, Megan!" he sobbed at me. I wrapped my arms around him.

"I won't, Austin," I replied, holding him close. "I promise."

He let go of me and stepped back. Now he looked embarrassed at his emotional outburst. I smiled at him, and that seemed to put him at ease.

"How are you doing, Princess?" Dad pulled my attention away from Austin. I turned toward him and smiled through my tears.

"I'm okay, Daddy," I replied. "I'm sorry for all of this."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "This isn't your fault. We should have scheduled your surgery immediately to prevent this. It's our fault you had to go through this."

My tears weren't stopping, and I smiled through them to let him know that I didn't blame them. This was just bad timing.

"What happens now?" I asked him.

"Well, I think the doctors are going to want to keep you overnight for observation," he said. "But there haven't been any complications beyond your reaction to the pain medicine, and they believe you'll be released early tomorrow morning. We'll take you home and let you rest some more, but Saturday morning we have scheduled a press conference to talk about what happened." I nodded to let him know that I was okay with that. "We haven't told the press what happened yet and I think we'll try to call it 'womanly issues' or something like that. We don't have to go into detail. We just want you to be there to show them that you are doing okay."

I nodded again. Everything would be fine as long as I had my family with me.

*  *  *

I stared at the keypad of the phone in my hospital room a few hours later. I had picked it up with the intention of calling Josh, and I'd already entered all but the last digit of his phone number. But now I wasn't sure that it was a good idea. He must be worried, and heaven knew I wanted to hear his voice, but how much heartache would it cause by the time the call was finished?

With a soft sigh, I pressed the last number, and the phone started to ring. I hesitated once more, almost ending the call in the process. But in the end, I placed the phone to my ear and waited for him to answer.

Two rings later, I was ready to hang up. He obviously wasn't going to answer, and I was debating if I should stay on the line and leave him a message or not.

"Hello?" Josh's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hi, Josh," I said.

"Sarah?" he asked. There was a hint of excitement in his voice behind the worry. "Is that you?"

"Yes," I replied meekly. Now that I had him on the line, I wasn't sure what I was going to tell him. I certainly couldn't tell him the truth.

"Are you okay?" he asked immediately. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," I quickly said to calm him down. I hadn't heard such worry in his voice before. "I just had some..." I grimaced. I really didn't want to talk to him about this. "I'm fine."

"But what happened?" he asked again, worry still in his voice. "I was so worried when you collapsed like that!"

"The doctors said my body went into shock," I told him. "I don't really remember much after that. But I'm fine now."

"Can it happen again?" he asked, the worry still evident. Perhaps he still had feelings for me?

"No," I replied. "The surgery fixed me. It won't happen again."

"It must have been some major surgery," he stated. "The news reports said you've been unconscious all week! Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Josh," I replied. "I haven't been completely unconscious. Apparently I had a bad reaction to some pain medication, and I've been in and out of consciousness the last few days. I would have had to stay in bed that long to heal anyway, but I'm fine now."

"That's good to hear," he said. For the first time since he had picked up the phone, I heard relief in his voice. "I'm glad you called. I've been so worried, and I couldn't get any information out of Don."

"He didn't even tell you I was okay?" I asked. That didn't sound like Dad at all.

"Well, he did say that," Josh replied. "But he wouldn't tell me anything else."

That made sense, and it totally sounded like my dad. Even if he had been willing to give that information out, I was certain he wouldn't want to discuss it with the boy he knew I had a crush on. It couldn't get any more awkward then that.

"Congratulations," Josh said next, which completely threw me for a loop.

"What?" I asked. I had no idea what he was talking about now.

"On your first #1 single," he explained further.

"Oh," I said, feeling embarrassed now. I was all too aware of how he must really feel about my number one single. "I'm sorry, Josh, I..." I didn't know what to tell him. I was happy to have a #1 hit, but I felt bad that it had to come at his expense.

"It's okay, Sarah," he replied. "It's a good song, and you're a good singer. You deserve this. I had my run at the top."

I heard the regret in his voice, but I could also hear the sincerity.

"Josh, I..." I started to console him, but was interrupted immediately.

"Sarah, don't," Josh said. "I'm okay with it. You don't need to feel sorry about your song, okay?"

"Okay," I said. I didn't know what else to do.

"I've got to go, but thank you for calling," Josh continued. "I'm glad that you're alright. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Josh," I sighed into the phone as I heard it click. I was further than ever at winning him back.

*  *  *

Early the next morning I was awakened by a knock on the door. I decided to ignore it because I was not sure if it was someone I wanted to come in or if it was one of the reporters camping outside of my room.

Then the door cracked open, and I saw Catherine poke her head inside.

"Are you awake?" she asked. I sighed, but nodded. "Good, because Dr. Mason is here and would like to see you. Is that okay?"

I chuckled to myself while nodding my assent. This was a hospital, and I was a patient. My doctor shouldn't be asking for my permission to be seen. Perhaps he was trying to show respect for the newfound fame that I was garnering.

Catherine opened the door further and stepped inside, followed by a man who appeared to be in his early 50's. He had dark hair that was graying on the sides of his head and a smile that looked genuine instead of forced, like the night nurse's smile had been. I felt at ease almost immediately, if not completely comfortable.

"Good morning, Sarah," he stated once the door had been closed and locked once more. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," I replied. I felt weird talking to this man whom I was meeting for the first time, but who had performed such an intimate surgery on me.

"I'm here to give you a final check before we release you. Isn't that exciting?" he said. I nodded. I was ready to get out of here. I missed my family. I missed Emily and Ethan, who hadn't had a chance to come visit me, at least while I was awake. I missed Madison and her family. But most of all, I missed being Megan. I should be recuperating, but instead I had to stay on alert to keep the secret...well, a secret.

"Once I'm finished here, Nurse Stevens will show you what you'll need to do to keep the area clean until your period is over, and show you what you need to do for the next few weeks, okay?" Dr. Mason continued. I nodded once again.

"This is the embarrassing part," he stated while stepping up to where Catherine had already started to pull up the bed sheets and my hospital gown. Then he began to carefully remove my bandages. Bit by bit my new anatomy was uncovered, and I watched with awe and wonder as he unveiled what had happened to me.

It looked gross. It was black and blue, it looked swollen, and it was bruised all over. But more importantly, it looked complete. For the first time in my life, I was physically a girl! I’d had all of the internal parts my whole life, but now I had the external ones to go with them. I continued to stare as the doctor started to check his handiwork, and tears began to form.

Eventually, he looked up at me, and I smiled down at him through my tears. There weren’t any words that could express all of the emotions that I was going through.

“What do you think?” he asked me. I didn’t know what to say.

“It may be bruised and ugly right now,” Catherine spoke up. “But I assure you that it will look like any other girl’s once it has healed.”

I continued to beam through my tears. I had only ever seen diagrams of what I now had between my legs in health classes at school. I never thought that the first time I would be seeing something like this, it would be on me. But I couldn’t ask for anything else.

He carefully began to bandage the area back up. When he was done, he stepped closer to the top of the bed, where he could talk to me more comfortably.

"It looks like your period has stopped," he stated. "It may be erratic for a while, but soon you'll start to understand what your body is doing. I recommend that you visit a gynecologist in a couple of weeks, but otherwise you appear to be in good shape. Everything seems to be healing well. You'll probably be tender down there for another week or so, and I'd stay away from anything too strenuous. No crazy choreography, okay?"

I laughed. He certainly was a nice guy and had a way of keeping me at ease while talking about such an intimate topic.

"I don't know how to thank you properly," I told him. "I mean, is there anything I can do for you? You've changed my life for the better, and I feel I should repay you somehow. Do you want an autograph?"

Dr. Mason smiled while shaking his head. "No thanks are necessary, Megan," he said. I had forgotten that he knew the truth. Either that or he had learned it in this fiasco. I was originally supposed to be seeing him as Megan. "I'm just honored that I could give you the life you were supposed to have."

"Thank you," I said again, not sure what else to say.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Catherine will have your release forms when your parents arrive. I'll see you later."

"Bye," I said. I had just met this kind man who had forever changed the way I would live, and he was already leaving my life. I would be forever grateful.

*  *  *

It was another hour before the next knock interrupted my boredom. But that was all changed when the door opened and Chloe's bright red hair came bounding inside and to my bed.

"M...Sarah!" she screamed, catching herself since the door was still opened behind her, where my mom was following her inside. "I'm so glad to see you awake! How are you doing?"

"I'm ready to go home," I told her, causing a smile to form on her lips. "Can you take me?"

"With pleasure," she said and then wrapped me in the hug I knew she was waiting to give me.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said. "Why didn't you tell me something like this might happen? Do you know how scared I was when you dropped to the stage like that? I thought you were dead!"

"I'm sorry, Emily," I replied quietly. The door was now closed, and I didn't want Sarah's life intruding on this moment any longer. "I didn't think anything bad was going to happen. I mean, I was supposed to have surgery the next morning!"

"Well, don't do that again," she stated, causing me to laugh at her tone.

"Yes, Mom," I replied, making her laugh too.

I then turned toward my real mom, who had walked in with Emily and was smiling down on me. I looked up at her, and she could see the unasked question in my eyes.

“Megan,” she said lovingly and wrapped me in a hug. “I’ve told you before that you are my little girl. This doesn’t change anything. Now you are my little girl in every possible way.”

“Is this really happening?” I asked her, tears escaping my eyes. It still felt somewhat like a dream. Only the boredom and pain made me think it was real.

“Yes, honey,” she replied. “I saw the results when Catherine was changing the bandages the other day, and I must admit that the doctor did a very good job. Have you seen it yet?”

I nodded, but didn’t know what else to say.

“So you’re a girl now?” Emily broke into the conversation. I turned to her, and smiled with a nod.

“I’ve always been a girl, Emily,” I told her.

She laughed at me. “I know that, Megan. That wasn’t what I was asking.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, the doctor showed me, and it at least looked like the diagrams from health class, but I don’t have anything else to compare it to.”

“Don’t worry, Megan,” Mom said. “It may be swollen and purple, but it looks normal for a girl your age. In time, nobody will be able to tell the difference.”

I couldn’t stop beaming my smile at the two of them at that pronouncement. I was finally complete! I was finally the person who I was meant to be! I only wished I would have learned who that person was earlier in my life.

"Are you ready to go home?" Mom asked. Those were the six most beautiful words I had heard since waking up the day before.

"Definitely," I replied.

"Let's get you dressed, then," she said while holding up a bag. I smiled again.

Fifteen minutes later I was dressed in a pale yellow sundress personally picked out by Julia. Obviously, I needed to look my best because there were so many reporters and photographers waiting for me to leave, but I also needed to be comfortable. There was no glam today. Julia felt that the simple look would be what people would expect from someone leaving the hospital.

I had also managed to get my makeup looking presentable, and I was steeling myself to meet the press. Dad said that we weren't going to be answering any questions because of the press conference tomorrow morning, but he wanted me to pose for a couple of pictures to help reiterate that I was alive and well.

"Are you ready?" Dad asked. He had come in a few minutes earlier with the release forms in hand. I was all set to go. I just needed to make it to the car. I was walking out of this hospital. Dad felt that being wheeled out in a wheelchair might give the wrong message, and he wanted everybody to see me walking. Most of the pain from the surgery had dissipated into a dull ache, and I felt that I could make it without any problems.

"I guess so," I said. "I just wish that we didn't have to do this."

"I know, Princess," he replied. "It was just bad luck that this happened at all, but even worse luck that it happened while you were dressed as Sarah. We'll be okay. The car is waiting downstairs, and we'll get you home in no time."

He walked to the door, and I followed behind him. I took a deep breath, and then plastered a smile on my face. He opened the door and stepped out to make sure the way was clear.

The area outside of my room contained a small lobby, and photographers were jumping to their feet as I stepped out of the hospital room.

"Sarah!" someone yelled, and then flashes started going off all around me. I was momentarily blinded by the bright lights, and I felt myself stumble. Dad was there to catch me, and once I was on my feet again, he let go.

"No questions today," Dad said to the gathered group. "But Sarah has agreed to pose for some pictures."

I did as he said, and posed to let the photographers take the pictures they wanted.

"Are you okay, Sarah?" someone yelled out. That question I did want to answer. As we started walking toward the nearby elevators, I answered.

"Yes," I replied. "I'm slightly sore, but I'm perfectly healthy now."

Other people started yelling questions now that I had answered one, but I didn't reply. I made my way to the elevator as fast as I could behind Dad. Once inside and the doors had closed, I sighed in relief.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.07 - Press Forward

Dad had hired a limo to take us home. I felt really weird leaving the hospital and climbing into a limo, but that's what happened.

"You need to take it easy for the next week or so, Megan," my mom said while we were driving.

"I know, Mom," I sighed. The doctor and Catherine had been pretty adamant about that. "Do I have any Sarah appointments?"

"No," Dad said. "After tomorrow's press conference, you don't have anything scheduled for a few weeks.”

I nodded. I wanted to be on stage again, but I understood the need to recover first. There would be plenty of time for appearances later.

"We'd like to get you into the studio, though," Dad continued. "It shouldn't be too much effort to record a few more songs, and we need to get working on them if we're going to get your album out in time."

"Okay," I told him. "I've got another song that I wanted to include, and a couple of other unfinished ones that I think I can get done."

"Good," Dad replied. "Scott will be happy about that. He was hoping that you would be able to provide most of the remaining songs. He wanted half of the songs on the CD to be written by you."

"Okay," I said again. We were pulling up to the house now. Uncle Kevin's van was not in the driveway. "Did Uncle Kevin go home?"

"No," Dad replied. "They took Austin and went to Disneyland this morning."

"Oh," I said, disappointed. I was hoping to see Madison again.

"They needed some vacation time, Megan," Dad replied as we exited the limo and started walking toward the house. "You scared everybody Monday morning, and it’s been a stressful week."

I sighed. That made sense. At least I had Emily and Ethan. I turned toward her.

"Where's Ethan?" I asked. I hadn't heard anything from him since we had gone to 'The Tonight Show' together last Friday.

Emily grimaced, and I immediately knew that I wasn’t going to be happy with the answer to my question. She didn't answer until we were inside and were sitting on the couch in the front room. "He's at summer camp," she finally said.

"What?" I asked incredulously. That didn't sound like Ethan at all! He'd never been to a camp in his life, and he'd never expressed an interest to do so! "Why?"

Emily sighed. I wouldn't like this answer either. "To get away from you," she said. I flinched. That was not the answer that I was expecting. "He said he needed time to figure things out, Megan. Don't be mad."

I wasn't mad - I was astonished! I knew that I had created a problem when I had kissed his cheek, but I thought that we would be working it out together. Now he was gone, and I had no chance to talk to him about his feelings, and...and to determine what mine were!

"When does he get back?" I asked, afraid that he would be gone all summer. I wasn't sure that I could handle that.

"At the end of next week," she said. "It was a two week camp, and he left early Monday morning. I don't think he even heard about your collapse, because he hasn't called for more information."

I sighed and leaned my head back against the couch. I was supposed to be recuperating, but instead I started my recuperation by being stressed out over Ethan.

I spent most of the rest of the day hanging out with Emily. We tried to watch TV and do things that had a minimum of physical activity. When Madison returned home, the three of us moved into Sarah's room, where we spent most of the night working on a new song. I was happy to have co-writers again, and I knew that Madison was excited that she could tell her friends that she had helped write one of Sarah's songs. I told her that her name would be listed on the album, and she practically beamed the rest of the night.

By the time I climbed into bed, I was exhausted. This was the first day I had been out of bed all week, and it showed. Madison had insisted that I sleep in my own room, in my very comfortable bed. She said that she'd sleep on the less comfortable couch bed in Sarah's room. I think she just wanted to sleep in there. Either way, I was grateful for the comfort of familiar surroundings as I drifted off to sleep.

*  *  *

The next morning came too early. I got up, showered, ate, and got dressed in another feminine sundress. Julia had decided that I needed glam today, and I was teetering on a pair of heeled sandals while I slipped on some bangles and a necklace.

The press conference was going to be held in the press room at Olympic Records, and Mom, Dad, and I set out early to get there in time. On the way, Dad handed me a sheet of paper.

"Read over this, Megan," he said. "These are the points that we want you to discuss, but please use your own words. After your statement, we'll be taking questions. You don't have to answer any that you don't want to, okay?"

"Okay," I said, taking the paper from him and looking it over. We were officially calling this a surgery to address "womanly issues." That seemed to be specific enough to give everyone a general idea of what went wrong, but vague enough that I didn't have to get into the details.

When we reached the studio, I felt my nerves start to grow. I was worried about answering some of the questions that I might be asked, and I did not know what I would say if they asked me something I didn't want to answer.

Dad pulled around to the side entrance that was kept clear of the press. They were going to get plenty of chances to ask me questions and take pictures. They didn't need to hound me when I got out of the car too. Once we were inside the building, we were led down a few hallways until we reached a small room where we could wait and get ready. Stephanie was there waiting for me.

"How are you doing, Sarah?" she asked me when I sat down in a seat to let her do my makeup.

"I'm tired but fine, Stephanie," I replied. "Thank you for asking. I'm nervous about the press conference, but physically I'm fine."

"That's good to hear," she said. I felt that she was hoping for more details, but I was unwilling to give them, and she seemed unwilling to ask directly. I sat in silence, going over the points that Dad had given me in my mind while she worked. I felt bad that I didn't talk to her like I usually did while she worked on me, but I just wasn't in the mood this morning.

When she was done, she leaned down and gave me a hug. I almost broke out in tears at her gesture. I really liked Stephanie, and I would call us friends, but she had never done anything like that before. I smiled back at her in appreciation when she let me go.

"It's not bad news, is it?" she asked. I realized that my depressive mood might have given her the wrong idea about the press conference. I shook my head.

"Not at all," I told her. "I just don't want to discuss this with everyone. What happened...it was very personal."

Stephanie nodded her understanding. Before she could say anything in reply, we were interrupted by Scott.

"Sarah!" he greeted me warmly when he entered the small room. "How are you doing?"

I was really getting sick of answering that question, but Scott was a genuinely nice guy. I wouldn't be where I was today without him, and his gentle manner had kept me from having a meltdown on more than one occasion while we worked in the studio.

"Hi, Scott," I replied. "I'm doing fine. I'm sorry about this."

"Don't be sorry," he replied. "You are an amazing young woman who I am privileged to work with. This is a small setback for your career, but in the greater scheme of things, it's a step forward in your personal life. Don't feel bad about this."

He was looking down at me with a quirky smile, and I couldn't help but chuckle back at him. He once again found a way to make me feel better and keep going.

"We're ready," said some lady whom I had never met. She spoke from a door that I guessed led into the press room. I stood up, and took a step toward her, but was intercepted by my mom.

"We'll be right behind you, okay?" she said and gazed at me with loving eyes. I nodded, and she stepped back to let me lead the way. Only Scott was in front of me as we walked through the door and over to a small podium.

He stepped up to the microphone, and I stopped short just behind him, in plain view of the large number of people that filled the room. I had never seen so many reporters and photographers in one place before!

"Good morning," Scott said into the microphone, and I diverted my attention to what he was saying. "My name is Scott Crawford and I am Sarah's representative with Olympic Records. Sarah will be giving a brief statement and we will be taking questions afterward. I ask that you hold all comments until that time. Sarah Carerra."

Scott stepped back from the podium and gave me a smile. I gulped before taking a step forward and then looked out at the crowd. There were so many of them, and I was startled when a few flashes went off. I just needed to get through this quickly.

"Good morning," I started. I could hear the nervousness in my voice, and cleared my throat. "Monday morning's incident was caused by a minor medical condition that I had learned about two weeks earlier. I was scheduled to have the condition corrected on Tuesday to prevent this sort of thing from happening, and it was purely bad timing that caused me to collapse."

I looked out at everyone again. Some seemed eager to hear my words, others looked at me with pity, and a few looked at me with concern. I pressed forward.

"My body went into shock just after I started singing because of some womanly issues that I would prefer not to go into detail about. I am completely fine, healing well, and not at risk for any repeats of what happened Monday morning. The condition has been completely corrected, and my doctors believe that I will have no adverse side effects.

"I want to reiterate to my fans that I am healthy, and I want to apologize to everyone who wanted to see me perform Monday morning. I'm sorry for disappointing you, and I hope I can make it up to you in the future. Thank you."

I stepped back from the podium for a second, trying to recapture my bearings. Some of the people in the audience were already shouting out questions, and I was quickly being overwhelmed. Scott stepped forward.

"One at a time, folks," he said. "Please don't ask your question until Sarah calls on you."

He stepped back again, and I hesitantly stepped forward.

"What kind of womanly problems?" someone screamed from the left side of the room. I glanced over, but I hadn't called on the man dressed in a polo shirt and jeans, and I certainly didn't want to answer that question, so I ignored him. Instead, I pointed to a young man toward the front that I recognized from a local news station.

"Ms. Carerra," he started. "You say that this condition was minor, yet hospital spokespersons said that you were unconscious for three days after the surgery. How minor could it be?"

"Yeah!" the guy from the left side of the room screamed again. "What womanly issues?"

Ignoring the jerk, I turned to answering the question from the young man.

"The medical condition could cause serious issues if it wasn't corrected," I told him. "But the procedure wasn't on or near any major organs. There is always a risk with surgery, but the success rate of this procedure was very high." I took a breath. I performed in front of thousands of people; answering a few questions couldn't be that bad. "I was not unconscious for all that time. I came out of the anesthesia without complications, but I had a bad reaction to the pain medicine that they put me on. I repeat - I wasn't unconscious, I was sleeping that off."

With his question answered, I quickly searched through the numerous raised hands for someone else to call on. I pointed to a woman wearing a smart business suit.

"You mentioned womanly problems," she said. "But was any of this caused by your use of drugs and alcohol?"

I was stunned at her question for a moment! I had never even seen an illegal drug, and I had never taking a sip of an alcoholic drink! But her tone seemed to imply that I had done both.

"No," I replied curtly. "I have never taken an illegal drug in my life, and I don't drink. And I never plan to do either. This was purely biological, and not caused by anything I have done in my life."

She smiled like a cat hovering over a canary, and I quickly pointed at another guy. Before he got a chance to ask his question, we were interrupted by the man on the left again.

"What womanly issues?" he yelled again. I gritted my teeth, and someone actually yelled back "Shut up, Brady."

When it was quiet again, the man whom I had pointed to asked his question. "How will this affect your schedule, and are there any accommodations you need to make?"

"The doctors have asked that I take it easy for another week or two," I told him. "I did not have anything scheduled because this was a planned surgery. But I'll be back in the studio next week to start recording for the album again. I should be back on stage shortly thereafter."

"What womanly issues?" Brady yelled again. I almost yelled back; how inconsiderate could he be? Instead, I pointed to a man who had graying hair, but had a friendly smile on his face.

"Why won't you answer Brady's question?" the man asked, making me wish I hadn't picked him.

"Yeah!" Brady yelled.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. But Scott stepped up beside me and spoke instead.

"Please be respectful of Ms. Carerra's desires," he said. "If you cannot wait your turn to ask a question, we will cut this press conference short."

He stepped back again, and I turned toward a young woman whom I recognized from one of the shows Emily and I liked to watch together.

"Have you spoken with Josh since you woke up?" she asked. I couldn't help it; her question had me blushing immediately. I really felt embarrassed when a few people started to chuckle at my reaction.

"Yes," I was finally able to reply. "I called to tell him that I was okay after seeing his interview the other day. Like I've said, Josh and I are good friends."

I pointed at another guy whom I recognized. I hoped that if I recognized them, I might remember who the good ones were.

"Can you elaborate on what you mean by womanly issues?" he asked. I was ready to strangle him! Why couldn't people just respect my desire for privacy in this matter!

"Yeah, what womanly issues?" Brady yelled again.

I hated myself the moment I did it, but I snapped. "I had a blockage during my first period, okay?!" I yelled back at him. "Are you happy now?"

Immediately I felt the tears start pouring out of my eyes, and I turned away from the podium. I couldn't answer anything else now. Mom was there immediately, and she wrapped her arms around me and started moving me toward the door we had entered through.

"What is wrong with you people!" Scott shouted into the microphone. "Couldn't you respect her wishes? This press conference is now over. Leave immediately."

Then I was through the door and into the silence of the room that Stephanie had done my makeup in. She was still there, and she looked stricken at what had just happened. Mom led me over to a pair of seats, and I sat down and leaned my head against her shoulder and cried.

*  *  *

A knock on my open door caused me to look up from where I was lying on my bed. Dad was standing there with a goofy smile on his face. Despite how bad I felt, it made me smile.

"Hi, Princess," he greeted me.

"Hi, Daddy," I replied. I couldn't quite keep the smile on my face long enough to greet him properly. But it was enough, he stepped into my room and came and sat down on the side of my bed.

I'd been lying on my bed alone for a few hours now, trying to come to grips with the twists that my life had thrown at me this week. We'd gotten home from the press conference just in time to say goodbye to Uncle Kevin and his family. It was a teary goodbye between Madison and me. Emily had been there when Madison was gone, but she too had left for a family commitment. I knew that I was wallowing in self pity, but I didn’t feel like doing anything else. I didn't even get a chance to see Mary this morning, because she was out of town. I really could have used a good session with her.

"This isn't the end of the world," Dad told me. I grimaced at him. It certainly felt like the end to me. Everybody in the world now knew that I had just had my first period! The whole world! This wasn't like being in class at school the first time and not knowing what to do. This was on a global scale! I knew I had fans all over the world, and the press conference, or at least the news, had spread to them by now.

Dad held up a stack of papers, which left me puzzled.

"Scott just faxed these over," he said. "They might cheer you up a bit."

"What are they?" I asked. I was ready for any glimmer of hope that these feelings would end.

"These are the results of some polls that were conducted since the press conference," Dad replied. "Your popularity is skyrocketing right now."

"Oh great. Now I'm famous because of my misery," I cried, and I could feel the tears start to bubble in my eyes once more.

"While some of it may be because of your misfortune, the majority of it is not," Dad said. I grunted, because that seemed unlikely. "I'm serious, Megan," he stated. "You won over the Mom and the young female adult fan base this morning. They can relate to what you are going through, and they are sympathetic to how you are feeling. These polls show just how much they are on your side. This may not be the type of publicity that we would have wanted for you, but it does work in your favor."

Perhaps he was right. Every woman has had to go through this at some point. Every woman has had a first period, and they have had to deal with its consequences. The only difference here was that mine had made the news. Heaven only knew how much I wished that wasn't the case.

"This one will make you feel even better," Dad said and shuffled through the papers. Then he started reading.

"Dear Ms. Carerra," he read. "With deep regret I am writing this later to apologize for the actions of my reporter, Brady Townsend. Mr. Townsend was out of line at your press conference, and never should have yelled his question or even asked that specific question at all. I deeply regret assigning him to cover your story, and I personally wanted to inform you that his actions do not reflect the feelings and attitudes of our esteemed paper.

"Mr. Townsend has been terminated from his position as an entertainment columnist and is no longer employed by my company. Please accept this apology with the intent that it is written, and get well soon. Hollywood isn't the same without you. Best regards, Tanner Beesley, editor-in-chief of the Hollywood Herald."

If anything could bring a smile to my face, that letter had been it! I knew I lit up like a Christmas tree.

"I told you that would make you feel better," Dad said with a chuckle and a bright gleam in his eye. His smile had grown tenfold when I had smiled, and I knew that it was hurting him to see me depressed.

"You’re right," I replied. "That is one of the best things that I could have heard."

"Good," he said. "How about you come out of here and we have a late lunch?"

I smiled back at him. I loved my dad so much. But I had to turn him down.

"I can't," I replied, and he immediately frowned. Instead, I reached down to the floor beside my bed and picked up my guitar case. "I have something I need to do first."

"Okay," he replied, and his smile returned. He nodded at me and stood up. "We'll be out here when you’re done."

I nodded back to him. I would have loved to walk out of this room with him. But now that my spirits had been lifted, the pain and agony that I had felt this morning were starting to solidify into an idea - an idea that would make for an excellent song.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

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.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.09 - The Band Played On

I was putting the last pin into my wig when my phone rang. Tracy had pulled over on the way back to the studio to allow me to put the wig back on without the painful experience I had gone through the day of the concert, when I tried to pin it on in Dad's moving car.

I quickly finished and reached for my purse. I knew that someone was calling Sarah because of the ringtone, and I figured someone at the studio was wondering where I had gone. A quick glance at the screen told me that it was my dad calling me.

"Hi, Don," I said. He wouldn't be calling me on Sarah's line if he wanted me to call him ‘Dad’.

"Sarah!" Dad replied immediately. There was urgency in his voice. "Where are you?"

"I went out to lunch with Tracy," I told him. He was beginning to worry me now with his tone. Was something wrong?

I heard him sigh in relief before speaking. "Why wouldn't you tell me that?" he asked.

"You ran to your office!" I replied loudly. "I had plenty of time to go to lunch with Tracy and still learn the songs!"

"You still should have called and told me," he said. "I came back to find you gone, and nobody knew where you were."

"Dad," I said in a tone that I hoped garnered his attention. "I'm 16. I can take care of myself. I'm going to be away from you if we buy a car anyway. You have to accept that."

I heard him sigh. I knew that he was worried about me after last week, but I was fine.

"Yes, but you will also need to tell us where you’re going. Where are you now?" he asked in a calmer tone of voice.

"We're on our way back," I told him. "We just ran over to Callie's."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," he said, and I heard the line go dead. I sighed and returned the phone to my purse.

"I didn't get you in trouble, did I?" Tracy worriedly asked while pulling back into traffic. We were already most of the way back to the studio.

"No," I told her. "He's just been worried about me because of what happened last week, and he's being overprotective again."

"Still, I'm sorry. We probably should have called him," she said.

"There's no need to apologize, Tracy," I told her. "We didn't do anything wrong. Dad has to learn that he doesn't need to be there with me all of the time. I know he wants to, but it isn't always necessary."

"If you say so," she said while pulling up to the studio entrance. I was disappointed to see that there were people with cameras hanging around this time.

"Thank you for lunch, Tracy," I replied. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Sarah," she said with a quirky smile. "It was nice to meet you."

I looked back at Heather, and gave her a small wave before opening my door and stepping outside. I'd only taken two steps toward the door before I was noticed by the photographers, and they started snapping shots as I approached. I tried to put a smile on my face while I passed, but I wished they'd leave me alone. I didn't look back at Tracy, because I didn't want them to focus on her.

Once I was inside the building, I found Dad waiting for me. He looked really stressed for some reason. I mean, it was only lunch! I had not been kidnapped or something.

"Hi," I said nervously when I approached him. I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

He smiled back, and I got the feeling that he wanted to wrap me in a hug. But he didn't. That wouldn't be proper between my manager and me. Instead he nodded his head, and I could see the relief wash over him that I was back where he could see me.

"What's wrong?" I asked him immediately. I wanted to know why he was so anxious about me being out on my own. Besides, I wasn't even alone because Tracy had been there.

"Nothing," he said. I didn't believe him for a second. But he didn't seem willing to continue the discussion. Before I could press for more information, he handed me a folder.

"What's this?" I asked him. I opened the folder and looked at the first page.

"These are endorsement opportunities," he replied. I flipped through some of the pages. Makeup, clothing, accessories, even..."

"No!" I said adamantly and pointed at one of the papers. Dad peered down at it and frowned.

"I already told them no," Dad said. "I thought I had taken it out of the file."

I looked back at the paper. There was absolutely no way I was going to endorse Tampax products after what had happened on Saturday.

I flipped through a few more pages before Dad interrupted me. "I just wanted to get you thinking about which ones you would like to endorse," he said. "We can go over them later this evening at home. Did you learn the songs Scott gave you yet?"

"No," I replied and handed the folder back to him. "I was planning on doing that now. We still have about an hour until the studio is available, right?"

Dad looked at his watch and then nodded his head. "Yes," he added. "Come on. Let's go back to the lobby where we can get some more privacy."

*  *  *

An hour later I stepped into the studio that had been set aside for my recording session. I was really excited to work on both of the new songs that Scott had given to me, especially 'Together'. I was jealous that I hadn't actually written 'Together' because I was totally in love with it. I couldn't wait to hear the full band playing it instead of my solo rendition on my own guitar. Furthermore, I was jealous that Jason would be playing lead guitar when we performed the song.

In fact, I liked the song so much that I wished that we could use it as my second single. But I knew that would never happen. We already had too many things in the works to get 'Ever After' in place. I vowed that it would be the next one, though.

"Sarah!" My thoughts were interrupted by someone calling my name, and the next thing I knew I was enveloped in somebody's arms. "I'm so glad to see you're okay!"

I smiled. This was the first time that I had seen the band since I had collapsed on stage. While I deeply regretted not calling them to let them know I was okay, I was happy that they cared enough to worry.

"Hi, Sophie," I replied. I had practically been in her arms when I blacked out last Monday. She let go of me and stepped back, only to be replaced by Holly. Once she was done hugging me, I noticed that the guys had stopped setting up their equipment and had come over.

Without saying a word, Jason wrapped his arms around me, holding me tighter than either of the girls had. I blushed immediately. Jason was six years older than me, and had never done anything remotely like this. But he wasn't the only one. Both Connor and Stacy followed his lead. Nobody said anything until after every one of them had hugged me in his own precious, personal way.

"Don't ever do that again, Sarah," Jason said. I could see a caring look in his eyes. I'd only known these people for just over two weeks, but we had already become close friends. I couldn't imagine not having them up on stage with me.

"I'm sorry, guys," I said. "I should have called to let you know that I was okay."

"Don't worry about it," Stacy said, but he was nodding his head like he agreed with my statement instead of his own words. I couldn't believe that I had called Josh, but not these guys! What was I thinking? Why had I done that?

Scott stepped into the studio at that point, and the mood changed immediately. In the studio, Scott was the boss. The guys turned around and started finishing the preparations that they needed to use their equipment. I set down my own guitar next to the couch in the control booth. I wouldn't be using it today.

"Good, everyone is here," Scott said when he noticed us getting back to work. "Did everyone get a chance to go over the songs?"

Choruses of assent rang around the studio. We'd all had time to look at the songs and try to learn our parts. Now we just needed to bring them together.

"Great!" he enthused. Then he looked into the studio where the guys were still setting up their instruments. "When you guys are ready, we'll give it a shot at the instrumentals. Have you guys been practicing?"

"Yes, Scott," Jason replied. "That's why you gave us the music a few days ago, right?"

I laughed. I was given the music only a few hours ago, and I was already set to start singing. But I had forgotten how long it could take to learn a new piece on an instrument. They certainly deserved a lot of credit for making my music sound so good.

Once the guys were ready, Scott had them start with 'Together'. When Stacy's drums and Connor’s bass started the strong beat that gave the song its distinctive tone, it sounded even better than I had imagined. It sounded so good, in fact, that I started singing along without even realizing it. It wasn't until after the first strum of Jason's guitar that Scott turned toward where I was sitting with Sophie and Holly on the couch in the control room.

"Sarah, shhh!" Scott said. I blushed immediately, but I shut up. It didn't help that the girls next to me were giggling at the scene. Scott got a quirky smile on his face when he realized what he had just done, but he didn't say anything and went back to listening to the guys.

It took about 45 minutes before Scott was ready to try adding our vocals. It was obvious that the band had been practicing the song. From the start they sounded great to me, but Scott tweaked parts here and there and they sounded even better! It didn't take much to get them to Scott's desired perfection. When the girls and I stepped into the studio to work on our part of the song, I was worried that we wouldn't be up to the same level.

This time, when the beat started to sound around me, I started to sing and I wasn't interrupted by Scott. We didn't get through the whole song before I forgot my words, but it was pretty close to the end. The second time through was better, and soon we were on our way to having it finished.

The second song went much the same. 'Turn Around' was faster than anything else I had previously recorded, and after singing it three times in a row, I actually had to take a break to catch my breath.

"You're doing well," Scott told us when I told him I needed a break. "Everyone take ten. Then we'll come back and finish it up."

I nodded, and turned toward the small table that had my bottle of water on it. Uncapping the bottle, I took a long drink.

I was starting to get tired. It was getting close to 5:00 PM, and I already felt like I had been in the studio for a whole week. I realized that I didn't have the energy reserves I'd had three weeks ago when I was preparing for the concert. I figured it must be a remnant of the major surgery and bed rest that I'd just had. I hoped that I could get through this busy week they were throwing at me so soon after my surgery.

I stepped into the control room, where Dad was sitting on the soft, inviting couch while working on his laptop. He looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back and sat down next to him. The band and the girls came out of the studio after me, but continued out the door into the hallway, probably to find the restroom.

"How are you doing, Princess?" Dad asked me. He had a concerned look in his eyes, and I guessed he could tell how exhausted I was.

"I'm really tired," I said before I closed my eyes and laid my head on his shoulder. I forgot how comfortable this position could feel. I could stay here all day...

*  *  *

"Sarah," someone said, and I opened my eyes while lifting my head from Dad's shoulder. Had I fallen asleep?

"Sarah," I heard again. I caught the speaker this time, and my eyes settled on Sophie. She had a concerned look on her face. "Can we talk to you for a moment?"

Holly was standing next to her, sharing the same concerned look. I wasn't sure what they wanted to talk about, but I didn't think that it was going to be anything good. I sighed and stood up. Sophie and Holly stepped back outside the studio and continued down the hall, pulling me into the Women's Room. Once inside, I leaned against one of the sinks and waited for them to speak. Sophie began.

"We're concerned about your relationship with Don," she said. "I know you said you were close, but we think you might be too close, if you know what I mean." I grimaced. I had a feeling they were going to talk about this after catching me sleeping on Dad's shoulder.

"Yeah," Holly added. "Sarah, he's old enough to be your dad!"

I chuckled inwardly at her words, but I also felt apprehension. I knew that this was going to happen eventually. However, it had come a lot sooner than I thought it would. I had no choice but to tell them the truth now.

I inhaled slowly, took a deep breath, sighed, and then looked at them. It was obvious that they had my best interests at heart, and they were only doing what they thought was right based on what they knew.

"He is my dad," I told them.

I could see the confusion on their faces at my statement. They obviously hadn't considered the possibility that I was related to him.

"What?!" Sophie asked.

"Don is my dad," I told her again. "My real dad. Sarah Carerra is just a stage name."

"What?" she asked again. Her look of confusion had grown.

"You don't have to worry about my relationship with him," I said, trying to get it through to her in another way. "There isn't anything going on between us other than a normal father/daughter relationship."

"Don is your dad?" Sophie asked. At least she appeared to have absorbed some of the information that I had told them.

"Yes," I replied. The two of them continued to stare at me like they had just found out that I wasn't the person they thought I was. In a manner of speaking, they were right.

We stood in silence for a moment before Holly spoke up. "Then what's your real name?"

"Megan," I replied. "Megan Campbell."

"Megan..." Sophie said like she was thinking the name over. "I guess that fits, but why wouldn't you tell us before now?"

"The more people who know, the greater the chance that my secret will get out," I told them. "And if my secret gets out, then my regular life ends. I don't want to be in the spotlight all of the time. I very much like being able to turn off the attention."

They thought about that new information for a few seconds. I could tell that they felt slightly betrayed by me. We had grown really close, but they didn't really know me.

"Wait," Holly spoke up again. "Are you doing the Hannah Montana thing?"

I sighed again. I couldn't believe that I had let two more people in on the secret! These last two weeks had been nothing but trouble when it came to people finding out about me.

"Yes," I replied and then lifted the wig up until it reached the point where they could see the separation between it and my head. I wasn't going to unpin it here, though. "This is a wig."

"Wow!" Holly exclaimed, excitement creeping into her tone. "I never thought that something like that would ever really happen!"

"I must warn you that Don...that my dad, will want you to sign a non-disclosure agreement now," I told them. "He's extremely particular about not letting the secret out."

Before we could say anything else there was a knock on the door.

"Are you girls coming?" I heard one of the guys ask, but I couldn't tell which one because his voice was muffled. "Scott wants to start again."

"We'll be right there," I yelled at the door before turning back to the girls. "Look," I told them. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you guys. I didn't even get to tell Chloe, my best friend, for two weeks. I hope this doesn't change anything. I'm still the same person."

We stood there in silence for a bit longer. Eventually, Sophie nodded and Holly followed her lead.

"Still friends?" I asked, hoping the answer was yes.

"Of course," Sophie said. "But you're going to have to dish the whole story at some point.”

"I will," I promised them. "But we’d better get back to the studio before Scott comes in looking for us."

They smiled at my light-hearted joke. I hoped that this new knowledge wouldn't change our relationship. At least the two of them were in a good mood when we stepped outside to go back to work.

*  *  *

"I had to tell Sophie and Holly the truth," I told Dad while we were driving home later that evening.

"What?!" he asked, completely caught off-guard by my statement. "Why?"

"They were worried about my relationship with you," I told him truthfully. "They thought there might be more between us when they saw me resting my head on your shoulder. I didn't want them to think that."

I saw Dad grimace at the implied meaning behind my words. I knew that he didn't want to think about something like that just as much as I didn't want to think about it. He seemed to think something over for a few minutes before he spoke.

"Perhaps we should have told them sooner," he replied. "They have just as much at stake in keeping your secret. They have a right to know. We should probably tell the guys the truth tomorrow morning too."

I nodded. It would be easier if they knew. If nothing else, I could be more open with Dad when they were around if they knew the truth. But it still felt like everyone in the world was learning my secret now. It didn't seem like much of a secret when I considered how many people now knew the truth. I just hoped that every single one of them would be able to keep my secret safe. We’d have to make sure that the band would be able to call me by my proper name depending on who I was dressed up as, even though I didn’t expect to be Megan around them much. Knowing both personas and using the wrong name seemed like the easiest way for someone to slip up and let the secret out.

"Perhaps you shouldn't put the wig on in the morning," Dad suggested. "That might do the trick."

"That’s a good idea," I replied. Letting them meet Megan for real would be the best way to get them comfortable with my dual identity. But it would sure be weird to be working with them without the wig on. I guess I could always put it on later if needed.

We hadn't had time to work on any of the new songs that I had written. They weren't ready to be recorded, either. I needed the band's help to write down the instrument tracks that I wasn't familiar with. Because we wouldn't be recording, Scott did not want to give us the use of a studio, and the members of 'Pop Fly' were reluctant to have us over to the place where they did most of their practicing. Dad took the initiative and invited everyone over to our house. He thought that we could practice in Sarah's room if we moved the couch into the corner. I doubted the guys would have agreed as quickly as they did if they knew how feminine the room was, but it seemed to be a good solution until more permanent practice accommodations could be found.

"Do you want to go over the endorsements?" Dad changed the subject.

"No," I replied while shaking my head. "I really just want to go to bed early and sleep."

My dad looked over at me with concern for a moment before turning back to the road. "Are we throwing too much at you, Megan?" he asked. "This timetable isn't set in stone. We don't have to do everything this week. If we have to delay the release date of the album, we can. I don't want you to think that you have to tire yourself out, okay? The most important thing is for you to recover, and being exhausted isn't going to help you or anyone else."

"I don't know, Dad," I replied. "I definitely don't have the energy I had before the concert, but I think we can still do this. I just need a good night's sleep."

He looked over at me again. He knew that I wasn't telling him the truth. I was really worried about being able to keep up with the demands that they were putting on me this week. I thought that I had been ready for them, but the way I felt right now told me that wasn't the case.

"Tell you what," Dad interrupted my thoughts. "I'm going to push the filming of the music video off until next week. That will keep you working for only a few hours tomorrow and a few hours at the photo shoot on Wednesday. Then you'll have most of the rest of the week off. 'Wake Up!' would like you back on Friday, if you're up to it. That would be short and we can play anything else by ear. How does that sound?"

I smiled, and I could see relief flow through my dad's face. He knew that I wouldn't try to back out of Sarah's commitments, so he was doing it himself. I loved him for knowing how best to help me. I never could have suggested doing that myself.

"I'd like that, Dad," I told him. "I don't know about 'Wake Up!' though. I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"I know, Princess," he replied. "But I think you should do it. I know that you are nervous and scared about appearing in public after last Saturday, but you have to do it sometime. Going back to 'Wake Up!' will give you a chance to get used to the public again in a friendly environment. Both Aubrey and Matt have stated that they will be respectful in any questions they ask. But it would be helpful to talk about it with them. The public needs to know you are okay, and you need to know that you will be okay in public too."

I sighed. I really, really didn't want to go back on that show. He was right about everything. I didn't want to be out in public, either. I knew I would have to eventually, but I wasn't sure I was ready. However, I knew that this was something that I had to do. Ready or not, I had to get back in front of a crowd if I was going to have a career in this industry.

"Okay," I told him. "I'll do it. But only if I get to sing 'You Can't Hurt Me' for them."

Dad nodded. He knew what that song meant to me. ‘You Can’t Hurt Me’ was the song that I had written after the press conference. I'd played it for him after finishing it, and he had been really proud of my ability to take the adversity from the press conference and turn it into such a powerful song.

"I think that will be acceptable," he said with a large smile on his face. "But you are going to perform it yourself. The band won't be there for you on this one. I want everyone to see that this is your song, and that it's coming from your heart. Having you perform it alone with your guitar will help everyone see just how much it means to you."

I couldn't help but smile back. That sounded like a perfect plan. I didn't doubt that the song would sound better with the band there, but I knew it was powerful even if I performed it solo.

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll do it."

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.10 - The Woman behind the Wig

After taking a shower the next morning, I returned to my own room to get ready. Just the idea of working on Sarah's music without being dressed up like her was odd. But we were the same person, and I knew that we had the same talents. After all, I'd written the songs without the wig.

But I think it was the presence of the band that was the real issue. The idea of not wearing the wig in front of them almost felt like I would be standing naked in front of them. It felt like I was being exposed more than I ever had before.

I put on a pair of jeans and a tee, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, put on my makeup, and stepped back out of my room. I was hoping that I had time for some breakfast before everyone arrived, but as I approached the door to Sarah's room I heard the guys inside setting up their instruments. I had to laugh at some of the things they were saying while they worked. They definitely did not appreciate the room's decor like I did. I was about to go in and see how they were doing when the doorbell rang.

Instead of stepping inside of Sarah's room, I walked down the hallway to the front room. Mom was coming out of the kitchen, and smiled when she saw me.

"I got it," I told her and she stepped back into the kitchen where it smelled like she was making a really good breakfast. I should have known that we would be feeding the band.

Sophie was standing on the doorstep when I opened the door, and she looked up at me in confusion for a moment before recognition swept across her face.

"Megan?" she asked. I smiled a quirky grin back at her.

"Hi, Sophie," I said and then stepped back and opened the door further. "Come on in."

She stepped inside, but she didn't stop looking at me the whole time.

"Not what you expected, huh?" I asked her. All she could do was nod for a moment.

"You look so different!" she finally said. "I mean, I never would have guessed that you were Sarah Carerra if you hadn't told me."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," I told her. "I don't want to be recognized."

She nodded, but didn't know what else to say.

"Have you had anything to eat?" I asked her. She shook her head.

"Don said that breakfast would be provided," she said and it was my turn to nod.

"Mom's making it right now and it smells really good," I stepped over to the door to the kitchen, motioning for Sophie to follow me. Once we were inside, Mom looked up at us.

"Mom, this is Sophie," I told her. My mom broke out in a warm smile directed at Sophie.

"Hi, Sophie," she said. "I don't think we properly met at the concert. It's nice to finally meet you. Are you hungry?"

Sophie looked around at the many pots and pans that Mom had been using. She had gone all out; there were pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon, eggs, and hash browns. If someone wanted it for breakfast, my mom had probably made it.

"Wow, Mom! That's a lot of food!" I stated.

"I wanted the band to feel at home this morning," Mom explained. "Perhaps they won't be so shocked to meet you if their stomachs are full."

I laughed at her silly joke, and Sophie smiled.

"It's almost ready," Mom continued. "If you want to go get the boys, we can get started. Your dad should be back in a moment. He went to get some more milk."

"Okay," I told her. "I'll go get them."

Stepping back out of the kitchen and into the hall, I looked back to see Sophie following me. I walked down to Sarah's door and pushed it open. Inside the couch had been moved to the side, leaving a large open area where the band was setting up a lot of equipment. The guys looked up at my entrance, but didn't smile until Sophie came in behind me. I stepped closer to where they were standing, and stuck my hand out for Jason to take. He was confused at the gesture.

"Hi, Jason," I said. "My name is Megan, and I'll be singing with you this morning."

He was totally confused, and both Connor and Stacy stared at me. Jason took my hand and gave it a shake, but he didn't seem to know what to say.

"Who are you?" he finally managed to get out after he had let go of my hand. I gave him a wide smile before turning and walking over to where the armoire was and punched in the access code.

"You mean you don't recognize me?" I asked after I heard the click that told me the armoire was now unlocked. I knew they didn't, it was written all over their faces. I pulled open the armoire and pulled out the wig they were so familiar with. "What if I put this on?"

"Sarah?" Connor finally asked before I'd had to resort to putting the wig on. I smiled warmly at him. At least one of them seemed to show some signs of recognition.

"Yeah, it's me," I said while placing the wig back on the foam head. "My dad and I felt that you guys deserve to know the truth about me. Sarah Carerra is my stage name. My real name is Megan."

"You and your dad?" Jason asked. I rolled my eyes. How much more dense could these guys be?

"I'm her dad," someone said from the doorway. We all turned to see Dad standing there, with a smile on his face. The guys remained confused for another moment, before a light started to shine in their eyes.

"Oh," Jason stated, surprised. "Sarah is your daughter?"

"Well, Megan is," Dad replied. "Sarah was created to give her the chance to have a life outside of the spotlight. She didn't want to be hassled every time she stepped out of the house."

The guys lapsed back into silence. It was obvious that they hadn't expected anything like this to happen. I almost felt bad about telling them the truth.

"Look," I said. "The more people who know about me, the more likely it is that the truth will reach the public. I don't want that to happen, and you guys have a lot at stake if that happens too."

"Wait," Connor spoke up, showing some initiative again. "What do you mean we have ‘a lot at stake’?"

Dad replied, "Your contracts with us are to perform with Sarah Carerra. If the truth gets out, and Megan can't perform any longer, you guys could be out of a job. We don't want that to happen."

"Okay," Jason said. He was nodding his head in agreement at not wanting to be out of a job. "What happens now?"

"Nothing," Dad said. "Sarah will always be there with you when you guys perform or practice. Today, we wanted you to meet Megan so that you could better get to know the person behind the music. We aren't trying to make you uncomfortable."

"This is totally the opposite," I added. "If you know who I really am, then I hope that we can be more comfortable with each other. You all are so good at what you do, and I just want to make the best of our relationship so that we can all benefit together."

We lapsed back into silence for a moment. I was hoping to get some type of response from the guys, but they appeared to be at a loss for words. Finally, Jason spoke up.

"Well, this is definitely a surprise, but we feel the same way, Sarah," he said. "We've done the studio gig, and now we've played on stage at a major concert. We like working with you. You're kind, considerate, and don't take all of the glory for yourself. Thank you for telling us."

I smiled brightly back at them. Connor and Stacy were nodding along with Jason's answer, and I knew that I hadn't lost them.

"Come on," Dad said. "Breakfast is ready, and I'm hungry."

The rest of us laughed, but we all agreed. Soon we were all around the dining room table eating a hearty breakfast.

Holly showed up a short time later, and we spent much of breakfast telling her about the events of the morning. My revelation had done the one thing that I had hoped it would do - it brought us closer together.

*  *  *

"Where do we start?" Jason asked once we were back in Sarah's room. The guys had ribbed me over the decor during breakfast, but they knew I was a girl and had laughed when I told them we could have been practicing at their place instead. But now it was time to get to work.

"Well, I thought I'd play you the songs first," I told them while walking over to retrieve my guitar. "Then we can pick one and start working on adding the other instruments to it. Once we get that done, we can put everything together. What do you think?"

I picked up my guitar case and turned back toward them.

"Sounds good," Jason said. "How many songs do you have?"

"Four," I replied. "I doubt we'll get everything done today, but anything that gets us closer to finishing the album helps."

I walked over to the couch and took a seat next to where Sophie and Holly were waiting. They wouldn't be needed for a while, but they didn't seem to mind being here.

"Do we get to hear 'Love?'," Holly asked with a quirky grin. I'd forgotten that they had been with me during my interview on 'Wake Up!' last week. They knew all about what that song represented.

Before I could respond, I felt myself blush. Without intending to, I'd let it slip on air that the song was about Josh Holliday. I didn't even want to get into that fiasco with the band. It was better to leave that alone and stick to the music.

"Sure," I told them a moment later. "We can start there."

I pulled my guitar out of its case and placed it on my knee. The last time I had played this song for somebody, it had been inadvertent. Madison had walked in on me while I was putting the finishing touches on it, and I had avoided playing it for my family. The less they knew about my love life, the better, especially after my interview on 'Wake Up!'.

This time, I started the song with a bit of trepidation. Madison had really liked the song, but it exposed a part of my heart that I wasn't sure I was ready to expose to the world.

The song started out really slow, with a calm, serene tone that gradually grew until it crashed over in a wave of adoration before calming down again to a close. I felt that I was blushing the whole time I sang.

When I finished four minutes later, I looked around the room. The girls had big smiles on their faces. The guys looked depressed at the thought of playing such a slow, meaningful song. But it was the other people who had crept into the room that really affected me. Mom and Dad were standing at the door, and the look on their faces made me realize just how much they meant to me. I could see the love in their eyes that was spoken about in the song, and immediately I felt tears rush to my own eyes.

I grabbed a tissue and quickly dabbed at them to prevent them from ruining any of my makeup.

"Girl, you are smitten," Holly said after seeing my reaction. I choked out a laugh. That was only part of what I was feeling, but I didn't want to get into the rest. I just smiled back at Mom and Dad.

"Whatever," I said to break the emotions that were lingering in the room. "Can we move on to the others?"

Most of the other people in the room nodded, and I strummed my guitar again, trying to decide which one to play next.

"I started writing this one after the concert," I told them. "That night, after we left the stage, I had the most wonderful feeling. I couldn't sleep. Everything in my life seemed to be so perfect, and I didn't want to let it go. This song doesn't do that feeling justice, but it comes about as close as I could get it. It's called 'My Life'."

I envisioned this song starting with the drums, and that wasn't something that I could duplicate with my guitar. That meant that I had to start the song further in. Even the main chord was designed for Jason's electric, and I could only capture part of the sound I wanted from the song out of my acoustic. But it worked.

This song was much more in the ballpark of what 'Pop Fly' was used to playing. It had a nice beat to it and a catchy melody. I hoped that when we added the drums and a bass guitar, I could get it to a point that it reminded me of the night after the concert, where Emily and I stared out the window of my hotel room together.

I played through this song with just as much emotion as I had with 'Love?'. While the emotions were different, both songs were infused with them, and I hoped that they would touch the heart of anyone who heard them as much as they touched my own.

When the song came to a close, everyone was smiling. I hoped that this song became one of the popular ones from the album, because it meant so much to me. Then again, they all did.

"Okay," I said before anyone else could speak. "Two more. This next one was written after I got home from the hospital with the help of Chloe and Madison." I smirked when I realized the band probably didn't recognize one of those names. "You guys met Madison at 'Wake Up!', right?"

There were nods from the band members indicating that they did remember my cousin, and they had of course met Chloe when I brought both her and Xander to the studio with me before the concert.

"It's called 'Friends Forever'," I told them.

I started playing the third song for them. This one was the fastest of the four I had written, and really had a positive flavor to it. It was all about friends and their connection to your own life. My friendship with Emily and Madison had such a positive effect on me, and I was happy that we could turn that into a song that encompassed much of what we had been through together.

This song wasn't roiled in the deep emotions that the other three were, and it was nice to have another fun, carefree song to share with the world. I couldn't wait to hear what Madison had to say about it when she heard the completed song for the first time.

"I like that one," Stacy said.

"Good," I told him. "Because I have some good ideas for your drums that should help make it even better."

He smiled back at me, and I turned my thoughts toward the last song that I had written. Of the four, this one meant the most to me. This song alone had more power and emotion than the other three songs combined. This song proved not only to the world, but also to me, that I could overcome the challenges that had been thrown at me since I had embarked on my career as Sarah Carerra. This song embodied the strength that I had been able to muster after the press conference just three days earlier.

So much had happened since then, and I couldn't imagine feeling the despair that I had felt at the studio again. I certainly didn't feel that way now. I was embarrassed to have the knowledge of what had happened to me last week talked about by the media. But that despair had been transformed into a strength that was encompassed in this song. It was a strength that had lifted my spirits, and had given me a reason to continue on.

Sure, Brady Townsend had taken me to the lowest point I could remember in my recent life. But he had also given me what I needed to overcome the pitfalls of my new career. The media was going to be watching me, and I was certain that this was only the first of many incidents that would upset me during my lifetime. But I now knew for sure that they couldn't hold me back.

"'You Can't Hurt Me'" I said. I didn't explain to them where this song had come from. They wouldn't need an explanation because the song said it all. I didn't mention the incident at all in the song, but there was no denying what this song was about.

I started playing the melody that opened the song, vocalizing another with my voice. There were no words to start this song, just emotions in the form of music. When I did start singing, the words came out with an edge to them. They were traced with the anger and frustration that I had felt after the press conference on Saturday. As the song continued, the anger was gradually replaced with confidence and strength. In the end, the message was clear, and the last "You Can't Hurt Me!" just before the final note told anyone who listened that no one can control how I feel or what I think. I'm stronger than they are.

As silence filled the room, I gazed once again at those friends and family around me. I hadn't played this song for anyone other than Dad before, but the faces of every person looking back at me had an awestruck quality to them. I knew at that moment that the song truly did get my message across.

Finally, Sophie spoke, “Megan, that is powerful. Really, REALLY powerful." The others merely nodded.

*  *  *

Hours later I was sitting on the loveseat in the front room, reading a book. Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch watching TV, and Austin had gone out with some friends.

Dad had stopped the band's practice around 3:00 to prevent me from exhausting myself again, and I'd taken the time afterward to take a nap. Now I was trying to read. Reading was something I really enjoyed doing, but I hadn't had much time to read since I'd made my first demo CD, and I was excited to get the chance.

However, I was having a hard time concentrating on the words on the page. There was something bothering me, and I couldn't figure out what it was.

"The band!" I gasped. Both Mom and Dad immediately looked at me, but I had finally figured it out. "Dad! The band needs to come with me on Friday!"

"I thought that we had agreed that you would perform by yourself," he said. He clearly wasn’t happy at my request.

"That was before we finished the song!" I exclaimed. "It took on a whole new level this afternoon when we performed it the last time!"

Dad pondered it, and then he nodded. I knew that he felt the same way. The band had decided that they wanted to work on 'You Can't Hurt Me' first, and it was the only song we were able to finish in the time allotted to us today.

It had been an amazing experience. I had ideas of what I wanted from each of the other instruments. Jason, Connor, and Stacy were able to take those ideas and implement them in a way that actually improved my original idea. Holly and Sophie also contributed, and now the song wasn't just mine, it was ours.

"I'll contact them tomorrow," Dad said. "I asked them to keep their schedules open that morning in case we needed them."

"Thanks, Dad," I told him. He nodded and turned back toward the TV, and I went back to my book. This time, I was able to thoroughly enjoy it.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Have you been to see Sarah Carerra perform?
While it will still be some time before Sarah Carerra takes the stage on her concert tour, I am looking for information about any of the venues that she will be performing at. If you've had a chance to go to one of the venues listed on the next page or at www.sarahcarerra.com, I invite you to email me a short description of your experiences to angeljedigirl (at) gmail.com

I'm looking for information on what you thought made the event so exciting. What did you enjoy most? If it was a fair, were there other attractions that were fun to see and experience?

I can only craft a story that is as good as my experiences, but I have not been to many of the places that Sarah will visit. There is a lot of information online to help write the story the way I want it, but your experience may make it memorable.

Thanks in advance,
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.11 - It's Just a Job

Around 7:00 PM there was a knock on our front door. I got up from where I had been reading on the couch and opened it to find Emily standing there.

"'Bout time," I said with a goofy smile. She smiled back at me. I stepped aside and she came in. I thought that Emily was going to visit earlier this morning to watch us practice, but she had not showed. Then I noticed the guilty look on her face, and I knew that she was up to something.

"I'm sorry," she tried to explain. "I had something that I needed to do today."

"That's okay," I told her. "Sarah dominates my life, but you are welcome in it anytime you want to come. I don't expect you to be there all the time."

I saw Emily sigh in relief, and I began to worry. Why had she been so concerned that she thought I wouldn't understand?

"What is it?" I asked. She immediately looked nervous again at my question. I didn't know what she was so worried about, but I became even more concerned.

"Don't be mad, okay?" she asked. That didn't make me feel any better about whatever she was hiding.

"Emily, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I got a job," she blurted out. For a second I didn't think that I had heard her correctly.

"A what?" I asked. A job?

"I got a job," she repeated. "My parents wanted me to get a summer job. I started today."

"And you didn't tell me before?" I asked. I was hurt that she felt she had to hide this from me.

"You didn't tell me about Sarah!" she argued back. I jolted at those words. I didn't know why her having a job seemed to be such a big deal! It's not like I thought any less of her or anything! I just thought that we were close enough that we shared everything!

"That was completely different," I yelled back. "I wanted to tell you! But you hid this from me because you didn't want me to know!"

She slumped over at my pronouncement. "It's just that..." she started. "I mean, you have this wonderful new life as your job. I work for slightly more than minimum wage at the music store in the mall. It doesn't quite compare."

I sighed. She WAS worried about what I thought. "Emily, I don't care where you work. I understand why you felt you should get a job. There's nothing wrong with working at the music store. I'm just sad that you felt you had to keep it a secret until now."

She sighed again, and we stood there in silence for a moment. "I'm sorry, Megan," she finally said. "It's just that I didn't want you to think that I was abandoning you or anything."

I choked out a short laugh at her logic. She wasn't abandoning me! She was doing what she needed to do for her own life. I immediately wrapped my arms around her.

"Emily!" I exclaimed. "You AREN’T abandoning me. We're sisters now, remember? We made that pact the night of the concert. And sisters don't have to spend every single moment with each other. So you got a job - big deal. I'm gone most days at my own job anyway. No, you aren't abandoning me, you're abandoning Ethan."

She tensed up in my arms, but when she stepped back in surprise at my words, she finally saw the lopsided grin on my face. Then she broke out in laughter. I joined in easily. We moved over to the couch and sat down.

"Tell me all about it," I said. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Thanks for being nice," she replied. "But you seriously don't want to hear about my day, do you?"

"Why not?" I asked. "This is an important day in your life. Your first job! How was it?"

She smiled, which surprised me. I didn't think that she would have enjoyed her first day of work, but she was surprising me.

"It was actually pretty fun," she said. "I think that going with you to Sarah's stuff really opened my eyes to the music industry. I found it fun to be surrounded by people who were looking for a certain song, and helping them to locate it. I thought I was going to hate it, and it isn't necessarily the best job in the world, but it could be worse. I certainly won't mind going back all summer."

"Good," I said, returning her smile with one of my own. It was nice to see her happy.

"So how was your work day?" she asked. I smiled. I was pretty sure that my work was a lot more fun than her work was.

"It was pretty good," I told her. "I played them all of my new songs, and we ended up working on 'You Can't Hurt Me'--"

"Megan," my dad interrupted us from the hallway. I looked over toward where he was standing. He was looking down at a folder. When he looked up at me, he looked surprised to see I had company. "Oh, hi, Emily."

"Hi, Mr. Campbell," she replied.

Dad looked back down at the folder before turning back to me. "Do you want to go over the endorsements?"

"Sure," I replied. Emily might have missed most of the day, but this was something that she probably would like to be a part of.

"What endorsements?" Emily asked. I grinned at her.

"Dad has a big list of people who want to have Sarah endorse their products," I explained. I took the folder from my dad and placed it on the table in front of the couch. Emily leaned in closer. I could tell she had already been hooked. "Let's see what we've got."

There were all kinds of products waiting for my approval. Makeup, clothes, and skin care companies seemed to make up the majority of the requests, but there were also plenty from drink companies, food companies, a few cell phone companies, even a car company had submitted a request.

"Ooh!" Emily said when we turned the page to another makeup company. "You gotta do this one! They have amazing lip gloss."

I looked at the page. Starlight Cosmetics was the name of the company. The name did sound somewhat familiar, but I couldn't be sure I'd ever heard of them.

"I don't know," I replied. "I'd want to talk to Stephanie about any makeup endorsements. She's the one who would have to use the products on me. We'd probably want to ask Julia about any clothes."

"Give Stephanie a call," my dad suggested. "There are plenty of makeup endorsements here. I bet there's one here from whatever she's been using on you."

"Okay," I replied. She had given me a bunch of makeup to use myself, but I didn't think that they were all from one company. I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found Stephanie's name. The phone rang twice before she answered.

"Hello?" Stephanie answered the call.

"Hi, Stephanie, it's Sarah," I said.

"Hi, Sarah," she replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing well," I said. Then I remembered that the last time I had seen her was when I left the studio in tears a few days ago. "Much better than Saturday," I added.

"That's good to hear," she said, and I could almost hear the smile in her voice. I knew she had been worried about me after that reaction. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking through some endorsement requests with my dad," I told her. "There are a lot of makeup requests, and Emily thinks that I should take one. But I didn't want to do anything without talking to you first."

"Oh!" she said in surprise. I immediately understood that she wasn’t usually consulted before someone took an endorsement deal.

"Well, there are a lot of good brands available these days," she continued. "I've been using one called Starlight for most of what I've used on you. They have a young, teen look to them that really complements your skin."

"Really?" I asked excitedly. "Because that's the one I'm holding in my hand right now!"

She laughed. I laughed. Dad and Emily even laughed, even though they had no idea what we were talking about.

"Yes," she said. "If you've got an endorsement from them, I'd accept it. We're already using many of their products. It would only make sense."

"Okay," I replied. "We're just going over our options, but I'll definitely keep that in mind."

"Alright, Sarah," she said. "And thank you for consulting me. Most people just tell me what they want me to use on them. It's nice to get a say for once."

This time I laughed. Stephanie was a master when it came to makeup. I wouldn't dream of telling her what to do. I might give her an idea of what type of look that I wanted, but I'd always trusted her ideas.

"You're welcome," I told her. "I'll see you in the morning, right?"

"Of course," she said. "You've got me for the whole photo shoot. We'll make sure that you look fabulous, and I'll bring lots of Starlight with me."

I chuckled. "Alright, Stephanie. I'll see you then."

"Bye, Sarah," she said, and I could hear the chuckle returned in her voice.

"Bye, Stephanie," I replied before hanging up the phone.

"What did she say?" Emily asked immediately. I knew she wanted me to take the Starlight contract.

"Starlight it is," I replied. "That's what she's been using on me, so it makes total sense."

"Good," Dad interjected before Emily could say something else. "That makes one. I'd like to start with three for now, and we can branch out when you have some more time. Sound good?"

"Yeah," I replied and smiled back at him. I didn't know exactly what my schedule was supposed to be like this summer, but I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to be busy all the way until the time school started again.

We returned to going through the endorsements. I couldn't believe some of the things that people wanted Sarah to endorse! For example, why on earth would Sarah care about what type of fertilizer was used on her lawn? I had absolutely no idea what we used at our house, and I really couldn't care less.

"What's this thing?" Emily asked a while later. I looked over to where she was staring at one of the papers. There was a picture of something that looked vaguely like a cross between a phone and an iPod.

"The Jive?" I asked, reading the name off the paper.

"Oh!" Dad responded excitedly. "That would be a good one." He reached his hand out, and Emily passed him the paper.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"It's an MP3 player," he replied. "It's from a new technology company that is hoping to compete with the iPod. It actually looks like it might have a chance. It'll be an uphill struggle, though. But this thing is really cool. One of their advertising guys came by the office the other day with one."

"Do you think it's worth having Sarah endorse it?" I asked him. He seemed really excited about this endorsement, which made me think that it would probably be a good one to go after.

"Yes," he replied. "It fits well with your music, and if I remember right..." He looked back down at the paper. "Yes, they want an appearance from you at the unveiling in August in New York. That's the same weekend that you are performing there, so it would work out really well."

"Wait," I replied, sidetracked by his knowledge of my tour dates. "Do you know where I'm going to be performing already?"

"Some," he replied. "Scott is setting up a concert here at the end of July, and I've been working on setting one up in New York. You'll have more concerts before school starts, but we aren't quite sure where yet."

I'd always wanted to go to New York! I hoped that I would have a chance to see some of the sights while we were there.

"What else do I have going?" I asked him. Dad had tried to keep me in the loop, but I got the impression that there were events set up that I didn't even know about yet.

"Nothing you aren't already aware of," he said. "I wanted to set up a small concert and CD signing somewhere on the day your album is released, but I haven't been able to find a good place yet. It may be too late by now anyway."

"You might be able to do it at the mall," Emily said. "I'm sure that my boss would love to have you signing CDs at the store. And the mall is always doing stuff like that."

"Hmm," Dad said. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. But where do you work? I didn't know that you had a job."

"She started today," I offered before allowing Emily to continue.

"I work at 'The Treble with Music' in the mall," she said.

"Alright," Dad said. "If you think that your boss would be up for it, I'll give him a call tomorrow. The sooner we get working on this, the better."

I smiled. I'd been going to that store for years. It would be a fitting place to have my first CD signing!

"Anyway," Dad turned us back toward what we had been doing. "Do you want me to look into the Jive?"

"Yes," I replied. I couldn't imagine using something other than my iPod, but I couldn't say no when he was that excited about it. “But I’d like to see it first. Is that possible?”

“I’m sure they’d be willing to let you use one before you agree to be their spokesperson,” Dad replied. “Let me give them a call and see what we can set up.”

“Sounds good,” I replied. I was interested in seeing if it was better than my iPod.

"That just leaves one more," he continued. "You've selected two that wanted commercials. I think we should only look at the ones that want print ads for the third. You've already got so much going this summer."

"Okay," Emily and I replied before turning back to the folder.

It took us another two hours to narrow down the endorsement opportunities to one that we were happy with. None of the others stood out as ‘must haves’, or at least none of the ones that fit Dad's description of being print-only. There were a few that I would have liked to take if it hadn't been for their desire to have me appear somewhere for them or have a commercial made. But in the end, I think it all worked out.

We ended up selecting a perfume called 'Stardom' to endorse for the print ads. Emily loved how two out of three of my endorsements had the word ‘star’ in their names. I was just happy to have the chance to endorse anything.

The 'Stardom' endorsement deal was contingent on how the perfume actually smelled. They hadn't provided us with a sample, so we didn't have anything other than the name to base our decision off of. Dad said that he would set up a meeting where we could see what it smelled like and come to a formal agreement if we liked it. If we didn't, there were plenty of other things that I could endorse.

By the time that Emily returned home and I had gotten ready for bed that night, I was excited to take the next step in Sarah's life. I knew that I had to get back out there in front of the public. I was still nervous about it, but I was also starting to feel something else that I hadn't felt since waking up in the hospital.

It was a longing; a craving for something that I knew all too well. I wanted to feel the rush again. I wanted to get up on a stage and sing until I was overwhelmed by the wonderful feelings that it brought to me. I couldn't wait for that chance!

But sadly, it would have to wait for a few more days. I would feel that rush Friday morning when I once again appeared on 'Wake Up!' to sing. But until then, I still had work to do. I was really interested to see what was in store for me at the photo shoot tomorrow.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Have you been to see Sarah Carerra perform?
While it will still be some time before Sarah Carerra takes the stage on her concert tour, I am looking for information about any of the venues that she will be performing at. If you've had a chance to go to one of the venues listed on the next page or at www.sarahcarerra.com, I invite you to private message me or email me at angeljedigirl (at) gmail.com a short description of your experiences.

I'm looking for information on what you thought made the event so exciting. What did you enjoy most? If it was a fair, were there other attractions that were fun to see and experience?

I can only craft a story that is as good as my experiences, but I have not been to many of the places that Sarah will visit. There is a lot of information online to help write the story the way I want it, but your experience may make it memorable.

Thanks in advance,
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.12 - Album Art

I awoke the next morning excited to step into Sarah's shoes once again. I knew that Scott and Dad had hired a creative director to help us find the right image for the album, and I couldn't wait to find out what ideas he had.

I got up and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. Once I was undressed, I stepped in front of the mirror.

I was still amazed at how great I looked. Not only did I look beautiful, but I completely looked like a girl now! There was still some bruising around the surgical site, and it was a little tender when I used the restroom, but there was no denying what I was now.

Without a doubt, I was a girl. I don’t think there was a single person in the world who would look at me and think otherwise. The surgeon had done a masterful job, and I had absolutely no regrets about going through with the surgery. I was finally complete. I was finally the person I was meant to be.

Once I was done with my shower I headed for Sarah’s room to get dressed and put on my makeup. Then I pinned my wig in place and went to eat some breakfast. While I ate my cereal, I wished that I had someone to go to the photo shoot with me. Sure, Dad would be there, but that wasn't the same. Emily was working again, and Ethan was still at that stupid summer camp that he had run off to. I hoped that he was okay. I knew that he had gone there to figure out what was going on between us. That was something that I hadn't had the time, or the desire, to figure out myself.

I didn't know what my kiss had meant. I certainly didn't feel like I was ready to run off and marry him. But something was certainly different between us. That was inevitable; we had been normal teenage best friends, until one day we were told that anatomically I was a girl. Sure, it wasn't something I would have been able to avoid, but it was still a huge surprise to both of us.

Now we had to deal with all of that. But I had made it even worse by kissing him. I didn't know what that kiss meant. I thought that my heart belonged to Josh right now, but there was more to the kiss I had given Ethan than just a friendly kiss on the cheek. Did I have feelings for him or was it something more like sisterly love?

A knock on our front door kept me from pondering the answer to that question. I wasn't sure who was there, but I knew that answering it would be a bad idea while I was dressed as Sarah. Fortunately, Dad came out of his office and answered it for me. It turned out that I didn't have anything to worry about.

"Morning, Sarah," Julia said brightly when she entered the kitchen. I hadn't seen Julia for a while, and I smiled at her while putting my spoon down. Then I stood up and gave her a hug. I did the same thing for Stephanie who had followed her into the room.

"Morning," I finally replied. "What are you two doing here this morning? I thought we would be meeting up at the shoot."

"We'll be there," Julia replied. "But we have some exciting things to try this morning. Are you done eating?"

I looked back at my cereal bowl. It was nearly empty.

"Yeah," I replied. "Just let me clean up quickly."

They smiled and watched as I took the bowl over to the sink and washed it out before placing it in the dishwasher. Then I led them down the hall to Sarah's room.

"First of all, take off that wig," Julia said. "It's time to show the world a different look. You're a young woman now, and we want to show the world that you can handle the pressure that is being thrown at you, especially after last Saturday. Okay?"

"Okay," I replied and started unpinning the wig. I was really curious about what she had planned. It definitely wasn't what I had been expecting this morning. Once I had the wig off, I opened the armoire and placed it back on its foam head before stepping back and letting Julia have a look inside.

She started perusing the contents, looking at each wig that we had purchased to find the right one to fit her desired image. Eventually, she pulled one out and handed it to me.

"Put this on," she said. I took the wig from her and placed it on my head before turning back to where I had put the pins. Once the new wig was pinned in place, I stepped over to the mirror.

I looked totally different. The wig that Julia had selected was the same color as the one that I had been wearing up to this point. But instead of the soft curls and waves that had flowed down my back, I now had long, straight hair. I looked fantastic!

I turned back to Julia to allow her to see what I looked like. She smiled at my image. "That's the one," she said. "Now sit down and let Stephanie do her thing."

I sat down on the seat in front of my vanity, and let Stephanie get to work. She didn't tell me what she was doing, but I watched mesmerized as she did my makeup subtlety different than what she had been doing. It didn't take much, but I looked slightly older than I had the last time she had done my makeup.

When the two of them were done with me, I looked gorgeous! I couldn't believe what a different hairstyle and makeup could do!

"Perfect," Julia declared. "You still look young, but you look more mature now. Come on, let's show your dad."

I stood up and followed Julia out of Sarah's room. I knew Dad was in his office, but we were intercepted by Austin in the hallway before we got there.

"Whoa!" he said when he saw me.

"Morning, Austin," I told him. "Do you like my new look?"

Austin gave me a look that I never thought that I would see from him. He was checking me out! He was my brother, for crying out loud! I frowned, and he noticed immediately.

"I'm sorry, Megan," he said. I think he unconsciously used my real name to separate the thoughts that he'd been having from his sister. I guess everybody does love Sarah Carerra. "It's just...you're so pretty!"

That turned my frown upside down. I smiled back at him, happy that he wasn't looking at me the way he had been anymore. I knew I was attractive, and this new wig and makeup only emphasized those features, but it still felt weird to have guys staring at me, especially when it was my brother.

Dad stepped out of his office and into the hallway at that point, and he gave me a completely different look. He grimaced. I instantly laughed at his reaction. I knew that he saw how much more attractive I was now, and I knew that he was thinking he would have to protect me that much more.

"You've outdone yourself again, Julia," Dad said, but he never took his eyes off me. "Sarah, you look fantastic! Your fans are going to eat this new look up."

"Thanks, Dad," I replied, and I could feel myself blushing again.

"Shall we head out?" he asked next. I was ready if Julia and Stephanie were done with my makeover. They were both nodding, so I did too.

*  *  *

It took us about an hour to get to our destination. When we pulled up to a beach, I was worried about what they were going to try to get me to wear. I definitely didn't want to pose in a bikini for my album cover.

As I stepped out of the car, I started to feel nervous. It looked like there was an area cordoned off for the shoot, but there were still many people milling about preparing for a day at the beach. I hadn't really been seen in public since the press conference, and this photo shoot might give me more exposure than I was ready for.

"It'll be okay, Sarah," Dad said from beside me as we walked. I smiled up at him. I truly was glad that he was my agent. Having a friendly face at all of my engagements was a blessing.

"I know," I replied. "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be nervous about it."

He chuckled at my reply, and we continued to walk the few steps toward the cordoned off area at the end of the parking lot. I noticed that they even had a police car parked nearby. Was I that important that we had the police at my photo shoot?

I saw a number of people watching us as we walked, and I began to worry that someone would recognize me. My only hope that I could make it to safety without anyone approaching me was the fact that I had a different hairstyle. But alas, it wasn't enough.

"Sarah Carerra!" I heard someone scream, and I turned to look. There was a young girl pointing at me from the sand. A number of other girls nearby also turned to look at me. I put a smile on my face and waved at them, causing the girls to squeal and look around for their parents. By the time that it took them to find their parents, Dad and I had stepped inside the cordoned off area. I sighed in relief.

Dad pointed to a group of people, and then steered me toward them. I noticed that Max was among them. Max was my marketing agent with the record company, and I knew that he would be involved in all of the art decisions surrounding my album.

"Sarah!" Max greeted me as we approached. We shook hands, and then he turned toward the group to start the introductions.

"Sarah, this is Jay Eon, your creative director for today," he said while pointing toward a short man who looked very athletic. I wouldn't be surprised if he ran marathons when he wasn't directing photo shoots.

"Pleased to meet you," I told Jay and took his outstretched hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Carerra," he replied.

Max then turned toward the other guy who had been standing nearby. I smiled immediately at him. "Sarah, I believe you've met your photographer already?"

"Yes," I replied. "It's nice to meet you again, Mr. Gunthrie."

"Please," he said with a wide grin. "Call me Greg. It will be my honor to photograph you this morning, Sarah."

Greg Gunthrie had been the photographer on my second photo shoot, the shoot where we had made the posters and other marketing material to start my career. The shoot had started out terribly, with Greg yelling at everyone to get everything done. But after a while, he realized that he could get more out of me by being nice, and had shown that his mean side was just an act. He really had turned out to be a good guy, and a great photographer.

"Now that everyone has met," Max stated. "Let's get you off to wardrobe. We've got two locations that we are going to be shooting at today, so we need to get moving."

"Okay," I replied. I could see Julia waving at me from a large tent. I gave the guys that I had been talking to a smile and then walked over to Julia.

"Jay wants us to try two different concepts today," Julia said once she had me inside the tent. There were all kinds of clothes hanging around. I smirked at the thought of someone dragging all of these clothes up here for me. "He wants us to try a glam shot, and then we'll be doing some simple shots at the other location. I'm not sure that I like the idea of no glam for your album cover, but he thinks that you'll be able to provide the glam yourself. Either way, start with that outfit." She pointed to a small rack that had some clothes hanging from it and some shoes on the ground beside it. "I'll be outside when you are dressed."

"Okay," I said and stepped over to the clothes. Julia stepped outside the tent and pulled on a string that had been holding up a strip of vinyl that acted as a door, causing it to fall over the opening and give me some privacy.

The outfit she had selected consisted of a white skirt that looked like it would be nearly see through, a pink tank top that had a number of sequins that made it shimmer much like the one I had worn at my first concert, a wide silver belt that looked like it was studded with diamonds all the way around, and a single, simple bracelet that contained a small ring of diamonds around the entire circumference. I assumed that all of the gems were fakes, but I knew I had to be careful in case they weren't.

I undressed and quickly donned the items that Julia had picked out for me. Once I had everything on, I turned to the sandals that had also been left nearby. They were simple, white with a pink strap that tied around my ankle, and thankfully without a heel. I certainly didn't want to be walking around the beach in heels, so I was grateful for that.

There was a full-length mirror in the tent, and I stepped over to it to get a look at myself. Once again Julia had done a fantastic job in clothing me. I thought I looked a little younger in the outfit than I had after my makeover this morning, but not by much. The skirt was flimsy, but it wasn't see-through at all. It had enough layers to make it light and airy, causing it to flow around me as I walked. The rest of the outfit complemented the skirt perfectly.

I stepped back outside to get her approval.

"Turn around for me," she said and twirled her fingers in a circle. I complied and slowly turned to let her see everything. "No, that isn't quite right. Come back inside."

I followed her back in, and she asked me take off the tank top and sandals and replace them with similar items in yellow.

"Okay, that looks good," she finally said. "Stephanie will touch up your makeup and then you’re free to start shooting."

"Thanks, Julia," I told her. "You have a great eye for fashion. I know that I wouldn’t be able to pick something like this out."

She laughed, before smiling at me. "You're doing pretty well yourself, Sarah. Don't sell yourself short. You've certainly come far from that tomboy I met the first day."

I smiled back at her quip. I enjoyed these clothes far more than I did my old boys clothes that she was referring to.

Once Stephanie had retouched my makeup, not making any changes to what she had done that morning, I walked back over to where Dad was still talking to Max and the other guys.

"All set?" Jay asked. I nodded. "Good, we're going to start down on the beach. We have a small area set aside where we can get some good shots with the beach, the ocean, and a small rock outcropping. Follow me."

He started walking down a small path that led from the parking lot a short way into the sand. There the cordoned area ended, but I saw a taped off area further down the beach with some camera equipment and lights set up. Unfortunately, there were also a number of families gathered in the area in between.

"Walk all the way to the area we have roped off," Max said to me when it became apparent that there were fans waiting for me on the beach. "Then you can have a few minutes with your fans before we start taking photos. But be careful, because we don't want to have to retouch your makeup or anything. Smile, sign a few autographs, shake a few hands, and then we'll get to work."

"Okay," I replied.

It didn't take us long to get into the crowd, and it wasn't much longer after that before some of the girls I had seen earlier had gathered the courage to walk beside me as I continued my trek to the photo area. I smiled at them, and they squealed again, but kept walking beside me.

"Hi," I said to them, causing another squeal from the girls. They didn't look like they could be any older than Anna, who was 10. Finally, after some of them had calmed down, I got some shy "Hi's" back. They looked like they were having a lot of fun walking next to me, so I let them follow us all the way to the photo area. By the time we had arrived, we had picked up two more girls. I turned and looked back at everyone who was following behind me. It looked like most of the girls' mothers or fathers were following, watching them. There were even a few older boys and girls who were interested in following me, but either they were embarrassed or they didn't have the courage to walk next to me.

"Who wants a picture?" I asked the girls who had been walking beside me. All of them started raising their hands and trying to get my attention. I chuckled at their reactions, but got them gathered around me so that we could all get in the shot. I watched many parents scramble to get their cameras out while we got into position. A few of the other girls who had been following even scrambled to find a place in the shot. Eventually, there were eight girls surrounding me when their parents started snapping pictures.

After they were done, I made sure to shake each girl’s hand and asked each her name. I couldn't remember any of their names after we were done, but they all had smiles on their faces when I ducked under the tape to begin my work for the day.

"Alright everyone," I heard Max say behind me. "We have a lot of work to do today. Please leave the area."

"No," I said loudly to the gathered crowd. Max turned toward me with a shocked and unhappy look on his face. "They can stay, as long as they don’t interfere" I said calmly, gaining another glare from him. "I mean, we're doing still shots. I don't mind if they watch."

"You heard her," Max told the assembled crowd, but he raised his hands in a gesture of defeat that seemed to say, "What am I going to do?"

I turned back to where Greg and Jay were adjusting the settings on their equipment. After a moment, Jay turned toward me.

"Okay, Sarah," he said. "We're looking for glamour shots on the beach. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yes," I replied. I'd been reading plenty of women's magazines with Emily over the years. I knew what he was looking for.

"Alright," he continued. "Remember, the title of the album is 'Intuition'. We're trying to capture that in a photo."

We then started taking pictures. Greg and Jay were very good at telling me what they wanted from me. Then I would try to take their direction as best as I could and incorporate it into my poses. They had me do everything from some sultry shots (that I hoped weren't too sexy) to some shots that they called 'ponderous'.

We started out against a small rock face. I'd often lean back against the rocks or try to use them in some way in the picture. We then moved down into the sand where they could get the ocean behind me. Those shots were trickier, because I didn't have anything around me to work with. But I tried to give the two guys what they wanted, and they seemed to be satisfied with my work.

During the whole shoot we had a group of people watching us from outside of where the tape was located. Soon a small crowd formed that I was sure everyone who arrived at the beach was curious about. By the time we moved the shoot down to the edge of the water, I couldn't even see the tent where I had changed clothes because of the size of the crowd.

We spent another 45 minutes taking pictures in and near the water before Jay felt that he had enough from this location. The whole shoot had taken nearly two and a half hours, and I was ready to take a break. I wasn't looking forward to doing the same thing again at another location.

I also wasn't ready for the walk back to the changing tent. There was a big crowd between the tent and me, and I knew that I was going to have to do a lot of interacting with them. That was why I was relieved to see a policeman standing next to where I had entered the taped off area. I'd at least have some protection on the way back up the beach.

"Sarah!" I heard yelled from many mouths as I approached the policeman. He looked to be in his early thirties, and he was made from a lot of muscle. I smiled at him before turning toward the crowd.

"Hi, everybody," I said with a small wave. A number of hands shot out, some holding papers, others seeking a handshake or some other touch. I stepped up to the tape and shook some of the hands before taking a few of the papers and signing my name with a pen that Dad had kindly provided me with moments later. That satisfied many people, but I knew there were a lot more behind them who would want the same.

"Are you ready?" the policeman asked me. I noticed that his name tag read Taggart. I nodded at him, and he ducked under the tape before straightening up and lifting it for me to get under. Then, he started making a path through the crowd. I followed right behind him, trying to shake as many hands as I could and give as many ‘high fives’ while walking at a slow pace back to the cordoned area in the parking lot.

I was very grateful when we arrived, and quickly ducked under the tape to get out of the crowd. Immediately, I heard someone start to cry, and the tiny feminine wail made my heart ache. I turned back around, searching for the source of the anguish, and I saw a young girl of about six years of age hugging her dad's leg and staring at where I had just crossed the line. I hadn't seen her during the walkover, and I was pretty sure that she hadn't had the chance to meet me.

I stepped back toward the tape and smiled at her dad, who took a step forward, lifting her with his foot toward me.

"Hi, sweety," I said, watching her tears start to dry up as she got closer to me. "What's your name?"

"Erin," she said through the sobs she was still trying to get under control. I smiled at her.

"That's a pretty name, Erin," I said and held my arms out. Immediately, she ran forward and under the tape and I wrapped them around her in a hug. When I let her go, she looked up at me with the brightest smile on her face. I turned back to her father who had a camera out now. With a grin I positioned Erin next to me and let him take a picture.

"Thank you," Erin said in a soft, quiet voice. I smiled at her.

"You're welcome, Erin," I replied. "Follow your dreams, okay?"

"Okay," she said and then ran back to her father. I stood up from where I had knelt to give her dad a better shot, and waved to the crowd before turning and heading for the tent.

I needed a nap.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.13 - The Perfect Shot

We apparently didn't have any facilities at the other photo shoot location, so after a short break, Julia had me change into the other outfit they wanted to shoot with before we left the tent again.

She wasn't joking about ‘simple’ either. My second outfit consisted of a pair of jeans, a pair of simple shoes, and a nice but simple blue button-up top with capped sleeves. Even with such a simple outfit, it still seemed to look spectacular on Sarah.

When I stepped back outside of the tent to get Julia's approval, I was surprised by the number of cameras that started clicking from the nearby crowd. I had hoped that they had dissipated while I was in the tent, but apparently I was naive.

"That looks good," Julia approved before turning me over to Stephanie again.

Once she was done, Dad steered me toward the car. I was really glad that we had parked right next the cordoned area, and I was quickly in his car with nothing but a small wave to the crowd. Not long after that we were out of the parking lot and driving to the other photo destination.

"How are you doing?" my dad asked me while he drove. I opened my eyes, and looked over at him.

"I'm tired," I told him truthfully. I was too. I had already realized that I didn't have the stamina that I'd had before the surgery. All of the walking, posing, and stress of the photo shoot was already taking its toll on me.

"I know, Princess," he said. "It's going to be rough for a bit until you get your energy back. I'll do what I can to give you the time you need to recover. As I understand it, this next destination won't be as intense as the beach. Plus, there won't be any people around to worry about."

"Thank goodness," I sighed. I loved my fans, and I was willing to do a lot for them. But they certainly had worn me out quickly. I just hoped that I hadn't left too many disappointed people back at the beach.

Fifteen minutes later Dad pulled up to a gate where a security guard was waiting. He stepped up to the driver's window when my dad came to a stop. Dad showed him some kind of pass, and he stepped back to a booth and opened the gate. I was curious where we were as the car started moving forward again. Shortly after, we were following another car toward the end of what appeared to be a runway. I didn't see any planes around, but this airport appeared to be in good condition.

Dad stopped the car, and I got out finding Jay, Greg, and Max waiting for me.

"There she is," Jay said with a smile and motioned me over to the group. "This won't be quite as intense, Sarah. We just want to take a few shots of you on the runway with the ocean as a backdrop. I think that this will look spectacular, and I hope we can get a good shot from this group to use on your album."

I nodded my understanding. He then stepped over to what I assumed was his car and opened the trunk. He pulled out a black electric guitar. I grimaced slightly. I wasn't opposed to posing with a guitar, but I wished it could have been mine. If it was not mine, then it would have been better if it was an acoustic guitar. I didn't have much experience playing an electric guitar.

But he was the creative director, and I took the guitar from him before following Greg out to where they wanted me to stand.

The scene from the beach was repeated: Greg and Jay worked together to get me into a desired pose, and I did my best to comply. We tried having me hold the guitar like I was playing it, posing with it on the ground, lifting it into what I thought were weird ways, and even some without it in the shots.

Jay seemed to like what we were doing, but he didn't quite have the enthusiasm that he'd had at the beach. He seemed frustrated for some reason. Eventually, he decided to try something else.

"Alright, Sarah," he said. "Here's what I want you to do. Stand with your feet apart, and place that guitar between them, holding it in front of you." I complied with his instructions. "Good, now I want you to move around a bit. Get your hair flowing. I want to see some of those trademarked blond locks flying around."

"Okay," I said and tried to do what he wanted. He became more excited and we continued in that vein for a bit. Then, I tried to get a few shots where my hair would fall in front of my face.

"Ooh," Jay exclaimed and continued to watch his monitor as shot after shot showed up. I turned my head to the side again and let my hair fall in front of my face.

"Oh heaven above, I think that was it!" Jay said loudly. "Sarah, that was brilliant! Do it again."

We kept working in that vein for a while longer before he decided that we'd had enough.

"Good job, Sarah," he said, coming over to shake my hand. "Greg said that you were easy to work with, and that was one of the easiest photo shoots I've been on. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I told him. "The two of you were really easy to work with too. You knew what you wanted, and I'm just glad that I was able to give it to you."

Jay chuckled at my words, and I noticed Greg was doing the same. I smiled along with them.

"I really like how these last ones turned out," Jay continued. "We'll get them back to the studio and see what we have and then get you in to take a look at them toward the end of the week, okay?"

"Sounds good," I said, happy to have this day over with. I felt like I could sleep until Friday now.

Dad and I walked back to the car. My original clothes were already in the back seat, and I was glad that I didn't have to go back to the beach to change. We could go straight home.

It was only five minutes after Dad had left the airport that I had fallen asleep in the passenger seat.

*  *  *

The opening of a car door awakened me some time later. I glanced around, trying to get my bearings, and noticed that we were in the garage at home. Dad was looking at me from his seat.

"I'm sorry, Princess," he said. "I didn't realize that you were that tired. Come on inside and sleep in your own bed. You should be able to get plenty of rest the next few days."

"Okay," I replied and swung my legs out of the car. I was still exhausted. Sleep still sounded like the best plan for the rest of the day.

I followed Dad inside, but my mom stopped me long before I made it to Sarah's room to get undressed. She had been in the front room, but came into the kitchen to meet us when she heard the garage door.

"Hi, honey," she smiled a large smile. "You look beautiful. I really like that wig."

"Thanks," I replied while tiredly returning her smile. She hadn't had a chance to see what Julia and Stephanie had done to me before we left this morning, and I was glad that she approved.

"She's exhausted," Dad told my mom, and I watched the smile on Mom's face change into a look of concern.

"Are you okay?" The worry in her voice was undeniable. I nodded back to her.

"Yeah, I'm just really tired." I sighed. "I don't quite have the energy I had before the concert."

"Don, don't work her too hard," Mom sternly said to Dad. I chuckled inwardly because Dad was doing his best to give me the time I needed to recover. He'd already pushed off the music video that we were originally supposed to start filming tomorrow. I couldn't imagine doing that for three days. I felt exhausted after just one day doing only a photo shoot.

"He's not, Mom," I defended my dad. Mom looked at me for a few seconds before she seemed to accept that answer.

"Come on then," she said. "I'll help you take off the wig."

I nodded, and followed my mom back to Sarah's room. Once I had slumped into the chair at my vanity, my mom started pulling out the pins. I sat there with my eyes closed, letting her do the work. I hoped I could go to bed early.

"How are you doing, honey?" Mom revealed her ulterior motive to helping me. I wanted to sleep, but she wanted to talk.

"I'm okay," I told her again. "I'm just tired."

"I know, but that wasn't what I was asking," she said with a caring look on her face. I understood immediately.

"I'm um...I'm doing good," I replied. "It's taking some getting used to mentally, but physically I'm not that much different than before."

Mom laughed. "Oh, Megan, you are nowhere near the same as you were before! You're a girl now. That means everything has changed."

"Not really, Mom!" I replied with a bit of exasperation. "Sure things are different down there, but nothing really changed. I'm still the same person. I still like the same things. I'm still the girl I was born as! My life hasn't really changed."

I shouldn't have snapped at her, but I was too tired to do anything else. I could see the hurt look in her eyes as she finished pulling out the last pin and then removed the wig. I felt regret as I watched her place it into the armoire.

"Look, Mom," I said in a softer voice. "I'm sorry. I know that you are happy that you have a daughter now, but the truth is I've always been your daughter. You said it yourself. I haven't changed anything other than my clothes and my hair since becoming Megan. Sure, I've gotten to do a lot of the more traditional girly things, but I always liked them before."

Mom closed the doors to the armoire before turning toward me. She now had a humorous grin on her face.

"Oh Megan," she shook her head. "You don't know how much you've changed. You definitely aren't the same person that I knew two months ago. Yes, you always did have feminine tendencies, but you've truly blossomed since becoming Megan. You have so much confidence and so much courage now. You walk into a girls’ room and don’t think twice about it. You like to wear dresses and makeup. You never would have done those things in public two months ago. You never would have gotten up on stage before, but now...I think it's almost second nature to you. I can see how happy it makes you. I can see how happy you've become. I'm not trying to upset you when I tell you this, honey. Yes, you are the same wonderful, caring person that you’ve always been. It’s just that I'm so amazed at how much my little girl has grown up. I'm proud of you."

Without another word, she wrapped me in a hug. I hugged her back with all of my might. I loved her so much. I was so glad that I had somebody like her in my life.

"Have you had any lunch yet?" she asked me a moment later. I shook my head. "Come and get something to eat, and then you can get some more sleep."

I smiled. That sounded like a great plan.

*  *  *

A knock on my door woke me up the following morning. A glance at my alarm clock showed me that it was already 9:00 AM.

"Megan?" Dad asked through the door. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Come in."

The door opened and my dad walked in with a smile on his face and a tray of breakfast in his hands.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me. I sat up and accepted the tray of food with a large smile.

"Great now," I replied, garnering a laugh from him.

"Listen," he said. "I need to run into the office for a while, but how would you like to go car shopping this afternoon?"

"Really?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes," he smiled. "But there is one caveat. You'll probably be using the car as both Sarah and Megan, so we probably don't want to get something too flashy. If people recognize it as Sarah's car but see you driving it, that could cause trouble. Get dressed as Sarah and think about what you want to go look at, okay?"

"Okay," I replied excitedly. I already had some ideas for cars that would work for both of my identities. I couldn't believe I was getting my own car!

"Alright," he said. "I'll be back after lunch to pick you up."

I smiled back at him, and he left the room. After he had left I turned on the TV in my room while I ate the breakfast he had brought me, but I couldn't really find anything worth watching. After I was finished eating, I decided to get up and do some research on the different cars I was thinking about.

I climbed out of bed and started my computer. I used to spend a lot of time on my computer, but I rarely sat at it since I had started my new life. The video games and programs that had kept me entertained before Megan came along were nowhere near as important to me now.

While the computer started the boot process, I picked up my breakfast tray and stepped out of my room and walked down the hall to the kitchen.

"Morning, Austin," I said when I saw him sitting at the counter eating his own breakfast.

"Hi, Megan," he replied after swallowing. "Is Dad really taking you car shopping today?"

"Yeah!" I replied excitedly.

"Are you going to drive me around?" he asked with hope.

I laughed. "Maybe. I think that depends on how busy I am with Sarah."

He looked downcast at that news. It seemed like I had some piece of Sarah in my life each day. He must have realized that I wouldn't be quite as available as he had hoped.

I finished washing the dishes from my breakfast and then returned to my room. I sat down at my computer desk and opened my Internet browser.

Luxury was definitely something that I was looking for. I knew that I could buy a pretty nice car for relatively cheap, or at least what Sarah might be able to call cheap. I surfed around a couple of the luxury brands I knew: BMW, Mercedes, Lexus. They had nice cars, but I didn't see anything that just screamed to me to buy them. Perhaps I'd have to see them in person.

Around 11:30 I decided to get ready. I didn’t know when Dad would be home to pick me up, and I didn't want to waste a minute of the time we could be using to shop. After taking a shower, I stepped into Sarah's room to get dressed. It only took me about 45 minutes to put on some clothes, do my makeup, and place the wig on my head. I was picking out a purse and placing the items I needed inside when I heard the front door close. Dad must be home.

I stepped out of Sarah's room and headed for the front room. But I couldn't see or hear Dad.

"Austin was that..." I trailed off mid-sentence when I saw him sitting on the couch with someone. A girl, of all things. Austin and a girl? "Your father?" I finished as an afterthought.

"Sarah Carerra!" The girl shrieked at the same time that Austin grimaced. I hoped I hadn't accidently interrupted something important between the two young lovebirds! I couldn't believe that my brother was finally hanging out with a girl!

"Uh, hi," I said, not sure what else to say. She jumped up from the couch and ran over to me, wrapping her arms around me in a hug before I could stop her.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" she chanted over and over. When she finally let go of me and stepped back, she had the biggest smile on her face. "I'm your biggest fan!"

I looked over at Austin. It was immediately apparent that he was not happy with me. I tried to give him an apologetic look, and was happy to see the tips of his mouth curl up slightly. At least he knew I hadn't done it on purpose.

"Austin!" the girl turned back to him. "Why didn't you tell me that you know Sarah Carerra?"

Austin frowned again. I was really sorry that I was putting him into this position. I didn't want to make this any harder than it had to be for him. I knew Austin wasn't the most outgoing boy, so whatever he had done to get a girl to come over to our house must have been hard for him.

"My dad is Sarah's agent," he finally told her.

"I've known the family since I was a kid," I told the girl. "Austin is like a little brother to me."

"That's so awesome!" she exclaimed.

At that moment, I heard the door to the garage open, and I prayed that it was Dad coming to save Austin and me from this situation.

"Megan?" I heard him yell to get my attention. "Are you ready to go?"

I could hear him walking through the kitchen when I yelled back, "She's already gone, Don."

He stepped around the corner into the front room, seeing the scenario for the first time. "Oh," he replied at the sight of the girl. "Well, are you ready then, Sarah?"

"Yes," I replied, happy to leave this girl with Austin. I'd already intruded enough.

"Wait!" she nearly moaned at the thought of me leaving. "Can I at least get your autograph?"

I looked at Austin again. He nodded slightly, and I felt a pit form in my stomach at the mess I had made to his day. He must not have known that I was going out as Sarah, or he would have warned me about her coming over.

Dad walked into the kitchen and came back with one of the press photos.

"What's your name?" I asked the girl while uncapping the pen and taking the photo from my dad.

"Susan," she replied. I quickly wrote a short message and signed the photo.

"It was nice to meet you, Susan," I told her while handing her the photo. "Take care of Austin for me."

I saw Austin roll his eyes at my words, but Susan nodded her head vigorously. I gave them a wave, grabbed my purse, and followed Dad out through the kitchen. I could only hope Austin would forgive me.

*  *  *

I sighed as I climbed back into Dad's BMW. He had a nice car. Why was it so hard to find something nice for Sarah?

We had been to five different dealerships now. Every single one of them was excited to see me, and I'd never been waited on quite like they had waited on me before. Every place brought me a bottle of water and asked me if there was anything else they could do while Dad and I walked around the lot with a salesman. Every salesman had a gleam in his eye as he told me about each vehicle’s features.

But all of them were disappointed. Nothing seemed to be right. I couldn't find a car that felt enough like Sarah and enough like Megan to satisfy both of my lives. We'd looked at BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Cadillac, and Acura, but none of them had what I wanted. I was beginning to think that I didn't even know what I wanted.

"I'm sorry, Dad," I told him. I could see the grim look on his face. I was sure that if I didn't have the money to buy a luxury car, then I probably wouldn't be having this problem. Most kids my age didn't have this opportunity. Those that did almost always used their parents’ money to buy a car. I had the unique opportunity to purchase my own luxury car with my own money at the age of sixteen, and I wanted it to be perfect.

"It’s okay, Princess." His words were comforting, but I could see the way he held his lips together as he spoke. He was ready to give up. "Let's try one more dealership. If you don't like what they have, we'll call it a day."

"Okay," I told him. I agreed with his mood. I was ready to give up too.

Dad continued driving. I didn't know where we were going, and I didn't know what else there was to pique my interest. But piqued is what happened to me when we pulled into the last dealership of the day.

"Audi?" I asked. I'd heard of them before, but I didn't know anybody who owned one. However the cars that were sitting on the lot certainly looked interesting.

We stepped out of Dad’s car, and soon we had the same reactions that had happened at the other dealerships. A few people started scurrying, and a salesman started heading our way.

"I'd suggest an A4 or an A6," Dad told me quietly. I understood immediately that he was trying to convey his opinion to me before the salesman reached us. "The A4 is cheaper and sportier though, if that makes a difference."

It did. I might be all girl now, but that didn't mean that I hadn't been influenced by boyish tendencies when I had been living my life that way. Sporty sounded good to me.

"Ms. Carerra!" the salesman said excitedly as he approached. I was still amazed at how many people recognized me now. Three weeks ago I had entered a diner as Sarah, and while many of the other patrons had recognized me, they didn't know who I was. Now, everyone I met could place my name with my face. Unfortunately, I was also aware that my collapse and the press conference fiasco had probably been the cause of much of that recognition.

"What can we do for you today?" the salesman continued. Once again I saw that gleam in a salesman’s eye. He knew I was likely paying in full today. People like me weren’t worried about credit approval.

"We were hoping to look at some A4's," I told him. I also saw the smile on my dad's face at that statement. Apparently, that was the car he had hoped I would go with.

"Sure, sure," the salesman said and then motioned in a direction. "Right this way. Can I offer you some water or a snack while we look?"

By this point I'd had enough water handed to me to drown a cat. "No, I'm fine."

The salesman led us over to a section that had some nice looking cars lined up in a row. Immediately I liked what I was seeing. For some reason, the sleek lines and smooth curves really looked good to me. He showed us around many of the features and options that the different vehicles had, and we finally ended up looking at a black one sitting on the end. I truly liked what I had seen.

"I like them," I mentioned, and I almost laughed at the sigh of relief from Dad.

"Which one do you like the best?" my dad asked me. I looked around. I'd had my eye on one of them the whole time we were walking around, one the salesman hadn't shown to us.

"What about that one?" I asked while pointing to the dark blue one that was sitting on a different row. It was the only one around that was that color.

"That one?" the salesman asked nervously. Why was he acting that way? Was there something wrong with that car? We walked over to it, and I saw a small twitch in Dad's expression. "This is actually an S4. It's more expensive, but it comes with a bigger engine and a sportier design."

Ohhh - both of them were worried about a price increase over what we had been looking at. "Too expensive?" I asked Dad. It was my money, but he had a better grasp on how much things should cost. Whether I could afford it or not, it was the best color on the lot.

He stepped over to the window and looked at the price displayed. Eventually, he shook his head. "No," he replied. "It is a bit more expensive, but it's still in the price range I figured we'd be looking at today."

I smiled excitedly. I'd finally found a car that I liked. "Can we test drive it?"

The salesman looked very nervous again. I could guess quite easily why. I might be somewhat of a celebrity now, but I was still only sixteen. I was asking him to place a very expensive vehicle into the hands of someone who hadn't had much driving experience. It looked like he was trying to decide what to do for a few moments before he finally said, "I'll go get the keys."

The S4 was more than I could have asked for! The second I started it up and heard the engine roar, I was ready to sign on the dotted line. When I got it out on the street and pushed on the gas pedal, it was a done deal. By the time we got back to the dealership the salesman, who had been sitting next to me in the passenger seat, knew it too.

My dad did the negotiating, and within an hour, I was driving it off the lot and following my dad all the way home. Perhaps it was the boyish part of me that wished Dad would drive faster.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.14 - Wake Up! Redux

I stepped into The Treble with Music with a large smile on my face. In two weeks I would be signing CD's in this store. Dad had confirmed the details earlier this morning before he took me car shopping. But unlike what I'd be wearing then, I was dressed casually and with no glam and no wig.

"Emily!" I said excitedly when I saw her working behind the counter at the store. The place looked pretty deserted at 8:00 in the evening.

"Hi, Megan," she replied while looking up. She stopped sorting through the boxes she was looking through and devoted her attention to me as I got closer. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd come and see where Sarah Carerra will be signing CD's in a couple of weeks," my sly grin brought a large smile to her face.

"Who told you that!" somebody yelled from a door behind Emily before she could respond. A moment later a man in his early 40's with a full head of hair, rugged face, and an athletic build came out. He didn't seem very happy that I already had that kind of information. I wasn't sure how to respond, since I didn't expect anyone else to be at the store, but Emily just started laughing.

Once she calmed down, she introduced us. "Megan, meet my boss, Jeffery Chambers. Jeff, this is Megan Campbell. She's how I know Sarah Carerra."

"Oh," he said, and he calmed down immediately. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Any relation to Don Campbell?"

"He's my dad," I told him. Dad had mentioned that he had been working with ‘Jeff’ to set up both the CD signing and the mini concert that I'd be performing at the small stage area nearby. He said Jeff was the store's owner, so this must have been him.

He looked at me for a moment before turning back to Emily. "We're pretty much done here, Emily. You can clock out if you want. We can finish the inventory tomorrow."

"Thanks, Jeff," Emily smiled brightly. Fun job or not, I could tell she was happy to get off for the night. I waited while she stepped into the back room and, presumably, clocked out. Then she came back out and around the counter.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she replied with a puzzled look on her face. "Do I need to call my mom and tell her not to pick me up? She should be here any minute."

"Nope," I grinned at her. "I'm your ride for the evening."

"Okay," she said. "Did you want to do some shopping first or go home?"

I could tell that she was sincere in her question, but I'd known her long enough to know that she really didn't want to wander the mall after her shift.

"We can go," I said simply. "Besides, if we leave now we can take the long way home in my new car."

"Your what?!" she screamed at me with both confusion and excitement. "When did you get a car?"

"About four hours ago," I said like it was no big deal. She hit my arm to get me to stop pretending it wasn't the coolest news she had heard all day. "Okay, okay, stop hitting me! Come on and I'll show it to you."

We hurried out to the parking lot where I had parked my new baby. Looking at her sitting there, I wasn't sure which I liked more: my car or my guitar. That was definitely a tossup; I knew I'd just have to keep both babies!

"Whoa!" Emily exclaimed when she got a look at it for the first time. "That is beautiful! I just love the color!"

"I know, right?" I replied. "They said it was a deep sea blue or something. All I know is that it was the best color on the lot, and it was the only one with this color."

"So is this your car or Sarah's?" she quietly asked a moment later.

"Both," I told her. "It's a nice car, but it isn't so flashy that people would be able to recognize it as Sarah's. That way I can drive it as Megan too."

"Ethan is going to be jealous," she said next. I laughed. Ethan was the one who often drove us around. Occasionally his mom would let him drive her car. But it didn't quite compare to this. "You are so lucky!" she continued.

"Yeah," I agreed. "But you get to benefit from it too. Come on, it's even better on the inside."

I unlocked the car and we got in. Emily smiled when I started the engine and it roared to life, but it was the shriek she gave when I accelerated onto the freeway that made the whole trip worth it.

It normally only took nine or ten minutes to get home by means of one of the boulevards, but instead I took the long way, which involved two freeways where I could really play with my new car. Traffic wasn't too bad, and even with the slightly longer distance it was only 20 minutes later that I pulled into my new parking spot inside the garage. Dad had decided that he would rather keep my car in the garage next to Mom's instead of his own to help keep it out of view of the public in case anyone did recognize it as Sarah's.

"I hate you," Emily told me while we climbed out.

"No you don't," I replied, watching a smile form on her face.

"Yeah, you’re right," she said through a short laugh. Then she came over and gave me a hug. I returned it gladly.

"You're coming tomorrow morning, right?" I asked her once we had released each other.

She nodded. "I wouldn't miss it. I don't have to work until 10:30, so I have plenty of time to come with you."

I smiled. It would be nice to have her on the set of 'Wake Up!' again. It would have been even nicer to have Ethan there too, but he didn't get home until Saturday. "I'll see you in the morning then."

Emily sighed in relief. She was worried that I was going to ask her to come in, but once again I knew her too well. After a long day of work I knew that she wanted to go home, eat, and go to bed, especially if she was going to wake up early enough to accompany me to the show in the morning. I watched until she was out of sight, then I stared at my car for a few moments. Finally, I walked into my house. I too wanted to get a good night's sleep. I would need the rest because the band and I were going to spend more time working on my songs after we finished on 'Wake Up!'.

*  *  *

I awoke early the next morning, showered and ate breakfast, before Stephanie and Julia arrived to get me ready for the show.

"I got you something new," Julia said while brandishing a few bags at me. I was very curious as she started pulling out the outfit she wanted me to wear. I knew that I could tell her no if she tried to get me to wear an outfit I didn't like, but she had yet to come up with one that fit that criteria.

This morning was no exception. Soon she had me in a very dark blue pair of skinny jeans and a slightly baggy yellow top that had a very intricate design on it. Last time she had dressed me, it had been in the plain clothes for the photo shoot at the airport, but today she had me back in glam. She had me put on the accessories before she pulled out the ‘heavy artillery’.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed! It was the only word that adequately described the shoes that she pulled out of a box. I had become used to wearing heels since my transformation; both Megan and Sarah were often seen wearing them. But these shoes were something else. They were made from black leather and were held on my feet by a number of straps that crossed over my foot. But it was the thin three inch heel that had me worried. While the shoes weren't screaming out for sex at all, they did have a thin stiletto that I was afraid was going to break at the smallest amount of pressure. It took me at least five minutes of walking around the house before I was confident enough that they would support my weight.

Once Julia was done with me, Stephanie worked her magic on me like she always did. We hadn't signed a contract with Starlight Cosmetics yet, but Stephanie was already getting into the spirit. By the time we were ready to head out the door, I looked fabulous once again.

Sadly, I couldn't convince Dad to let me drive to the studio. Perhaps he remained worried about me having my own car, and he didn't want me driving all the way up to Burbank, even if he was with me. Or perhaps he was just scared to ride with me while I learned to drive in heels like the ones that had been strapped onto my feet. That would certainly take an effort.

Instead I sat in the back of Dad's car with Emily, who was dressed as Chloe, and we caught up on each other's lives. It was something we hadn't had much time to do during the week because of our jobs, and I was glad that we could spend a little time together before Ethan came home. I still wasn't sure how I was going to handle that situation.

Once we arrived on set it was a flurry of activity to get ready to perform. Getting ready for a performance always took a skill that amazed me when I watched how efficient the band was at setting up their equipment and tuning it just right. By the time I was ready to walk on stage for my interview, the band had everything ready and we were able to perform a short sound check during a commercial break.

Then it was time to face the firing squad.

I loved getting up on stage and performing. I loved the rush I got, which I hadn't felt since the last time I was on the 'Wake Up!' stage. I loved my fans and the supporters that had made Sarah a star. But none of that could prepare me for my first public appearance since the press conference. I was a bundle of nerves all over again. I knew I had what it took to pull off the interview and the song, but I couldn't help but be afraid of what kinds of questions I was going to be asked. Free form discussion had not been the best experience the last time I had tried it.

I knew intellectually that Aubrey and Matt weren't going to slam me like Brady and some of the others had at the press conference, but that wasn't enough to keep me from shaking slightly as I stepped out onto the stage and waved to the crowd as I made my way over to the seating area. I gave Aubrey a short hug and shook Matt's hand once again. So far so good.

"Good morning, Sarah," Aubrey greeted me after we had each taken our respective seats. "It's nice to have you in the studio again."

"Good morning," I replied. "Thank you for having me back."

"Let's start with the obvious question first," Aubrey continued. "How are you feeling?"

"You know, I'm actually feeling really good," I told her with a smile before looking around at the audience. I was happy to see that they were smiling back. I was half afraid they wouldn't want to see me after the events of the last couple of weeks. "It's been an exhausting week, but I'm getting back into the flow of things. I don't have the energy I did before the surgery, but it's coming back slowly."

Aubrey and Matt returned my smile. I had deliberately opened the door for them to ask about the surgery, and I knew they would take the opportunity. But that's what I needed them to do. The only way that I could get through this would be to give my fans what they wanted. They wanted to know that I was okay and that I wasn't going to keel over on stage again. Aubrey and Matt needed the opportunity to talk about what had happened, and I had to give it to them.

"Can you tell us more about what happened?" Matt spoke up. I nodded with another grin that I hoped didn't look as scared as I felt to dive into this topic.

"Yes," I said. I cringed at having to talk about this in front of my dad and all of the other males watching the show, but I pressed on. "The Friday before my first concert, I was told that I had a...a blockage that was going to prevent me from having my period correctly. I'm a late bloomer, and my doctor was worried that it would cause some problems if we didn't get it taken care of. I was supposed to have that procedure the day after I was last here. But we all know that didn't work out. Fortunately, the doctors were able to get everything worked out while I was in the hospital, but they couldn't do anything about the embarrassment it caused. I feel really bad that I couldn't finish my performance last week."

"That's okay, Sarah," Matt said. "You'll get your chance to finish it today." I gave another smile at his words.

"So you're all better now - no more medical issues?" Aubrey asked.

I nodded. "My doctors have given me a clean bill of health. I was actually in the studio recording two new songs on Monday, I worked with the band to get another song ready for recording on Tuesday, and we shot the cover of the album on Wednesday. Like I said, I'm not quite at 100% yet, but I am working again."

"That's good to hear," Matt said and a small roar of approval worked its way around the studio audience. I smiled at their gratitude. It was exactly what I needed to help calm the nerves that I was still feeling. Then I realized something more important: I couldn't wait to get behind my microphone again!

"Is the album still scheduled to come out on July 8?" Aubrey asked me.

I nodded my head again. "Yes. We knew that I was going to be having surgery. We had that planned into the schedule. The album will still be coming out on time."

"Do you have any fun events planned around the release? Appearances, CD signings, that sort of thing?" Matt asked.

"Yes," I replied again. "I'm going to be performing a short concert and then signing CD's afterward. I'm not sure if everything has been worked out yet, so details are still forthcoming. I believe that my agent said the information would be posted on my website?" I looked over at where my dad was sitting in the audience. He was nodding his head. "Yes, the details will be posted on the website soon if anyone is interested in coming."

I was willing to tell them exactly where I would be on the 8th, but Dad had told me to give the answer I had given if the question was asked. While the CD signing had been completely set up, Dad was still working with the mall to set up the performance.

"I understand you'll also be performing a concert tour at the end of the summer, correct?" Aubrey asked me next.

"I am," I replied with another smile. I couldn't wait to see more of the country on the tour. My family had never done much traveling while I was growing up, and I hoped this would be a good chance to see some of the places I had always wanted to go. "I know we'll be having a show here in Los Angeles and one in New York, but I think they are still working on the other places in the tour. Once again I'm sure the full schedule will be posted at sarahcarerra.com soon."

"It sounds like you're really getting a lot of attention in a short amount of time," Matt said with a laugh.

"Yeah," I replied, laughing along with him. "Trying to set up all of these schedules and get everything else done like the album has definitely been a unique experience. But I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Sadly, we don't have much time with you this morning," Aubrey said in a downcast tone. "But you did agree to sing a song for us, correct?"

"Yes," I smiled back at her. I'd been waiting for this performance all week. "Instead of singing 'Intuition' for you guys today, I thought that I'd take the chance to premiere a new song for you."

"Oh!" Aubrey and Matt both said in excitement. They were good actors, because they already knew I was playing a new song today.

"Why the change?" Matt asked a moment later.

"Last week after the press conference, I felt horrible. It was one of the worst days of my entire life," I told them. "I spent most of the day in my room at home. I wasn't even sure that I could get back out and sing again."

"What happened to change your mind?" Aubrey asked. I heard the concern in her voice. She might have known that I wasn't going to sing 'Intuition', but she hadn't heard any of this information before.

"Later that evening my dad came in to cheer me up," I replied. "He received a letter from the editor of the Hollywood Herald apologizing for what had happened. It also mentioned that the reporter had been fired. I began to feel better after reading the letter and hearing the obvious concern from the editor. I spent the rest of the night writing a song about how I felt, and about how I was going to overcome what had happened. The song I'm going to sing for you today is called 'You Can't Hurt Me'."

"There you have it, America," Matt told the camera. "Sarah Carerra premiering her new song 'You Can't Hurt Me' right here on 'Wake Up!'."

I stood up as the cheering started and stepped over to where the band was waiting for me. I smiled to each of them before taking my place behind my microphone. I took a deep breath. The last time I was here I had collapsed on stage. That wasn't likely to happen today, but that knowledge didn't make me feel any less nervous. This was my first time on stage in two weeks. It was the first time since I'd collapsed. And it was the first time since the press conference.

Thankfully, there wasn't any other place I would rather be! I felt the rush start as I stood there waiting for the song to begin. I had missed this. I had missed being up on stage and singing for a crowd. It was time to show them that I still had what it took to be a great performer. I was nervous, but I knew that I could channel my nervousness into a great performance!

I looked at Jason. He was waiting for me; I grinned and nodded that I was ready. Immediately he started to play, and I jumped right in and vocalized a tune in harmony with his own. Once I had finished the first part and paused to take a breath, Stacy kicked in with the drums, crashing the cymbals as we started and playing a soft roll as we continued through the second part of the opening melody.

As I prepared to sing words for the first time in the song, every instrument built up to a small crescendo before quieting down into a nice beat as I began the first verse. The pain and the anger that I put into the words weren't forced by any means. It still stung to think about what had happened a week earlier, and it was easy to transfer that into the song. The band helped to set the mood by playing their parts with an edge to them. Half way through the first verse we added another beat, increasing the anger for a few measures before we lightened the tone, giving it an almost hopeful sound.

The whole time I sang about how upset I was with how people thought they could treat me differently just because I was in the public spotlight. I sang about how hurtful they could be and how much it affected me. I sang about how angry I was that they thought they had the right to put me down for the public's entertainment.

Then a few beats of Stacy's drums led us into a faster-paced, more forceful chorus that talked about how I wasn't going to take it. It was MY life, and I was going to live it by my own rules. I wasn't going to take the abuse that they would try to dish out at me. They weren't going to be able to change me into a person that I didn't want to be. And finally, just as the song said, I wasn't going to let them hurt me.

We immediately dropped back into the softer second verse. This time, it wasn't quite as angry and intense as it had been before. I talked about the disappointment I felt at myself for listening to the media and how I had reacted to them. I spoke about how I had let my guard down and then my realization that they couldn't control me. They couldn't tell me what to do.

The second verse was much shorter than the first, and it wasn't long before we ramped back up into the chorus. The second time through I put as much conviction into my words as I could. Now that the audience knew what I had discovered about myself, the words took on a whole new meaning as I not only told anyone who listened that they couldn't hurt me, but that I couldn't hurt myself either.

As we finished the second verse, we didn't immediately stop the more frenetic pace, instead basking in the feeling that it invoked. Sophie and Holly lit up the stage through this piece as they vocalized the melody that I had started the song with while I intermittently reminded the crowd that "You can't hurt me."

Then we fell back to the softer tune as I repeated the realization that I'd had in myself - the realization that gave the powerful voice leading into the chorus. But this time, instead of the frenetic chorus starting up, I sang the end of the chorus at a much softer pace and tone. When we came to the end of the chorus, I launched into the "You can't hurt me," while the band stopped playing completely. Once I had finished the lyrics, and without missing a beat, the band kicked it up a notch and we sang through part of the chorus again at the frenetic pace. This time as the chorus ended we kept the tone and pace at high energy as Sophie and Holly launched back into the vocal tune again as I continued to tell the crowd, "You can't hurt me."

We kept that up for a few seconds as we approached the end of the song, and while the band played the last of their notes, I started my own words. The last "You can't hurt me," ending after the music had finished.

The crowd started screaming again and the rush washed over me just like it always did at the end of a song. But most importantly, I had done it! I had returned to the stage and showed the world that I could overcome what had happened to me! I could continue to perform at my highest ability even in the face of adversity. And I would not let them try to change me or get to me in any way.

They couldn't hurt me.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.15 - Mary, Me, and Ethan

After the show, the band followed us home and we spent the day in Sarah's room. We worked on finishing the songs that I had written. We managed to get two of the songs fleshed out and decided to meet again Saturday afternoon to finish the last one. We were scheduled to be in the studio on Monday and Tuesday to record them, so we were on a deadline to finish them.

By the end of the day I was exhausted. But I felt better than I had at the end of any other day this week. It was apparent that I was regaining some of my energy, even if it was happening slowly.

I awoke Saturday morning excited to talk to Mary again. She had been out of town for much of the last week, and I hadn't had a chance to talk to her about anything that had happened since my collapse two weeks ago. She had told me before that I could call her at any time, but I didn't want to disturb her vacation with my own problems.

Either way, I felt relieved when I hopped into my car to drive myself over to her office. It felt liberating to be able to drive myself. I saw the concern in the faces of my parents as I grabbed my purse and headed for the garage. I knew they were concerned to have me driving in the city alone, but I also knew that it was something I could handle. I was growing up, and that was something that they would have to get used to.

Mary's offices were only about 20 minutes toward downtown LA in Saturday morning traffic, and soon I was sitting in her waiting room, waiting for my turn to see her. It didn't take long before she followed a young girl out of her office and turned toward me.

"Good morning, Megan," she greeted me with a smile.

"Morning," I smiled back and put down the magazine I had been reading. Then I stood up and followed her back to her office, taking my regular seat. Mary closed the door.

Once she had sat down, she started our session. "No parents today?" she asked.

"No," I replied, my smile growing larger. "I drove myself this morning. Sarah bought a car on Thursday."

"Congratulations," she said.

"Thank you," I replied. She smiled at me for a moment before turning to the caring look that I was all too familiar with. I might not have talked to her about what had happened, but it was obvious that she had heard about it.

"I understand that you've had a pretty tough couple of weeks," her concern for me was clearly evident in her words. "I'm sorry I wasn't here last week. You know you can call me anytime you need to talk, right?"

"Yeah," I replied. "It was pretty bad last Saturday, but it all turned out okay in the end."

"How so?" she asked me. She seemed surprised that I would describe the events of the week in that way.

"Did you see me on 'Wake Up!' yesterday morning?" I asked. She shook her head. "Well, I was really down after the press conference - you heard about that, right?" This time she nodded. "But all of that turned into a really good song. I performed it on 'Wake Up!' yesterday and I think it's going to be a big hit. I wouldn't want to go through that type of press conference again, but I'm glad that I DID go through it."

I jolted at my own words. I was GLAD that I had gone through this? I had learned this week that for the sake of the song I was glad that I had gone through it. But as I sat in Mary’s office and pondered this, I realized that there was more to it than that. Like my song implied, I was now a better person because of what had happened. I had fallen into the pits of despair a week ago, but now I had climbed out and it would be much harder to push me back in.

Mary sat in silence, watching me as I came to this realization. I looked back up at her and nodded. "Yes," I said with confidence. "I AM glad that this happened."

Mary beamed at me. "You are an amazing young woman, Megan. I was hoping to reach this point before the end of our session. I wasn't expecting to sit silently while you figured that out yourself. I can see now why you are so strong. That will definitely be an asset in your life."

"Thank you," I smiled back at her. I decided then and there that I was going to put this episode behind me! Brady Townsend had unintentionally given me a gift when he confronted me at the press conference. He had shown me that I was strong, that I was confident, and that I could overcome the negativity that the media can throw at a celebrity. They couldn't hurt me!

"Do you want to talk about it at all?" she asked me.

"No," I replied truthfully. "I think I'm okay with what happened."

"Okay," she sat back in her chair. "Is there anything that you do want to talk about then?"

There was, but I didn't know how to broach the subject. Ethan was coming home from his summer camp today, and I still didn't know what I felt about him. I could really use someone to talk to.

"It's Ethan," I finally managed to say.

*  *  *

My two best friends were sitting on my porch as I pulled into my driveway. I'd had a good, long talk with Mary about this, and I felt I was ready to face Ethan. I still wasn't completely sure about what my feelings toward him were, but I felt that I had a better understanding of what was going on between us.

I stopped in the driveway instead of pulling all the way into the garage. Ethan had stood up when he saw me pulling into the driveway, and I knew he was definitely eyeing my car. He had always wanted a nice car like this.

I opened my door and stepped out, as both Emily and Ethan started to walk to me. I tried to catch Ethan's eye, but he was staring at my car instead.

"Hi, guys," I said, hoping to break his reverie. Apparently it worked, because he looked up at me. "Hi, Ethan," I purposely said to him.

"Hi, Megan," he replied, eyeing me instead of the car now. I hadn't seen him in over two weeks, and I was glad to have him home.

That's when I did another stupid thing. Thankfully, I didn't kiss him this time. But I got nearly the same reaction when I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a quick hug. I hadn't even thought about doing that; it seemed to be some sort of natural reaction.

"I missed you," I told him after I had let go and stepped back. He grimaced at my words, and I realized he could have taken them wrong. The truth was I didn’t really know what I had meant by them. "I mean, I thought we were friends. I know I made things awkward when I kissed you, but you could have at least told me you were going to camp."

"I'm sorry," his shoulders slumped with his words. "But you really threw me for a loop, Megan! I didn't know what to do!"

It was my turn to grimace. I knew exactly what he was talking about. I never should have kissed him! The only thing that gave me hope that I hadn't ruined our friendship was the fact that he was standing in my front yard.

"I'm sorry too," I replied. "I don't even know why I did it. I certainly didn't plan it beforehand."

I could feel tears threatening to spill out of my eyes as I dropped my head. Ethan had been my friend for a long time. How could I have done something to jeopardize that? How could I have been so stupid?

We stood in silence for a few moments before he finally spoke. "It's okay," he said. "You surprised me, but it was my own reaction that scared me." I raised my head to look up at him. He had a wide smile on his face. I felt the corners of my own mouth tug against the frown that was still on my lips. It didn't take long before I was smiling back. "Megan, you know that I had a crush on Sarah before I learned about your secret. Having her, you, kiss me...that was very unexpected and I felt those same feelings bubble up. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship!"

I jolted at his words. I didn't know if I had those types of feelings for Ethan. Obviously there was something there or we wouldn't be in this situation. But his words almost felt like he was slamming shut a door in our relationship that I wasn't sure I even wanted to have open. It sounded like he didn’t even want to entertain the possibility that we had feelings for each other.

"I don't want to do that either," I finally responded. No matter what, I didn't want to lose Ethan. I knew that throwing sexual attraction into the mix between two friends of opposite genders could really screw things up. Before Megan, that had never been a problem among Emily, Ethan, and me. But with the changes that I had gone through, the dynamic of our friendship had changed significantly.

And that was that. Whatever we felt for each other, we were going to be friends first. Only time would tell if something else developed. As we stood there in silence after coming to this realization, I wondered if this was the right thing to do. Would it be better to find out if there was anything between us? Would that destroy our friendship like we feared? Did I even want to go down that road?

"Nice car," he said to break the tension in the air. It worked, and I started laughing.

"Thank you," I replied once I was capable of speech again. "It's Sarah's, but I get to use it too."

"You’re making me jealous," he said, staring at the car once again. I started to laugh once more.

*  *  *

Emily and Ethan spent a few hours with me before the band was scheduled to come over. But the two of them opted to head home instead of hang out with us while we worked on finishing the last song for the album.

As I worked with the band, I kept dwelling on my feelings for Ethan. The last song that we had left to finish was 'Love?'; as we worked on the song, the words and feelings that I had first applied to Josh Holliday now took on a whole new meaning when I thought about Ethan. Ethan and Josh almost seemed interchangeable.

I was confused: either my feelings for Ethan didn't seem to be as pronounced as my feelings for Josh, or I just didn't recognize them. Thinking about Josh still brought a warm and fuzzy feeling to my heart. I had a similar reaction when I thought about Ethan, but I had always associated that feeling with our friendship. Was it possible that those feelings were being transformed from friendship into something more without Ethan, Emily or I noticing? Perhaps it was possible, but had that really happened in our relationship?

I wasn't sure. I'd tried to understand this with Mary, but we concluded that we didn't have enough information. I didn't think that I was in love with Ethan. But there was definitely a difference in our relationship now than what we'd had before I had become Megan.

Ethan had been as close to me as a brother while we had grown up. In some respects, he was closer to me than Austin was. Were these feelings the same feelings that I had for Austin now? Or were they more?

I was so confused as I got ready for bed that evening. If I thought becoming a girl had been hard, then I was kidding myself. Doing that had been child's play compared to what I was going through now.

*  *  *

After church the next day Ethan and Emily came by my house again. I struggled the whole time we were together to try and determine what to do about Ethan. I knew that we said we would be just friends, but I kept thinking that there was more there than that. It seemed almost like both of us wondered if there was more to our relationship than the friendship we had formed while we grew up together.

But outwardly it seemed like any other day that we got together before the concert. We lounged around, and played some games. I even performed some of my new songs for Ethan. But I did not perform 'Love?' though, because that would have been too much right then.

Then we listened to the countdown together. The very first time that 'Intuition' had been featured on the American Top 40 show we had been right here in Sarah's room. This time my friends were there when the song dropped from its spot on the top of the list.

'Intuition' had spent three weeks on top of the countdown - three weeks that left me reeling that people liked the song that much. But just like I had done to Josh, somebody had pushed me off the top after only three weeks.

Granted, the song still came in at Number 2, but I couldn't help but think that its time had come. I knew that ‘Intuition’ would slowly make its way down the list until it dropped off completely.

The sad thing was that I knew 'Ever After' didn't have what it took to get back on top. As my second single, it was a good choice. But its targeted audience wasn’t as wide as 'Intuition'. 'Ever After' would not appeal to as many people. I loved the song dearly, but it wasn't going to put me on top again.

But 'You Can't Hurt Me' might. Like Sophie had said the first time I played it for her, it was powerful. I wished with all of my heart that we could release it as my second single instead of 'Ever After'.

Emily and Ethan left shortly after the show ended, because they had dinner plans with extended family. I was left wondering what to do. Should I talk to Dad about changing which song we made the second single? Was it too late to change all of the plans that had been put in motion?

I thought for the most part that it wouldn't be a problem. There may be some marketing material that had already been created, but the second single wasn't scheduled to be released until the album came out. That would give us plenty of time to get everything done.

But there were a creative director and a producer chomping at the bit to make the 'Ever After' music video. I had seen a script with some of his ideas on it, and I agreed that it would be a good video. How hard would it be to shift to making a video about 'You Can't Hurt Me'? I was scared to even ask.

I stood up from Sarah's couch, determined to ask my dad. But I couldn't find him. He wasn't in his office and his car was not in the driveway. Instead I found Austin sitting in front of the TV in the front room. That gave me time to resolve the other matter that had been nagging at me for a few days.

"Hi, Austin," I greeted him while sitting down on the other end of the couch from him.

"Hi," he replied but his eyes never left the TV. I didn't think that he wanted to talk to me right now. I figured now was as good a time as any to discuss the matter anyway. The show he was watching looked more like a time waster than anything he would really care about.

"I'm sorry about the other day," I said, forcing him to think about what had happened. "I didn't know that you had anyone over."

He sighed and his shoulders sagged at first, but then he finally sat up straight on the couch and turned toward me. "It's okay. I know it wasn't your fault. I probably wouldn't have asked her to come over if I'd known you were going out as Sarah."

"Still, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything." The smile on my face was inquisitive, and he laughed at my implied question. "Who was she?"

"Just a girl I know from school," he replied. I was hoping for more, but he didn't seem to be forthcoming.

"And..." I prompted. The smile that broke out on his face was enough to confirm the suspicions I'd had about his true motives. He DID like her!

"Okay, okay," he said while turning really, really red. "I like her. I invited her over to listen to some music. I didn't know that she was such a big Sarah Carerra fan, though. She was truly impressed when I showed her the room."

My mouth hung open at his words. "You showed her my room!" I yelled!

Immediately the dreamy look dropped from his face. "No," he responded quickly. It was an obvious lie though. "I'm sorry, Megan, but she had just met you. What was I supposed to do?"

I grimaced. I knew that if our situations had been reversed, I might have done the same thing. If I'd had a boy over and his idol had a room at our house, I would have shown it to him to impress him. I couldn't blame Austin for doing the same. But..."She didn't take anything, did she?"

"No!" he responded immediately, mollifying me slightly. "I wouldn't even let her touch anything!"

"When do you see her again?" I asked slyly. I was going to milk his embarrassment for all it was worth.

"We were supposed to go to a movie on Wednesday, but Dad won't let me now because I had her over with no parents home. I don't know when I'll get to see her again."

"Wednesday, huh?" I pondered the day over my head. Then an idea formed. "We're supposed to be shooting a music video on Wednesday; do you want me to talk to Dad about allowing you to bring her to that?"

I saw him break into one of the largest smiles that I had ever seen. I knew that he hadn't liked it when I took her attention from him, but he wasn't beneath using Sarah to get closer to Susan. Bringing her to the filming of Sarah's music video would definitely get him points in her book.

Austin nodded vigorously, and I smiled back at him. I still couldn't believe that my brother had a girlfriend.

Now, if only I could figure out what was going on in my own love life.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.16 - Unexpected Visitor

Even though I owned my own car, Dad once again seemed to think that as long as he was going to be accompanying me anywhere, it would be in his car. I watched in frustration as the garage door closed, hiding my new baby inside as we pulled out of our driveway Monday morning. But today wasn’t the day to complain to him.

I was going to be in the studio for two days straight before we started shooting the music video. It was going to be a long week, and I hoped that I had the energy to get through it. But once the week was over, we would be heading up to Malibu for a few days. Well, we'd be up there during the day at least. Grandaddy’s and Gran's place was about 30 minutes up the Pacific Coast Highway. He'd been in real estate his whole life, and had amassed a lot of money before retiring a number of years ago. They had an amazing house right on the beach. We were going to have a beach party on Saturday and then we'd be up there again for a barbecue on Sunday before the fireworks later that evening. Malibu didn't set off any fireworks, but apparently there would be two private barges full of fireworks on either side of Grandaddy's house that two of his neighbors had paid for. It would be quite a show!

It had been just over one month since Aunt Judy's party, where most of Mom's family had met Megan for the first time. Most of the family had been accepting of me. I figured that the rest of them where going to be a little less judgmental when they saw me in a bikini.

That's what I needed! I needed a new bathing suit if I was going there! The black one Mom had purchased for me just wouldn't do for showing off to my cousins. I smiled when I realized that I could really blow them away. I needed to talk to Julia. She'd be able to get me something spectacular, even if it wasn't for Sarah. I almost pulled out my phone to give her a call when I thought of something else that was much more urgent.

I turned toward my father. "Dad?" I asked sweetly. A frown appeared on his face almost instantly at my tone, and I almost laughed. But that would ruin the ‘puppy dog look’ I was going for.

"Yes, Princess?" he glanced over at me briefly, but when he saw my wide eyes he immediately diverted his eyes back to the road. I knew that he thought he would be able to turn me down if he couldn't see me, but I'd been getting pretty good at wrapping him around my finger.

"Can we use 'You Can't Hurt Me' for the second single instead of 'Ever After'"? I turned on the puppy dog look full blast, but he never looked over.

Instead, he started laughing. That was definitely not the reaction I had been expecting! I knew that I lost the puppy dog look to the confusion that had washed over my face. It took me a few moments, but I finally realized that he was laughing in relief. I had no idea what he thought I was going to ask that worried him so much, but this didn't seem to be a bad idea in his mind.

Eventually, he turned and smiled at me before looking back at the road. "Yes, Princess, we can. I had a feeling that you were going to ask that question sooner or later. I already have the creative director working on ideas for the video. He was really excited about changing songs when I played a replay of Friday’s performance at ‘Wake Up’ for him - more excited than he had been about 'Ever After'."

I sat there, stunned! I hadn't expected it to be that easy to convince him we should change songs! I was truly amazed that my dad seemed to know me that well, especially since I had apparently changed so much this summer. But a smile quickly formed on my face, and Dad knew just how happy his agreement had made me. "How did you know I was going to ask?"

"I didn't," he replied. "But that song is amazing, Megan. I still can't believe how well you could turn what happened to you into such a positive song. If you didn't say anything, I was going to suggest it. We can delay all of the 'Ever After' stuff for single number three. Jonothon, he’s the creative director and producer we hired, was already spouting ideas five minutes after he had heard your song. It's an excellent decision."

I continued to smile as I sat back in my seat. That was easier than I thought it would be!

*  *  *

Another day in the studio. The band and I had four songs that we needed to record in two days. That usually meant long days to get everything done, but it had become apparent by lunchtime that we had an advantage this time. Working together to put the finishing touches on the songs I had written had already put us most of the way toward having them recorded. We started with 'You Can't Hurt Me', and by the time we broke for lunch we had already finished it and were most of the way through 'Friends Forever'. It would probably take us only another hour or two before Scott was happy with our work for the day. That would give me enough time to recuperate before we did it all again tomorrow.

It was just after we had sung 'Friends Forever' for the first time after lunch that my day turned into a nightmare.

I had stepped over to the small table in the studio that held my water bottle and wet my throat. Then I turned toward the control booth to hear what Scott had to say about our latest attempt. But instead of Scott, my eyes connected to similar, emerald-green eyes on the boy who had just stepped inside from the hallway.

Johnny. Johnny Crawford.

What was he doing here? He obviously wasn't here to see me, because the shock on his face as our eyes connected confirmed it. He seemed to be frozen in place as he looked at me. But why else would he be here if he wasn't looking for me? I knew that he had a huge crush on me; that had been apparent the night I'd had dinner over at his house as Sarah. Scott had been pretty adamant that he should stay away from me that night.

Of course! Scott! He was looking for his father! Out of the corner of my eye I saw Scott look up at me. I also saw the fear cross his face when he saw my expression, and he immediately turned to see what had spooked me. I could even see his own fear when he recognized his son standing in the doorway.

"Johnny!" Scott exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Johnny didn't say anything for another moment or two as he was unable to remove his eyes from me. I'd barely escaped our last encounter, and I had hoped to never see him as Sarah again. In fact, I had hoped to never see him as Megan again too, since I had made him my enemy when I had refused to help him get Sarah's phone number. That had led to an embarrassing confrontation for him in the school cafeteria when he tried to out me as a girl before I was living full time as Megan. When I didn't refute being a girl, he had gotten really mad at me.

"Hi, Dad," he said softly. He still looked shocked when he glanced away from me and to his father, but he quickly seemed to be regaining his composure. I could faintly hear him through the door between the studio and the control room. The door was slightly ajar as we gave the song one first warm-up attempt after lunch. "I was looking for you; the receptionist said you were in here."

Scott stood up from the soundboard and tried to step into the line of sight between Johnny and me. It didn't fully work. I saw Johnny give me another glance around his father.

"Come on, let's go to my office," Scott said, stepping closer to Johnny and motioning for the door. I knew he was trying to separate us again. I silently thanked him for that. However, I doubted it was going to work.

To my surprise, Johnny nodded. His dad stepped past him as he walked out of the studio, but Johnny gave me a horrible leer before he followed behind him.

He'd be back. There was no way that he was going to walk away from me like he did if he wasn't. I sighed.

"Who was that?" Sophie asked from behind me.

"Scott's son," I replied, turning to find concern on her face. "We haven't had the best relationship since we met."

"Oh," she replied. "So you broke up with him?"

"No!" I exclaimed loudly. "I've never gone out with him! But he has a crush on Sarah. He tried to get me, I mean Megan, to give him Sarah's number. I refused. He wasn't very happy with me. I think he’s awful!"

"Sounds rough," Holly joined in the conversation.

"Yeah," I said. "I really hope I never have to see him again."

They smiled at me, but we all knew that was unlikely to be a possibility.

Dad had gone to his office to get some work done while we continued working, so to pass the time while we waited for Scott to return, hopefully sans Johnny, I decided to call Julia.

"Hi, Julia," I said when she answered.

"Sarah! It's so good to hear from you!" she replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I need a new bikini," I said before I chickened out. I hadn't worn a bathing suit since my surgery, and I was hesitant to show off just how changed I was. But I knew that I didn't have a choice. I wanted to go to the beach party on Saturday, and that meant that I would need a bathing suit. "For Megan," I added as an afterthought. If I hadn't, I'd expect that I'd find myself in something glittery that would be too glamorous for a family gathering.

"Oh, okay," she said sweetly. "Did you want to go shopping or do you want me to pick something out for you?"

"Either way works for me," I told her. "It's for a family beach party on Saturday, and I wanted to show them that I'm no longer the tomboy I used to be." Wasn't that the truth?

"I'll see what I can do," Julia said. "Is it okay if I bring a few things over tomorrow?"

"Sure!" I replied excitedly. "I'll be in the studio most of the day if it's easier for you."

"Okay, I'll be by sometime after lunch then."

"I'll see you then," I told her. "Thanks, Julia."

"It's my pleasure, Sarah," she replied. "Have a good day and don't worry about the bikini. I'll find you something spectacular."

"Alright," I replied. I could even hear the humor in my voice. "Bye."

"Bye," she said before I heard the click indicating she had hung up. I grinned. It was going to be a good weekend.

Unfortunately, it was at that time that Scott came back into the studio, followed by his son. My smile immediately turned to a frown, and Scott gave me an apologetic look. I gave him a reassuring smile before preparing to confront Johnny.

I had sat down on the couch in the control room to call Julia, but I stood up to greet the two Crawford men.

Scott spoke first, but I could still see Johnny checking me out over his shoulder. What did he expect from me if he couldn't do anything but leer? I definitely had no desire to spend any more time with him than I had to.

"Sarah, you remember my son Johnny?" Scott asked. I nodded and took the hand that Johnny was stretching out to me.

"It's nice to see you again," I said coolly. It was a lie.

"The pleasure is mine," Johnny spoke his first words to me since school had been let out. They were not nice words. In fact, they made my stomach turn. "I really like your music."

Those words were better, but nowhere near enough to overcome the queasiness that had built up in my stomach. The fact that I didn't believe him also made his words hard to stomach. I was nearly certain that Johnny didn't normally listen to my music.

"Sarah," Scott interrupted us. I was thankful that he did. I had no idea what Johnny wanted, but I did know that I didn't want to talk to him any longer. "We're wasting precious studio time. Everyone, let's get back to work."

I grinned briefly at Johnny, even though I didn't feel he deserved it, and stepped back into the studio. As we worked to try and finish 'Friends Forever' I watched as Johnny stayed close to his dad in the studio. I could also tell that his dad was getting frustrated that he was there too. I knew that my vocals weren't up to what they should be with him there. Johnny seemed to be spreading an aura that muted the sound of every member of the band.

Finally, after an hour of struggling through this, Scott ordered his son to leave. I watched as he angrily stepped out of the control room. I knew that he wasn't happy about it. But I was happy. I was happy that I didn't have to deal with him anymore. The only thing that I was worried about was the thought that he might come back or that he was waiting for me outside.

The result was immediate, and it only took us another half an hour to finish the song. Dad had returned from his office by the time we were done, and I was happy to have him escort me out on our way home. But first I told Scott that I would never record in the studio again if Johnny was there in the future. I had HAD it with him.

*  *  *

The next day consisted of much of the same activities. We started with 'Love?' and continued on to finish 'My Life'. Both songs sounded great after the help I had received from the band, and it took us even less time to record both of them.

"Good work, you guys!" I told them all. I even surprised myself by giving every one of the band members, and the girls, a hug to express my appreciation. "This is going to be one heck of an album."

"We couldn't have done it without you," Jason said while he dismantled his equipment. I wanted to do something to celebrate finishing the album, but too many of the band members already had plans for tonight.

"And I couldn't have done it without you, either," I replied with a happy grin on my face. I couldn't believe how blessed I was to have such good friends to work with. I couldn't ask for a better band to have on stage with me.

As the band started to filter out, I was happy to see Julia standing in the control room. A smile lit upon my face at the thought of what she'd have with her. I smiled and waved to her before heading to the control room.

"Hi, Julia!" I greeted her, wrapping her in a friendly hug.

"Hi, Sarah," she replied. "Are you ready to see what I got you?"

"Yes!" I said excitedly. I knew that whatever she had gotten for me would be worthwhile.

"Come on," was her response. I smiled broadly as I followed her out the door.

*  *  *

"Definitely this one," I told Julia, staring at myself in the mirror again. I'd spent half an hour trying on different bikinis in a private dressing room that Scott had let us use.

Julia had come through with her skills once again. She had six bikinis that she wanted me to look at. I already knew that I was going to purchase two of them from her. But it was as she pulled the last one from her bag that I knew she had been humoring me. She had been purchasing bikinis for Sarah Carerra instead of Megan Campbell.

But the last one, that one was for me. For Megan. From the halter top to the bikini bottoms, I couldn't stop staring at myself in the mirror after I had put it on. It wasn't skimpy; Julia had more class than that. But it did leave an aura of allure that I had never experienced as Megan. I'd seen it a lot in Sarah, and I knew that this swimsuit would look amazing on her. But we had taken off the wig for this one. Julia didn't want me to see it with the blonde wig on.

One of my favorite colors was yellow. It ranked right up there with pink and certain shades of blue. The color looked amazing on Sarah. And this one looked amazing on me. Just like the yellow dress I had worn the first day that I had gone to church as Megan, the swimsuit was a canary yellow. Not too bright, not too soft. Just perfect.

The suit itself was tied on me at both sides of my hips, on my back, and around my neck. No clasps, no hooks, just old fashioned shoelace bows kept the suit covering the parts I didn't want anyone to see. It managed to cover me in every way that a swimsuit should, but I knew my mom would probably not approve of it. That just made it all the better.

Plus, it was from Bloomingdale's! That was sure to get my cousins talking! Julia had told me that this suit was going to cost me about $120, but it was totally worth it. I still had a cap imposed on my trust account. I could only spend $500 a month from the account that held the earnings and assets of Sarah Carerra. But I had learned quickly how to overcome that limitation. Anything I purchased from Julia was billed through my dad's company to the account. I could spend all I wanted with her without affecting that $500 limit.

I rarely used this loophole though. It was hard work to make that money. I didn't want to waste it on frivolous things. But today...today was one of those days.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt sexy as Megan for the first time in my life. I'd had this feeling before when looking at Sarah in the mirror. I'd thought that I looked pretty as Megan many times. But I had never looked sexy.

"You aren't leaving this party without a boyfriend," Julia told me as she stepped behind me so I could see her in the mirror.

I laughed immediately at her statement. "It's a family party!" I exclaimed. "I certainly hope I leave without a boyfriend!"

That got her laughing too. But her sentiment was appreciated.

What would Johnny think if he saw me now?

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.17 - Stairway to Stardom

"Morning, Austin," I said when I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast the next morning. It was earlier than I would have expected him to be up. "Are you coming to the video shoot?"

"Morning," he replied. Then he answered my question in a downcast tone. "No, I'm not coming."

"Why?" I asked. "I thought you were going to bring Susan."

"Dad won't let me," he grumbled. "He didn't think that we would enjoy watching you shoot the video. But he said I could bring her to the mall next week."

"Oh, okay," I said. "I know Emily and Ethan got bored when we were recording songs in the studio, so I can see how the music video could be just as bad. She'll enjoy the concert better, anyway."

"Yeah," he agreed, but it was obvious that he still wished he could bring her today.

"Why are you up so early then?" I asked while pulling out a bowl and some cereal for myself. There would likely be muffins and other things at the shoot, but I still wanted to eat something good before we left the house.

"Aaron and I are taking surfing lessons," he told me. "They start this morning. His mom is going to take us down to the beach."

"That sounds cool," I said. I'd never surfed before, but it would be fun to learn. "Maybe you can teach me afterward."

He smiled at the thought, and I smiled back before taking a bite of my cereal.

*  *  *

Once again I had failed to convince Dad to let me drive. Why did we even allow Sarah to buy a car if she wasn't going to get a chance to use it?

With Emily at work and Ethan not answering his phone, only Dad and I were in the car. I was excited to see what kind of ideas that the creative director had come up with. Normally, I would know before we went to shoot the video, but I didn’t have any details because we had changed the song at the last minute.

It took us about 45 minutes to reach the location of the shoot. As we pulled up to the building, I became even more curious as to what the director had in mind. I didn't know what I was expecting, but the short, red brick building was not it.

I stepped out of the car, noticing that the area had been cordoned off and that there was a police car nearby to keep people from coming inside the filming area. I hoped that there wouldn't be a big crowd like there had been at the beach, but I wasn't holding my breath.

"Over here, Sarah," Dad interrupted my thoughts, motioning to an area in front of a gray building next to where we had parked that was covered in a canopy to keep it shaded. I noticed two people sitting there waiting for us. As we approached they stood up and smiled.

"Ms. Carerra, it is an honor to meet you," one of them said, extending his hand. I took his hand, giving it a slight shake before smiling back at him. He was taller than my dad. He looked pretty fit, if not muscular, and had a full head of white hair. He didn't look old though, so I guessed it was probably dyed.

"Sarah, this is your producer and director this morning, Jonothon Smith," Dad introduced us.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied.

Jonothon then turned toward the woman at his side. She looked like she was in her early twenties, probably still a college student. "This is my assistant Katrina."

I nodded to her with a smile. "It's also nice to meet you."

She looked excited to meet me too, but I think her professionalism overcame her excitement because the only thing she did was nod back.

"To start, I thought we'd go over the idea for the video," Jonothon said. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," I replied, and I knew that I had a large grin on my face. "I'm really interested to see what you came up with."

"Follow me," he said and then motioned down the street. We walked in the direction he had indicated until we reached a small alleyway between the drab, gray building we had been standing in front of and the short, red brick building I had seen earlier. Then he pointed to a sign that looked slightly out of place along the road. Printed on the sign were the words 'Stairway to Stardom'.

"The video will start with you walking toward this sign," Jonothon told me. "Then, you'll turn and walk this way when the music starts." Jonothon then started walking down the short alleyway.

After about 10 feet, the alley opened up into a much larger area. It looked like a small parking lot hidden behind the gray building. There was a bunch of camera equipment there pointing toward an iron wrought staircase that was attached to the side of the red brick building. A sign at the beginning of the stairs clearly marked it as the 'Stairway to Stardom' and had an arrow pointing at an angle up the stairs.

"Here, you'll touch the sign almost reverently," Jonothon continued to explain and touched the sign in a motion I was sure I'd be repeating later. "The second part of the opening will start, and then you will head for the stairs. Once you take the first step onto the stairs, the words will start."

He took two steps up the stairs before stopping again. "Here is where you will get hit by the first tomato."

I stared at him blankly for a moment before I could find the words running around in my head. "What?" I exclaimed incredulously!

I didn't like the toothy smile he was giving me. It was like there was some big cosmic joke that I wasn't in on. "This is where you will get hit by the first tomato," he repeated. I must have scowled, because he started laughing. I HAD heard him correctly the first time, but I just didn't understand him. I turned to Dad, but he was laughing too. Either he had been told about the video beforehand and hadn't informed me, or he had already figured out whatever insane idea the director had for the video.

Dad wasn't helping, so I turned back to Jonothon. "Why?" I asked instead. I was not happy!

"Look, Sarah," he said with much more compassion and sincerity than had come with his tomato revelation. "You've been through a lot of adversity the last couple of weeks. I admire and respect how well you have overcome it. Your song talks about that journey and this music video will only reinforce that thought."

"Okay, but I still don't understand what that has to do with tomatoes," I told him. He chuckled again.

"The tomatoes are going to represent adversity," he replied. "The majority of the video will be shots of you climbing these stairs. The struggle and emotion will be evident on your beautiful face. Mixed throughout we will have shots of you and the band performing on the roof. But during the stair scenes, there will be a group of people throwing tomatoes at you. A few reporters, and a few fans - we'll have a couple of people who would try to bring you down and crush your dreams by throwing tomatoes at you."

I sighed. The LAST thing I wanted to do today was to get hit by tomatoes!

“People know what it means to be ‘hit by a tomato’,” Jonothon continued. “Also, there’s a famous expression: ‘If you want to rise above the crowd, expect to be hit by a few rotten tomatoes.’ You have certainly risen above this adversity.”

Then he held up what appeared to be a tomato. "The tomatoes themselves are actually tomato-shaped water balloons filled with colored water. They are designed to burst easily and won't cause any harm to you. They will not be throwing at your face. They will be hitting you below your shoulders, and they will be hitting the railing and the side of the building. The people throwing them are trained professionals, and every precaution for your safety is being taken. Okay?" I still didn't like the thought of going through this, but it was a good idea for the video. Without expression, I nodded to him.

He smiled and then we began to climb the stairs. "While you climb up, we are looking for the same types of emotions that you convey in the song: anger, disappointment, determination and then eventually satisfaction when you realize that you can and will overcome the adversity." He stopped again near the top. "Once you reach this point, the tomatoes will no longer hit you. Instead, they will fall short and hit the wall and the stairs below you. You'll start to look happy and satisfied that you can overcome what is being thrown at you. You'll stand a little taller, and you'll reach the top just as the second chorus starts."

We then walked the rest of the way up to the top of the stairs. I finally understood what Jonothon was trying to accomplish, and I really liked the idea for this video! This definitely had a bigger message than 'Ever After' would have been able to give! It was a statement, just like the song itself.

When we reached the top, I saw that I would be facing the small stage that had been built on the roof. The roof itself wasn't very big, and it would only take me five or so steps to reach the area that my microphone would likely be set up. For now, the roof was empty.

"At the end of the second verse, when the song slows to repeat your realization, you'll quickly take off the outer layer of your clothes to reveal an outfit that is more fitting for 'Sarah Carerra'." Jonothon continued his explanation of what he wanted. "Then you will step onto the stage, where your band will already be playing. When the chorus starts up again, you will sing the rest of the song with them and we'll finish up the video."

Jonothon had a huge smile on his face as he finished his description. It took me a couple of seconds for me to realize that I had the same smile on my own face. This was going to be brilliant!

"I love it!" I told him! I didn't think that his smile could become any wider, but it did at my words.

He nodded in reply, before motioning to the empty roof. "We'll be shooting the roof scenes tomorrow. Today we'll be on the stairs with the tomatoes. If you're ready, let's get you to hair and makeup."

I nodded to him, and we started back down the stairs. The thought of being hit by the tomatoes didn't sound like fun, but I wanted to make this video.

*  *  *

An hour and a half later I was standing on the street at the spot that the director wanted to start the video from. I was wearing a tan khaki skirt, a short-sleeved white button-up blouse, and a pair of sensible flats adorned my feet and covered the bottom of the white, knee-length stockings. A silver chain wrapped around my neck, a matching bracelet rested on my right wrist, and a pair of small silver hoops hung from my ears.

In short, I looked like a school girl. Jonothon wanted me to appear young and innocent before I stepped onto the stairs, and Julia had done a masterful job to comply. The only thing that made me stand out from something that I might wear to school was the makeup that Stephanie had applied. My signature dark eyes and pink lips still adorned my face when I had stepped out of the tent to begin shooting.

"Action!" Jonothon yelled, and I took a step forward. I took a total of five steps before I reached the sign pointing down the alley. I could hear the cameras behind me as I ran my fingers over the top of the sign while turning to walk down the alley. When I was two steps into the alley, Jonothon yelled, "Cut!"

It was the fourth time we had filmed the short scene.

When I arrived at the set this morning, I never expected that it would be so exact. Unlike the photo shoots I had been on, everything had to be perfect or Jonothon wanted us to do it over. Luckily, this time he was happy and we moved on to the next scene.

"Action!" I heard again after Jonothon had given me some instructions. I stepped forward again, into view of where the cameras would be filming most of the video from the parking lot behind the gray building. Once I reached the sign pointing up the stairs, my hand caressed it.

'You Can't Hurt Me' was playing in the small ear piece that had been placed in my right ear. Since the cameras were to my left, and my hair did a good job of covering it anyway, it wouldn't be seen. I followed Jonothon's instructions and walked at what I hoped was the right pace over to the stairs.

I placed my foot on the first step. Then the second step. I knew that I had blown the take when I cringed before the first tomato hit me. When it finally came, I was surprised at how little I could feel it. I felt the cold water more than I felt the impact of the balloon.

"Cut!" Jonothon called. I grimaced immediately. The scene was supposed to continue in one take from the bottom of the steps all the way to the small landing in the middle of the stairs.

"I'm sorry," I yelled immediately in Jonothon's direction. He didn’t become mad when we had to reshoot a scene, but that didn't make me feel any better when I made a mistake.

He was chuckling as he approached me, though. That was enough to raise my own spirits. "It’s okay, Sarah," he said. "I didn't expect you to get it on the first try. Besides, I knew that you would cringe until you felt the first hit. Now you know what it's like."

"But what about..." I was worried about having red all over me for subsequent takes, but when I looked down, all I saw was a wet spot where the balloon had hit.

Jonothon chuckled again. "We will practice with these clear water balloons until you know what we want. Then we'll have you change and shoot it for real, okay?"

I nodded. It seemed like a good way to handle shooting something that would add color to my clothing. It certainly beat trying to clean the clothes or change after every take.

It took us 10 tries before Jonothon was happy with what I was giving him. I was soaked by then, but a quick sojourn back to the dressing tent had me in a clean, dry, identical outfit.

"Action!" Jonothon yelled once again, and I stepped forward one last time. I had followed his instructions enough times by that point that I was able to move up the stairs, giving both him and the cameras the emotional looks that he wanted. By the time I collapsed to my knees on the small landing, I knew that it had been a good performance.

"Cut!" he yelled. "Sarah! That was perfect!"

I was smiling widely as I stood back up and walked back down the stairs. Several people gave me high fives as I walked back to the dressing tent to take off the outfit now stained in red. They would want to use it for the second half of the stairs, so I wouldn't be wearing it while being hit by practice balloons.

We repeated the same steps on the upper half of the stairs, which ended with me taking the step onto the top stair. There would be a shot tomorrow that would pan from me facing the camera at the top of the stairs to include the stage and the band in front of me as I turned toward them. But without the band, we couldn't do that part.

Instead, I climbed back down the stairs and headed for the dressing tent again. The outfit I was wearing was a prized commodity until we finished shooting. We didn't want the stains changing between cuts, and it would be stored safely away for the final scenes that we would be filming in the morning.

When I stepped out of the alleyway, I was surprised to hear people start clapping! I looked over at the noise and noticed that there was a decent crowd gathered to see what was going on. Few, if any, of them would have been able to see down the alleyway, but I knew they would have been able to hear Jonothon’s loud praises.

I gave the crowd a wave and then ducked into the tent. I would have to make an appearance and sign some autographs for them, but I needed to get out of my clothes first.

"Who would have thought such drab clothes would be so important," Julia said once I was inside and out of sight of the crowd. I laughed at her words. The outfit was sort of dull. Only her small embellishments made it worth wearing in the video.

"What will I be wearing tomorrow?" I asked. She hadn't been too forthcoming with that knowledge yet.

"Can't tell you," she grinned wickedly. "It's a secret."

I laughed again and shook my head. Whatever she had planned, it was going to be great. I quickly undressed and handed the outfit to Julia for safekeeping. Once I was redressed in my own clothes, I stepped back outside to face the fans.

We were filming in a business district that catered to offices rather than to stores. As a result, the crowd was mostly comprised of adults dressed in business suits or slacks and polo shirts. I didn't see a single kid in sight as I signed some of the papers that they placed in front of me.

Fifteen minutes later, the crowd had dispersed and I climbed into Dad's car. Running up and down those stairs all day had exhausted me, and I found my eyes drifting closed once again as my dad merged onto the freeway.

*  *  *

I awoke in my bed back at home. I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but it had been long enough for somebody to remove my wig and put me in some pajamas. The sun was still shining outside, though.

A quick glance at my alarm clock told me that it was 7:30. We had finished shooting around 4:00 in the afternoon, so I had slept for nearly three hours.

I climbed out of bed. I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, that was for sure. I was also pretty stiff. The exhaustion I had felt didn't seem like the same thing I had been struggling with since my operation. It was more like what I'd used to feel after a good workout. That gave me hope that I had most of my energy back.

I slightly hobbled down the hall to where I could hear voices in the kitchen. With each step the pain lessened a bit, but I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow. I found my parents eating dinner in the dining room. They looked up when they saw me come in and both of them smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Mom asked me. I was certain she was the one who had dressed me in my pajamas after Dad had carried me in from the car. I felt embarrassed at that thought. I was sixteen, but that sounded more like something that my parents would do for a little child.

"I'm sore," I replied truthfully while grabbing a plate and loading it with the pasta that they were already eating. They didn't say anything else until I had filled my plate, grabbed a drink, and sat down next to them.

"Are we pushing you too hard?" Dad asked before I could take a bite. I could hear the concern in his voice. The look on my mom's face told me that she was just as worried.

"No," I replied. "I was exhausted, but it was because of all the exercise I got going up and down those stairs, not because of the operation."

I took a bite.

"Are you sure?" Mom prompted. I nodded while I chewed. I knew they were worried about me, but I also knew that I was okay. Today had been a lot of exercise, but I didn't feel like I had overstretched myself. I just felt like I'd spent the whole day at the gym.

"Well, if you're sure…," Dad said. I had to nod again. If I had to reassure them one more time... "I do have some exciting information for you then," he continued.

I perked up at that. "What?" I asked.

"We finalized your concert schedule," he replied. The smile that spread across his face prompted one of my own. "Tickets go on sale Friday."

"Really?" I asked excitedly! I knew they were working on it, but I hadn't heard anything about where they wanted me to go other than here in LA and one in New York.

"Yes," he replied and stood up. "Let me get a copy for you."

I tried to take another bite while I watched him walk out of the room toward his office, but it was hard to do. When he came back, I quickly snatched the paper he was holding out to me and started to scan the words.

California, Indiana, New York - I was going on a cross-country trip! Then I noticed something else.

"Some of these are after school starts," I said. It was a half-question, half-statement, but Dad just smiled as I continued to read through the list.

"You'll start with three concerts here in California," Dad explained, looking at a sheet of his own. "Then we'll be on the road for two weeks, stopping in Indiana and Ohio before spending about a week in New York City."

That alone was enough to get me excited! I'd always wanted to see New York, and now I was going to get the chance!

"Assuming that we take the Jive endorsement, you'll also have an appearance at its unveiling that week," Dad continued. "After school starts, we'll be doing weekend trips. Each concert will be on a Saturday and we'll fly out Friday night or Saturday morning. The Utah State Fair is the only exception, and that's because they actually called us instead of the other way around. After your concert in Salt Lake City, you became a big hit there."

I scanned the list of dates again. "Is the Montana concert just so you can see your brother again?"

Dad smirked, and I knew that I had hit on the truth. But it would be nice to have Madison at a concert.

Six of the thirteen concerts were at fairs, one was for a TV show, and six were in some sort of music hall, amphitheatre, or arena. In all, it looked like a very intense schedule, with the first seven concerts happening within a three-week timeframe. It looked like there would be time between each to recover, but that was still a lot of singing leading up to the start of school.

I had not realized that becoming a successful singer would take so much of my time, but it was very clear now that at least the last month of my summer vacation would be dedicated to the concert tour.

Thankfully, I found myself happy with that thought. The last month of my summer vacation would be doing what I loved best: singing on stage. I hoped that I wasn't going to overdose on the rush.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.18 - Fly Like an Angel

I woke up in pain on Thursday. The only thing that kept me from trying to cancel the rest of the video shoot was the long, relaxing shower that I took. By the time I was dressed and ready to go, the hot water had relaxed me enough that the pain was bearable.

Then I somehow, even though I didn’t know how I did it, managed to convince Dad to let me drive. But as I pulled out of the driveway, I once again wished that I had somebody other than my dad going with me this morning.

I was happy that Emily had a summer job. It would really help her later in life. But it sucked not to have a friend to go with me to Sarah's commitments. Ethan could have come, but despite the fact that we were 'just friends' for now, our relationship was still strained. He still avoided me when Emily wasn't around. I hoped that we would overcome some of the awkwardness I had created, but it didn't seem to be abating yet.

The drive to the shoot was uneventful. I managed to keep Dad from yelling at me, but I think he was still nervous as we drove. He didn't say anything about my driving, though. If I did something he didn't like, I was pretty sure he would have told me about it.

As I pulled into the parking spot that they had reserved for me at the shoot, I noticed that there was already a small crowd formed around the cordoned off area where the trailers and tents used for the production were set up. Yesterday, I hadn't seen anyone other than adults hanging around, but it was apparent that word had spread. I could see a number of kids looking at my car excitedly as I opened the door and stepped out.

The small crowd started cheering when they saw me, and after locking my car I smiled and walked to where they were standing. It took me at least 15 minutes to sign autographs, take pictures, and greet the crowd before they were satisfied so that I could get to work for the day.

When Dad and I approached the area where Jonothon and his assistant Katrina were waiting for me, they smiled and stood up.

"Good morning, Sarah," Jonothon greeted me. "Are you ready to get to work?"

"Yes," I replied. I was worried that he might be mad at me for taking the time to greet the crowd, but his smile and calm demeanor told me that he was okay with it. He even had a sparkle in his eye that made me think he was happy that I had done it.

"Good," he broke the smile. "First, we'd like to perform a small sound check on the roof. It's highly unlikely that we will be using any audio from your performances today, but we'd still like to capture it anyway. There may be some things that will be useful."

"Okay," I replied. "Do you want me to change first?"

"No, Katrina will lead you up to the roof," Jonothon explained. "We'll let you and the band warm up, and then we'll let you change and start the shooting. Katrina?"

I turned my attention to his assistant, who smiled at me and then turned to walk toward the alley. I quickly caught up to her.

"It's an honor to be working with you," she said once we were no longer on the street. "I'm finishing my degree next semester, and I was lucky enough to get this internship with Jonothon."

"The pleasure is mine," I replied, even though I hadn't had very much contact with her during the filming to base that opinion on. The smile that broadened across her face told me that those were the right words, though.

"I'm a big fan, too," she continued after we had started up the steps. "I can't wait to see you in concert. I'll be down at the fairgrounds tomorrow morning to buy tickets."

I immediately began to laugh. Then I turned toward her. "Talk to my manager; I'm sure he'd be able to get you some tickets without having you wait in line."

"I don't know," she looked really eager for the opportunity, but she was reluctant to accept them for some reason. "I shouldn't."

"Why not?" I asked her, hiding the surprise that I had felt that she wouldn't want the tickets.

"I don't know how well Jonothon would take it if I accepted a gift from you," she said. She then frowned, and I knew she wanted the tickets. I decided that I would talk to Dad, so that he would give tickets to Katrina.

When we reached the top of the stairs, I found the band putting the finishing touches on their equipment while Sophie and Holly were sitting on the edge of the small stage, waiting for something to do.

"Hi, guys," I said as I approached. The girls looked relieved to see me, and I got a quick smile and "hello" from the guys before they went back to their equipment.

"I'm so glad you're here," Sophie said while standing up. "It's really hot and boring waiting for something to happen."

I laughed at her words. It was already shaping up to be a warm day. Yesterday’s temperature had been pleasant, but the temperature was forecast to be higher today. Hopefully we could get the shoot done quickly.

"Ready for a sound check?" Jason broke in before I could reply to her. I nodded, and we each took our places on the stage. I was happy to see that the microphone my dad had bought for me would be in the video. I grabbed the sleek, white handle and turned toward Jason.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

"As much as I'd like to play something else before we spend the rest of the day on one song, I think we should stick with 'You Can't Hurt Me'," he replied. I agreed and then closed my eyes, waiting for the song to start. While there wasn't an audience on the roof to watch us, I was confident the fans down below would be able to hear the song.

I sang through the song while the band played, giving those below the best performance that I could. They likely wouldn't stay for long once they realized they wouldn't be able to see anything we were doing, so I figured I'd give them a show and let them go on their way. Unfortunately, I found out about half way through the sound check that my assumption was wrong.

There were a few buildings around the one that we were performing on that were the same height or higher. It didn't take long for people to start to congregate on their own roofs, and I knew that we were going to be watched the entire day. Just as long as they stayed out of the way, I didn't have a problem with them watching.

Once the sound check was complete, Katrina walked me back down the stairs toward the dressing tent. There was another roar of approval when the crowd that was still gathered on the street saw me. I guessed they had liked the show. I quickly ducked into the tent after giving them a wave.

Julia was waiting for me again, and she had an excited smile across her face. "Good morning, Sarah," she greeted me.

"Good morning, Julia" I replied. Then I gasped at the dress that was hanging next to her. Her smile widened.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Most definitely!" was the only answer that I could give her. The dress was white, and appeared to be fitted through where my waist would be. The dress left most of my shoulders bare, with only a thin strip of the white satiny material holding it on over my shoulder. From the waist down, it had three layers of skirts that fell to about mid-thigh. But what really caught the eye, and I was certain Julia considered the "glam" was the thin feathery layer of fabric that sat on top of each skirt layer. I couldn't tell what it was made of, but it kept catching the light like a prism, causing the skirts to dance with a myriad of colors. It was like seeing a rainbow out of the corner of one’s eye. I knew I could see something, but if I looked at it carefully, all I might see was a silvery light overtop of the dress.

It was beautiful!

"Let me help you put it on," Julia broke into my thoughts. "It can be a little tricky."

I nodded, and started undressing. I was conscious of the fact that this was the first time that I had undressed in front of her since the first day she had come over to my house to teach me about "the rules" that dictated how I should dress as Sarah. But even more so now than at that time, I wasn't worried. I had nothing to hide from her. Even if she saw some of the bruising that was still healing between my legs, she knew that I'd had surgery. It was public knowledge now that I'd had a blockage during my period. She just didn't know the full extent.

If she did notice anything amiss, she didn't say anything about it. I did catch her glance down once I was down to my undies, but there wasn't anything to see. I was healing well, and the little discoloration that I still had was completely covered.

The dress felt as light as it looked when I slipped it on. It covered everything without being indecent, but it felt like I wasn't wearing anything at all. Julia finished the outfit by placing all of the accessories I had worn yesterday back into their proper positions on my body. They looked even better when complementing the dress. She finished the outfit off by slipping my feet into a pair of open toed pumps which left me hoping I'd make it up the stairs without breaking my neck.

Stephanie then got her hands on me. She was slightly peeved that Julia had thrust me into a white dress before I'd had my makeup done, but she covered me in a wrap that prevented any makeup from getting on the dress while she worked.

After they were done putting their finishing touches on me, I stepped in front of the mirror. I was immediately struck with the similarity between this outfit and the one that adorned my favorite poster of Sarah Carerra. The poster, which I had first seen in the mall that fateful day that Emily and Ethan had found out the truth about Sarah Carerra, had me in a white dress with a silver headband. The pose and the headband had combined to create an image that was almost angelic. This dress did nearly the same thing. I blew myself a kiss into the mirror before turning toward the exit of the tent.

Katrina had told me that we were first going to film the scenes of the band playing the song this morning, and then follow with the shots of me reaching the top of the stairs and joining the band. If all went according to plan, we would be done early today. If it didn't...well, we had tomorrow scheduled as an extra filming day. I knew that I was supposed to meet with 'The Jive' people sometime tomorrow, but that was likely flexible. I hoped we'd be done by the end of today.

When I stepped back out of the dressing tent, I was immediately reminded of the crowd that was watching from nearby. A few flashes caught my eye, and I could hear the clicks of more cameras as I smiled and gave them a pose before heading for the alley. Dad, Jonothon, and Katrina were all waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. I happily took my dad's outstretched arm and let him help me up the stairs. The stairs themselves had a small decorative design cut out of each step, and it took some fancy footwork to get me, and the thin heels, up to the top.

"Wow!" was the first word that came out of Sophie's mouth when she saw me. Unquestionably, this dress constituted one of the more elaborate outfits that Julia had gotten me into. If we weren't using the dress in a music video, it definitely would have worked up on stage.

Before anyone else could comment, Jonothon brought us together.

"Alright, everyone," he said. "Are you ready to get started?" After we all nodded our assent, he continued. "Each of you will have an earpiece that will be playing your recorded version of the song. We want to try to match that as exactly as possible to the video. Doing so will enable us to use the studio version."

That seemed to make sense. They'd want the video to sync with the music, but there was no way they'd want to use what they would record on the top of a roof for the video.

"Sarah, the girls and you don't have to lip-sync," he continued. "But please try to stick as closely as possible to what you were doing in the studio. You should be able to hear it in your ear pieces."

We all nodded. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Let's give it a go," Jonothon said. "We'll practice a few times. Once you guys have it down, we can start filming, okay?"

So that's what we did. It was awkward at first. I hadn't realized how much I relied on the feedback that came through the ear piece I wore during my performances. It was unnerving having a completely different sound coming through my ears. All of us had difficulty adjusting to it. It took us about 10 times before we were able to get through the entire song. Every one of us stopped outright at least once.

Eventually we started to get into a rhythm. It helped that it had only been three days since we had recorded the song in the studio, and soon Jonothon called for a stop.

"Good job, everyone," he told us. "If we can do another one like that, we'll have what we are looking for. Take five minutes while we get the cameras set up."

I sighed in relief and took a step off the stage. I was going to sit down, but Julia was there quickly to prevent me from sitting on the edge of the stage in such a pristine white dress. Fortunately, she had a blanket with her and after draping it across the stage, she allowed me to sit. Stephanie and a few other makeup people were there next to make sure that we were still looking good for the cameras.

In no time at all, and long before I was ready, Jonothon told us it was time to start again. I sighed, but stood back up and let Julia fiddle with the dress for a bit before stepping back in front of the microphone.

It took another two hours to satisfy Jonothon. From the word go we tried to give him a performance worthy of a music video, and I thought we sounded as close as we could to the recorded version of the song. But there was always something that Jonothon wanted us to work on. They'd film us doing one take, and then he'd have us adjust something and they'd film it all over again. By the time he was happy I thought for sure they would have had enough takes to piece together a perfect performance.

The day had started to become very warm, and I was very glad for the opportunity to duck into the shade that the dressing tent provided me. Julia was already waiting for me, and I noticed that yesterday’s outfit had been set out again.

The only thing left to film for the music video was the scene where I reached the top of the stairs and joined the band on stage. That scene included a change of outfit on screen. I was supposed to take off the school girl outfit to reveal the dress I was wearing. I think it was meant to signal the transformation between a beaten, scared normal girl and the confident young star that I had become.

I was not thrilled about donning another layer with the heat of the day. But I knew I didn't have another choice. Julia helped me get into the extra layer and showed me how to take it off quickly without damaging either outfit. Eventually, I had everything on, and I was ready to get back to work.

Going up the stairs the second time was much easier wearing the flats I had worn the day before. I was supposed to don the heels when I reached the stage, but until then, things would be easier.

Once I reached the roof, I noticed that everything had been cleared off. The only things left were the stage and the band’s equipment. The only people milling about were the band and Jonothon and Katrina. It looked like it was ready for filming.

"Okay, Sarah," Jonothon said to me. "I want you to start on the second to last step there, and then walk up to the top. A small camera will be waiting for you mounted to a small remote control helicopter that will be flying slightly above you. I want you to look straight at it, smile, and then turn toward the band, walk over to them, and then join them on stage to sing the end of the song, okay?"

"Okay," I replied.

"For this first attempt, don't worry about the clothes. Once we get the movements down we'll work on walking over while taking off the clothes, okay?"

I nodded again.

We tried that for another half hour, while he critiqued my movements until I was following the motions that he wanted me to follow. Then we turned to removing the clothes. They rolled out a couple of mats for the first few attempts, so that I wouldn't drop the clothes onto the dirt and grime of the roof.

Once I became proficient at removing the clothes while walking toward the band, we started filming. The band would start playing at about the end of the second verse, and I'd take the last step up the stairs, look at the camera with a victorious smile, and then turn to walk toward the band. The school clothes had been designed to be removed easily, and it didn't take much to get them off. I'd lose an article here and there and dump it on the ground as I walked toward the stage.

On the stage, right in front of my microphone, the silver pumps were waiting for me. I'd take the step up, stand in front of the microphone, kick the flats off both my feet and the stage at the same time, slip my feet into the pumps, grab the microphone, and start singing with the band.

I had less than 20 seconds to complete the whole trek from the stairs to when I was supposed to be singing. But even with the quick pace, Jonothon thought that it was going to look spectacular. I hoped he was right.

It took us about 10 takes before Jonothon was satisfied with what we had given him; it was much less than I thought we would need, but much more than I had hoped. Taking clothes off and putting them on again became tedious really fast. But I thought that the concept was really cool, and I couldn't wait to see how it would turn out on film.

"That's a wrap!" Jonothon finally called. I smiled. It had been a long, hot day, but I had no doubt that it was all worth it. This video was going to rock.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.19 - The Jive

The next morning, I found myself standing in Sarah's closet once again. I'd been spending so much time as Sarah lately, that I had almost forgotten what my own closet looked like. I knew that we were packing a lot of Sarah time into this summer to help promote my career, but there were times I wished I could take a break and just learn how to be myself. I've been doing the Sarah thing nearly as long as I've been doing the Megan thing. I really, really wanted some time to get to know myself without the need to worry about how to be Sarah too. I almost wished that school would start so that I'd have more Megan time.

I berated myself instantly. Nobody wanted school to start! This summer was going by fast enough without jinxing myself like that! Before I knew it, I'd be sitting at my desk in Mrs. Carson's class wishing that I was on stage.

At least I had the weekend to look forward to - two glorious days of nothing but Megan. Sure, I'd have to contend with Mom's family, but they had taken the news pretty well at Aunt Judy's party. And I had Tracy and Katy on my side. Everything would turn out all right and we'd have lots of fun. We always did when we got together with the rest of the family.

But I still had one more appointment I had to keep as Sarah before I could take off the wig and enjoy myself. The Jive marketing people were supposed to be giving me a demonstration at Dad's office just before lunch. I'd also be receiving my own Jive to use if we accepted the deal. Sarah Carerra wouldn't be using her iPod anymore if she was endorsing the Jive. The thought of using something other than my iPod was just plain weird. I'd had an iPod of some sort since I was 11.

I quickly chose an outfit and started getting ready for the day. Dad had already left for his office, where he would meet me later after I drove down. Dad's offices were near our beach instead of being located in downtown Los Angeles. Most of his clients lived in the area, and it made for a shorter commute if they ever had to go to his office. Perhaps that was why he felt okay about letting me drive myself, because it was close to home.

I decided that I wasn't going to go alone when I started putting on my makeup. I'd spent the whole week living Sarah's life alone when I had a perfectly good friend sitting at home bored out of his mind. Emily had to work, but I vowed that I was going to get Ethan off his parents' couch and into my car if it was the last thing I did. I missed him, and that ended today.

When I stepped out of Sarah's room, I knew exactly what I needed to do. Calling him wasn't going to get me anywhere; he probably wouldn't answer anyway. But he couldn’t really ignore it when a #1 recording artist was ringing his doorbell. I knew for a fact that his little sister and his mother were at swimming lessons and his dad would be at work, so there shouldn't be anybody else there. It was a good plan.

"Hi, Austin," I said when I reached the end of the hall.

He was watching TV in the front room and didn't even look up. All I got from him was an uninterested "morning."

"Want to go down to Dad's office with me?" I asked him. "We're going to look at the Jive."

"No," he said. He seemed content to sit there and rot his brain for a while longer.

"Where's Mom?" I asked when it became apparent that he had no desire to join me.

"Aunt Judy picked her up a while ago," he replied. "I think they were going shopping."

"Oh, okay," I said. That sounded like fun. I hadn't had a chance to do much shopping with Mom since the first time she had taken me to the mall the day I had made the decision to live my life as Megan. I would have loved to have the chance to shop with her. But that wasn't in the cards today. Perhaps I could convince Ethan to swing by the mall for a while. "I'll be back after lunch if you want to go down to the beach or something," I told him. All I got was a shrug in return.

I headed for the garage and soon I had pulled out and was on my way down to Ethan's house. I pulled into his driveway, and looked around to see if anyone was nearby. I didn't see anyone, so I quickly got out and headed for the door. I rang the doorbell and stepped back to wait, nervously looking around. Many of the people on the block had seen me dressed as Sarah as Dad and I had come and gone. It was common knowledge on the street that Sarah was often at our house. But that didn't mean that I wanted to increase the chances of one of my neighbors coming up to talk to me. They might start to get suspicious if we started a conversation.

Thankfully, the door swung open quickly. The look on Ethan's face had me laughing instantly. He looked about as surprised to see me as I had been when I had kissed him.

"Hi," I said, trying to break the ice. He just stood there for a moment before he pulled the door open and stepped aside to let me in.

"What are you doing here?" he finally asked. "My mom and Cary could be home any minute."

I chuckled. He seemed to be worried, but I knew we were safe. "You know as well as I do that they won't be home for another hour. By that time we'll be long gone."

"Gone where?" he asked. He seemed hesitant as he considered the possibility of entering Sarah's world again. But that wasn't an option today.

"I've got a demonstration of a new MP3 player down at my dad's office," I told him. "And you're coming with me."

"No, I don't think so," he said immediately. Little did he know that an answer like that wasn't going to sway my mind!

"Well, I do," I said firmly. "Look, I know I goofed up at the concert. But that doesn't mean you have to avoid me. I'm not going to start making out with you, Ethan. We're just friends, and that means that we can still do things together. I know you've been sitting here bored all week. Emily told me she was sick of getting text messages from you while she was working. You need to get out of the house. Now go and get ready. We have to be there in half an hour."

He hovered on his feet, still holding onto the door handle. He was probably holding it because he had hoped that I would be leaving soon. I emphasized my point by walking to the small couch that was near the door and took a seat. I wasn't leaving until he was walking out the door with me.

Finally, he sighed and started walking toward the hall that would lead to his room. He didn't say anything. I knew he wasn't exactly happy about what I was doing, but I knew that it was something that I needed to do if we were going to get our friendship back on track.

Eventually, Ethan reappeared, dressed as Xander. I smiled at him and I was happy to see him smile back. That was the first sign that my plan might be working. We didn't say anything to each other as I led him back out to my car. But I saw his smile widen when he realized he'd finally get to ride in my car. I was just happy that I had gotten him out of the house. Anything else was just a bonus.

*  *  *

I pulled into the parking lot of Dad's office about 15 minutes later. It wasn't a long drive, but it seemed longer with the silence that had enveloped the two of us. I tried to start up a couple of conversations while we drove, but all I could pull out of Ethan were one syllable answers. I had really messed up this friendship.

It was with a small measure of relief that I stopped the car in one of the four parking stalls that my dad's company had reserved out front for clients. It felt nice to get some preferred treatment while visiting him here. Dad owned the company, and his employees were always nice to me when I was here with him, but there was always a feeling of intrusion when they talked to me.

Now that I was somewhat of a celebrity myself, I began to understand why. Dad had good employees. He, and in turn his company, had always prided themselves on providing their clients with privacy. I didn't know how many of his employees Dad had told about me. Knowing my dad, I hoped that none of his employees knew. Dad was in charge of all of my affairs, which meant that there probably weren't many who knew the truth about me. I just hoped that it stayed that way.

I walked to the front door with Ethan, or Xander, two steps behind me. I tried to wait for him to catch up to me, but he never did. I was starting to wonder what I needed to do to get my friend back. Everything I had tried so far hadn't seemed to make a difference.

Once we were inside the building things started to get weird for me. I knew most of Dad's employees. I'd spent enough time at his office over the years that I could remember each of their names. But some of them I knew pretty well.

Like Lucy. Lucy was the receptionist. She was one of the nicest ladies I'd ever met, and I'd spent many days with her in the reception area when I was younger, while I was waiting for Dad to finish a meeting before we could go down to the beach or whatever else was planned for the day. She was old, like in her fifties or something. But she was as kind to Austin and me as my mom was.

I had to catch myself when she looked up as we entered. I had almost greeted her by name, but Sarah had never met her. As a matter of fact, Megan hadn't met her either — only Brett had met Lucy. That last thought really depressed me. I hadn't been to Dad's office since my life had changed so drastically. I didn't doubt that she knew about Megan. Dad was only too happy to share that knowledge. However, I didn't know how much she knew about Sarah Carerra’s secret. She had been with Dad since the beginning, but that didn't mean he was going to tell her my secret.

The smile that spread across her face as I approached her desk told me that I didn't have anything to worry about, though. She did know who I was! The glint in her eye and the wink that she gave me only helped to reinforce that realization. I found myself smiling while quickly looking around the reception area. We were alone.

"Hi, Lucy," I said first. Her smile widened when I called her by name.

"Hi, Megan," she replied after her own glance around. "It's so nice to finally meet you. You are so beautiful!"

I felt myself blushing at her comment. I ached inside a bit every time someone new found out. But Lucy was someone I would never worry about leaking my secret. And to meet her like this for the first time, I was glad we didn't have that secret standing between us.

"Thank you," I replied. I wasn't sure what else to say, and she seemed to be staring at me like she couldn't believe her eyes. It was an awkward moment before I turned to see what had happened to Ethan. He was still standing by the door. I waved him forward. I wanted my friend back, but with the way he grudgingly stepped toward me, I wondered if it was worth all of this effort. He sure wasn't making it easy. Eventually, he made it next to me at the reception desk. "Lucy, this is one of my best friends, Xander."

She smiled at him. Neither Emily nor Ethan had ever come down to Dad's office with me, so there wasn't any way that she could make a connection with his real identity.

"Hello," Ethan said.

"It's nice to meet you," Lucy replied. Then she looked back at me. "Let me call your dad and let him know you are here."

"Okay," I replied. She picked up the phone, but before she got the chance to say anything, Dad appeared from the hallway that led to the offices.

"Oh good, you're here," he said and gave me a smile. Then he turned toward Ethan. "It's nice to see you again, Xander."

"Mr. Campbell," Ethan replied. He was a man of many words this morning. Not.

"Sarah, if you'll come on back, I'll introduce you to my team," Dad said to me. "The Jive guy should be here any minute."

I nodded, but I asked the question that I needed to have answered before I followed him. "How many people know?"

He didn't need any clarification about what I was asking. "Just Lucy," he said while glancing briefly at her. "I needed at least one person who could help me with confidential information, and I thought Lucy would be a good choice. Nobody else knows."

I nodded again, and he turned and started for the hallway. This time I followed after a small wave to Lucy.

Dad then walked me around his office, introducing me to the people whom I already knew. But it was completely different meeting them as a client. They were just as nice to me, but some of the concern they previously displayed when I was Brett wasn't there when I was Sarah.

Once I had been to each of the offices and Dad had introduced me, I found myself standing in front of 'The Wall'. I had spent a lot of time staring at 'The Wall' as a youngster. It was located in the small lounge that could be used by employees or clients for taking a break or waiting for an appointment. Small plaques adorned the entire area, each with a picture, a name, and a signature.

I'd stared at each and every one of them, amazed at some of the people whom my dad's company represented. And when he pointed out where my plaque had been placed, I smiled. Dad had been reserving a prominent area for a 'special' artist for as long as I could remember. He said that some day he would represent somebody whom he was so proud of that they would have the honor of having her or his picture displayed there.

That's where I found my plaque.

I felt tears start to creep into my eyes, and I sniffed quickly to hold them back. We were alone in the lounge except for Ethan, and before I knew it Dad had his arms wrapped around me. That made it even more difficult to keep the tears from spilling out.

"I'm so proud of you, Princess," he said quietly. I sobbed, but tried in vain to hold the tears back. I didn't want to have to fix my makeup.

I was lost for words for a moment. Eventually, my dad released me, and then handed me a permanent marker. I smiled at him, stepped over to the plaque, and signed my name.

*  *  *

I had to use the bathroom to fix my makeup before joining my dad and Ethan in the conference room. When I finally arrived, I found Dad, Ethan, and another guy sitting around the table.

"There she is," Dad said with a big smile. All three of them stood up, making me blush slightly. "Sarah, this is Michael Stott from the company that makes the Jive."

The man to whom he was pointing wasn't much younger than my dad, perhaps in his early thirties. He had blonde hair and a grin on his face that instantly put me at ease. He was dressed in a nice pair of tan slacks and a navy blue polo shirt.

"It's nice to meet you, Michael," I said while taking the hand that he had proffered to me.

"The pleasure is mine, Ms. Carerra," he replied. He had a firm handshake.

"Sarah, please," I corrected him. I always thought that Ms. Carerra made me sound old.

"Have a seat," Dad said and pointed to a chair between Ethan and himself. I noticed that Michael had been sitting in a chair on the other side of the table. I nodded and walked around to my chair and sat down. The guys did the same.

Michael didn't waste any time before starting his presentation. "We're honored that you are considering our offer, Sarah. I have a Jive here today that we want to present to you. It is yours to keep whether you endorse us or not."

He handed me a box about the size of a book. Emblazoned clearly on the front was the word 'Jive' followed by a picture of the device I had first seen on the endorsement papers. I happily accepted it from him. I wanted to open it up and start playing with it, but he had other ideas. Instead, he took fifteen minutes to show me how the Jive worked using another demo model that he had brought with him. I truly was impressed. It would be weird not using my iPod anymore, but I really liked what I was seeing.

After showing me what the device could do, he started talking to me about what they expected of me if I accepted the contract. Obviously, I was asked to use the device instead of any other music player. That condition would be easy to meet. It was the photo shoot and the commercial that they wanted to shoot in less than two weeks from now that made me cringe. I had spent the last two weeks in front of cameras and recording equipment getting ready for the album and the new music video. I knew that I was going to be in front of the camera again on Tuesday for the makeup endorsement. And sometime in the near future I would also be doing a photo shoot for the perfume I'd be endorsing if the meeting we had on Monday went well. That was a lot of time in front of the camera, and I was starting to wish that I could pull back from Sarah's life for a while. I needed a break. I hoped that this weekend would be enough.

In the end, though, I was ready to take the endorsement deal. The Jive appeared to be a cool device, and I was truly impressed with some of its features. However, Michael wanted me to take it home and use it over the weekend before making a final decision. Even though he was making me wait to give him my answer, I knew he felt confident I was going to say yes.

After Michael had left, I said goodbye to Dad and dragged Ethan back to my car. I'd had high hopes at the beginning of the day of reconciling our friendship. But at nearly every turn, Ethan tried to push me away instead of working to become closer. I had a feeling he was still struggling with his feelings about me, and I didn't know how to help him. I had my own issues to deal with when it came to him.

I was relieved after I dropped him off at his house and then drove home. I was going to need some help to get him out of his funk. I could see the friend I had known most of my life in his eyes. I knew he still wanted to be my friend. I wished there was something I could do to help him realize that we didn't have to be boyfriend/girlfriend in this relationship. I was fine just being his friend.

As I stepped into my house, I sighed. I'd wanted to go to the mall and see Emily and perhaps do some shopping. But I had failed to talk Ethan into going with me. Instead, I had a long afternoon and evening ahead of me with no plans to keep me occupied.

At least I had my new Jive to play with.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.20 - Beach Party

I was happy when I awakened Saturday morning. The previous afternoon and evening had been boring because I had no friend to hang out with. I thought about driving down to the mall myself, but I couldn't muster the desire to shop alone. I spent most of the day playing with my Jive and watching TV with Austin. My boredom was definitely a step down from all the Sarah Carerra appointments I'd had throughout the week, but I needed the break.

I smiled when I stepped into my own closet to get ready for the day. No glam outfits, no wigs, no Sarah for the whole weekend. I smiled at the opportunity to just be myself.

We were heading up to Gran’s and Grandaddy's house just after lunch to spend time with the rest of the family. That meant that I had time to see my therapist Mary this morning.

Once I was dressed and had eaten breakfast, I drove my car to her office. She was waiting for me as I stepped into her reception area, and I was ushered quickly into her office.

We spent most of the session talking about one thing: Ethan. The events of yesterday had shown me just how big the rift in our friendship was. Mary was always a good person to vent to, and today had been no exception. She let me rant and rave for a few minutes before she turned the conversation to what I could do to improve our relationship. In essence, the only thing I could really do was to give him time.

Like me, Mary thought that Ethan still wanted to be my friend. But I had changed so drastically over the summer that he didn't know how to relate to me anymore. Until he figured that out, I was going to have to give him some space. The last thing I would want to do is get pushy and drive him away.

I left Mary's office much happier than I had arrived. I had reconciled myself to the changes I had gone through. I knew deep down inside who I was. But all of this had probably come as a shock to Ethan. He was still trying to come to terms with my new identity.

When I arrived back home, I was more than happy to start getting ready for a day at the beach. I put on my new bathing suit before covering myself with a light sun dress and then I grabbed a towel, my suntan lotion, and a few other things that I would need and placed them in my beach bag. Then I headed to the kitchen to eat lunch.

Everyone else was already sitting at the table eating a sandwich, and I smiled when Mom pointed to an empty seat that already had a plate sitting there.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked me while I sat down.

I nodded as I ate my sandwich. It was nice to sit down and eat lunch with my family. The last couple of weeks had been so busy with Sarah that by the time I got home I'd be so tired that I'd head for bed or mumble my way through dinner. But today we got a chance to talk and reconnect a bit before we piled into Dad's car and headed for Grandaddy's house.

I'd told Josh Holliday earlier this summer that Sarah Carerra lived in Malibu. I really liked the area and I'd love to live out there. Of course, if I had a house like my grandparents, I'd like it anywhere.

As we pulled up to their beach-front property, I noticed that most of the family had already arrived. Aunt Judy's van was there, so I knew I at least had Katy to hang out with.

Mom had, of course, made some food for the family to munch on during the afternoon. Unlike Aunt Judy's party, I was thrown into service carrying the food inside with Mom while I watched Dad and Austin walk around the side of the house to the beach beyond.

I obediently carried my pan of brownies through the house to the kitchen with my mom leading the way. There were a few family members in the front room watching TV, but it looked like the majority of them were already out back. But there were plenty of women in the kitchen talking and making some snacks.

"Hi, Linda," Aunt Judy said when she saw my mom enter the room. When she saw me, she smiled even wider. "Hi, Megan. How are you feeling?"

Most of my family were aware that I'd had surgery, and I believed most of them even knew what that surgery entailed. I had talked to many of them when they called or had visited after I left the hospital, but this was the first time I would see and talk to most of them since Aunt Judy's party.

"Hi, Aunt Judy," I replied with a smile while I placed the pan of brownies on the counter. "I'm doing really well. It's been a tough few weeks, but I'm pretty much fully recovered now."

I knew that Aunt Judy had been asking about more than just my surgery. She was one of the few extended family members on Mom's side who knew I was Sarah Carerra. I also knew that she had seen the press conference, and I knew Mom would have confided in her closest sister with what I was going through. Aunt Judy nodded in thanks that I had answered her unasked question. There were too many people in the kitchen who didn't know about my alternate identity to talk openly.

"Where's Katy?" I asked my aunt. I already knew that I would be spending most of the afternoon with her.

"I think she is changing in one of the bedrooms," her mom told me. I nodded and then started toward the hallway to find her.

"Katy?" I called when I reached the vicinity of the many guest rooms that were in Grandaddy's house.

"In here," came a muffled response. I was fairly certain I knew which room she was in and opened the door.

"Close the door!" she screamed at me. Obviously, she hadn't expected me to come in.

"Sorry," I said and quickly stepped into the room and closed the door to hide her nakedness from anyone else who might have been walking down the hall. I turned back to her. She was staring at me like she couldn't believe I was standing there. At that moment I realized that despite the fact I knew I was female it was still a new concept for most of my family.

It took Katy a moment, but she finally seemed to regain her composure and realize that I was just as female as she was. I was nearly certain that she knew about the surgery, at least. "Sorry," I said again.

"No, it's my fault," she said while dropping her arms from where she was covering herself and reached for the top of her bathing suit. "I guess I'm still getting used to the new you."

"I understand," I replied. It hurt to have my past slam me like it just had, but it was something that would take time for my family to get over.

I placed my beach tote on the bed and started pulling my dress off to help her feel more comfortable. By the time I had the dress off and laid it out on the bed, Katy had finished pulling on her top and was staring at me.

"I guess I had no reason to worry, huh?" she asked me with a slight giggle. I laughed back at her.

"No, you didn't. I've got everything you have now."

"I can't believe you're really a girl," she stated. "I mean, after all these years, I can't believe it!"

"I know," I replied while pulling out some suntan lotion. "Even I never realized it."

I squirted a bunch of the lotion into my hand and then held the bottle out for Katy. She smiled and took it from me.

"Where did you get that bikini?" she asked me while squirting some of the lotion into her own hand and then dropping the bottle on the bed.

"Bloomies," I replied while spreading the lotion around my body. She choked for a second before she could speak again.

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed. I smiled. I knew it was a good idea to get Julia involved in getting me a new bathing suit.

"Yeah," I replied matter-of-factly. I knew that my tone would make her jealous.

"You are so lucky," was her only reply. She stared at me some more while we finished applying the lotion. I could only smile back.

"Come on," Katy said when we were done. "I want you to freak my brother out."

I laughed again as I grabbed my bag and followed her to the door. Derek, Katy's brother, was a year older than me. Until I had started living as Megan, we had always hung out together when the family got together. But he hadn't taken the changes in my life too well. He would definitely freak when he saw me.

We stepped out into the hallway laughing together only to find my grandmother walking our way. She looked shocked when she saw us.

"Hi, Gran," I said and Katy followed suit.

"Hi, girls," Gran finally managed. "You two look beautiful."

I felt myself blushing at her words. Gran had been one of the most supportive family members in my life. Learning who I truly was hadn't changed that at all. She walked up to me and gave me a hug before doing the same to Katy.

"You two go have some fun," she told us before continuing down the hall toward her room. We continued our own journey back toward the kitchen and the door to the beach.

Many of the women were still in the kitchen when we entered. The conversation seemed to stop when they saw me, but nobody said anything as we walked through and into the dining room and out the sliding glass door that led to a small back yard and the gate that led onto the beach. I knew they would be bombarding my mom with questions, and I was more than grateful to have her answer them instead of me.

Perfect beach weather greeted us outside. It wasn't too hot today, and there was a small breeze that cooled off my skin as we walked out into the sand toward some of the lounge chairs that had been moved from Grandaddy's backyard out onto the beach.

"Hi, Tracy," I said when I set my bag down on one of lounge chairs closest to the house, and next to her. She looked up from where she had been sunbathing. Heather was asleep in her car seat in the shade of a small umbrella next to her.

"Hi, Megan," she replied as her eyes scanned my body. "I guess you weren't lying at lunch the other day, huh?"

"No," I laughed lightly. "I definitely wasn't."

I pulled my towel out of my beach bag and started spreading it out on the lounge chair. I saw Derek and Kyle, one of my other cousins, out in the water. They hadn't noticed me yet.

"Don't you just love her bathing suit?" Katy asked Tracy. That elicited another look at me from our older cousin. "She got it at Bloomingdales!"

Tracy raised her eyebrows at me. I laughed again. She must have known that I was trying to make an impression.

"I guess all that babysitting paid off, huh?" I said. That got Tracy laughing and a confused look appeared on Katy's face.

I wasn't quite sure how to explain our inside joke to Katy, but I was saved from having to try by a loud wolf whistle from behind me. I had been standing with my back to the water as I smoothed my towel out on the lounge chair, but I turned around to see what was going on.

Both Derek and Kyle were walking toward us. It was Derek who probably had whistled. Unfortunately, as he got a glimpse of my face, his expression changed. I expected him to be angry with me, like he had been at Aunt Judy's party. Instead, he looked like he was going to be sick. Then he promptly vomited all over the beach.

Katy, Tracy, and I all made the appropriate disgusted sounds to accompany how we were feeling, but I also felt a pang of sadness that I had the ability to disgust my cousin that easily just by him seeing me. It was quite obvious that he hadn't recognized me. I knew how different I looked in my bikini. He must have had some strong feelings of lust to elicit a reaction like that to finding out he was staring at his cousin.

Kyle seemed to have a similar reaction. He didn't throw up, but he looked slightly forlorn at me before his face scrunched up in disgust too. Kyle had shown a definite attraction to me the last time I had seen him, and it looked like he still harbored some of those feelings.

"Are you okay?" I asked Derek while taking a step forward. I didn't want to get anywhere near what he had expelled, but I also didn't want to see him suffer at all. He was a good kid, even if some of his attitudes needed adjusting.

"Get away from me, you freak!" he screamed before he started to dry heave again. I instinctively took a step backward. His yelling attracted the attention of most of the other family members lounging around on the beach or in the water, and I saw both his dad and mine rushing over to where we were.

"Derek!" Uncle John exclaimed when he got closer. "What happened?"

Derek was still trying to regain his composure, so his sister answered for him.

"I think Derek thought that Megan was one of my friends," Katy said. "He didn't take it too well when he found out who she really was." She pointed to the puddle on the ground, and I saw her dad grimace when he realized what it was.

"Go get cleaned up," Uncle John told Derek. He clearly was displeased at his son's reaction. "I'll take care of this."

I watched as Derek nodded before walking past me toward the house. Kyle wasn't far behind him.

"Are you okay?" Uncle John asked me next. I was surprised to hear such caring in his voice. I nodded silently to him, and he headed toward the house too.

Tracy was the first one to laugh. Katy and I weren't far behind. Even Dad was laughing and shaking his head. He caught my eyes with his own, and I could see the frustration that was there.

"I'm okay, Dad," I said. I knew he was worried about how my cousin's reaction had affected me. I wasn't pleased at Derek's inability to come to terms with what had happened to me, but I didn't take it personally. I knew that not everyone was going to accept me as easily as most of them had. This was the exact reason why I was scared to go back to school this fall.

Dad looked at me for a few moments, trying to determine if I was telling him the truth. I smiled at him, which seemed to help him make up his mind. "Okay, Princess," he replied. Then he too headed for the house.

I sighed and collapsed onto the lounge chair. This spot wasn't nearly as nice as it had been a few minutes ago, but I really didn't have the energy to move.

"Did that freak him out enough for you?" I asked Katy, causing her to burst into laughter again. We sat there for a few minutes laughing over Derek's reaction. Uncle John came back out with a shovel and a bucket and scooped up the contaminated sand before heading back toward the house, probably to dump it into the garbage. A few of my other female cousins came to where we were sitting to say hi and find out what had happened.

By the time we had finished recounting Derek's escapades, it became obvious to me that I had been accepted into their fold. If any of them had reservations about me beforehand, I think their seeing me in a bikini was enough to convince them that I truly was a member of the fairer side of the family. I learned more about some of my cousins while we talked than I had in my entire lifetime.

At least most of Mom's family accepted me for who I truly was.

*  *  *

The rest of the afternoon and evening went a lot better. Derek and Kyle avoided me, and I was happy to avoid them. I spent some time in the water, and I also spent a lot of time hanging out with the other girls while we sunbathed or talked. This was a whole different side to the family that I wasn't used to experiencing, but almost immediately I felt more involved with them than I ever had with the guys earlier in my life.

By the time we were ready to go home, I had almost forgotten how bad Derek had made me feel. I believed that Derek was experiencing much of what Ethan was trying to come to terms with. He just had a lower level of tolerance to my changes. I did not know what, if anything, I could do to help alleviate the anger and disgust that Derek felt when he was around me, but I knew I'd have to do something if I was going to remain a member of this family. And that was pretty much a given.

When I went back inside to get my dress after Mom had told me we were getting ready to go, I met Derek in the hallway. He was coming out of the bathroom while I was heading for the spare bedroom that Katy and I had changed in.

"Hi," I said, hoping that he wouldn't get angry again.

"Hi," he said back. I was surprised to see that he didn't seem quite so angry or disgusted with me. He didn't try to get past me, instead standing there waiting for me to say something.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" I asked him, hoping the answer would be yes.

He sighed, but nodded his head. I didn't know what had changed since our encounter on the beach, but something definitely had occurred. I pointed to the room where my dress was, and he nodded before following me inside. I figured that standing there in my bikini wouldn't help this discussion, so I quickly grabbed the dress and threw it over my head. When I turned back to the door, I found him sitting on the chair just inside the room. I sat down on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Derek," I started. "I know that this isn't easy for you. But this is who I am now. We're too good of friends to fight like this."

He sighed again. It was obvious that he didn't want to have this conversation, but he seemed to realize that we needed to have it. "I know," he said. "My dad made that clear earlier this afternoon."

So someone had talked to him already. Whatever Uncle John had told him, it must have helped. I never thought that he would be sitting this close to me without being disgusted.

"What I can't understand," Derek continued. "Is why you let this happen, Brett! You're a boy! How can you all of a sudden be okay with being a girl?"

I winced at his use of my old name! That name didn't describe me anymore. It felt as foreign to me as if someone had told me my name was Rumpelstiltskin. But his words led me to understand part of what he was feeling.

"How much do you know about what happened to me?" I asked him. I had a feeling part of the problem was that he didn't have all of the information.

"I know that you feel like you are supposed to be a girl for some reason," he replied. Then he pointed down toward my legs. "And I know that you've had the...the surgery." He started to blush at his answer. "I just don't know why you feel that way. What could make you think that you should be a girl?"

I looked up at his face. There was still a slight look of disgust in there, but I could see the cousin I had grown up playing with now. However, most of what I saw was confusion.

"Derek," I said and made sure that he was looking me in the eyes. "I feel like I'm supposed to be a girl because I am a girl." He started to protest, but I raised my hand and he stopped to let me finish. "I've been a girl ever since I was born. The accident I had when I was 10, that didn't make me a girl. It didn't take away from me a part of what made me a boy, either. I have all the..." I started blushing now. "All of the insides that a girl has. I've always had them. What I had on the outside before wasn't real. The doctors don't know why I looked like a boy, but down at the genetic level, I have two X chromosomes."

At first he looked at me with a sneer of disgust while he digested that information. Then a light started to shine on his face. He had never been told the true extent of my condition. Learning the truth seemed to give him some of the understanding that he had been looking for.

"You're a real girl?" he finally asked.

I nodded at him. "I am. This may sound gross, but I've already had one period, and someday I'll likely become pregnant and have a family of my own."

His disgust grew immediately as I described my future, but I knew it would help to hammer home my point.

"Megan, are you ready to go?" I heard my dad call from down the hall.

"I'll be right there," I yelled back. I looked over at Derek. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded. I knew that he had a lot to think about now, but I hoped that he would understand why I was doing this. I hoped that he would finally see me for who I really was.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I asked him. He nodded again. I smiled at him as I stood up and grabbed my beach bag. We didn't say anything else to each other as I walked out of the room, but I knew I had done the right thing.

He smiled back at me.

*  *  *

*  *  *
A Message from the Author
I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who reads this story. Last week certainly proved that there are a lot of you, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to provide a story that you all can enjoy. I appreciate you whether you post a comment or not. I appreciate you whether you hit the kudos button or not.

Without an audience, there isn't a reason to write. While I do enjoy the stories myself and would probably write even if I was my only audience, having the rest of you read the story spurs me on to even greater things and faster writing. I couldn't do this without you.

Sincerely,
Megan Campbell

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.21 - Independent Women

After church the next morning, I found myself laying on Sarah's couch while listening to the Countdown. Because it was Independence Day, both Emily and Ethan were with their families. Austin and Dad were out back throwing around a football, and Mom was in the kitchen making food for tonight's family dinner.

It was tradition in our family to go up to Grandaddy's house for a day at the beach and then we would have a wonderful meal followed by fireworks. Because the 4th was on a Sunday this year, we had broken the celebration into two days, which meant I still had the second half of a family party to look forward to later that evening.

As I sat there and listened to see where 'Intuition' landed on the charts, I thought about yesterday. I'd always felt close to Mom's side of the family, but never like I had when I had climbed into the car last night. The acceptance I got from everyone was overwhelming. There were still a few who felt uncomfortable around me, notably Derek and Kyle, but I felt they would eventually accept me.

I sighed and stood up after the last note of 'Intuition' came from the speakers. As I had known last Sunday, it was falling. My #1 song had dropped from second on the chart all the way down to sixth. At least I had another one on the way. I felt confident that 'You Can't Hurt Me' would be a hit.

I stepped out of Sarah's room and made my way down the hall to the kitchen. I hadn't had the chance to spend much time with my mom lately, and I thought now was as good a time as any. Dad and Austin were still outside, and I knew that Mom wanted the two of us to get closer.

She smiled at me when I entered the room, looking up from one of the many pots that were spread around the kitchen. By all the food she was preparing, one would have thought that she was feeding her entire family. Half of it would likely be coming home as leftovers. Family dinners with Mom's side of the family always had way too much food for everyone to eat.

"How did it go?" she asked me.

"Sixth," I told her. A small frown crossed her lips as she realized for the first time what I already knew. "It's okay," I said to cheer her up. "I think 'You Can't Hurt Me' is going to knock it out of the ballpark."

She grinned at me and looked around the kitchen to make sure there wasn't anything that needed her direct attention.

"Can I help?" I asked her. She turned back to me, shocked. In all the years that she had been cooking for us, I knew that none of the 'boys' had ever shown any interest in helping her. Mom never minded because she loved to cook. But I saw the realization dawn on her face that she finally had someone who might be willing to learn from her! The smile that followed was one of the largest smiles I had ever seen from her.

"Yes," she finally replied before motioning me over to where she was standing. The first thing she did was give me a hug. She didn't say anything, but I knew that I had just given her one of the best gifts she had ever received.

I knew that Mom was an excellent cook. What I didn't know, but that shouldn't have surprised me, was that she was an excellent teacher too. I had never considered that cooking might actually be fun before. I was beginning to suspect that there had to be some kind of cooking gene that ran through the women in Mom's family. While I readily admitted that I wasn't very good at what I was doing, it seemed relatively simple to understand what she wanted me to do and follow her instructions. And I finally was able to admit that cooking really was fun, or at least it was when working with my mom. I knew that this wouldn't be the last time I found myself in a kitchen.

We laughed and talked while we worked. I'd spent a lot more time with my mom since I'd made the decision to become Megan full time. But I had never done anything like this with her. I gained a new respect for Mom. I loved her so much, and I was so glad that I had someone like her in my life. I didn't know what I would do without her. The support and love that she had shown me not only in the last couple of months, but in my entire life, was so overwhelming that I didn't know how to repay her. I vowed to do everything I could to make her proud of me.

I knew, as I walked down to my room to get ready for the trip up to Malibu, that my mom was my biggest fan. Everyone always told me that they were Sarah's biggest fan. But I knew...I knew, that Mom was Megan's biggest fan.

*  *  *

"I want everyone to enjoy tonight," Dad said while pulling into Grandaddy's driveway. "This may be the last year we get to come."

"What?!" I asked loudly. His words had shocked me! "Why won't we be able to come anymore?"

I saw the sadness in Mom's eyes when she turned to explain it to me. I knew immediately when she looked at me that it was my fault, but that she was okay with not coming in the future.

"Honey," she said with a smile I knew she didn’t fully feel. "Next year you will likely be performing somewhere. We'll all be with you and won't be able to come here."

"Oh," I said with the full realization slamming into me of what my new career meant. This weekend was the only vacation I’d had from Sarah since school ended. What was I going to do when I didn't even get that much next year? I returned a smile to my mom that was much like hers. She nodded her head in understanding of how I really felt. Spending the Fourth of July with family was something we had done every year since I could remember.

It was with a solemn feeling that I helped carry the food that Mom and I had made together into the house. This was supposed to be a happy time, but Dad had just ruined it. He hadn’t done it intentionally, but he had still brought up the subject.

"What's wrong?" Tracy asked me when she saw how upset I looked.

"Nothing," I replied. She didn't buy that answer for a second, taking my hand and pulling me down the hall to the room that I had changed in yesterday.

"What's wrong?" she asked again after closing the door. I felt tears start to well up in my eyes and I sniffed to try to keep them in.

"My dad just warned me that this could be our last year coming to the party," I told her. "Sarah will probably be performing somewhere next year."

Tracy laughed. I was distraught, but for some reason she laughed!

"Oh Megan," she said once she had calmed down. "That isn't something that should make you sad. That should make you happy! I'd love to come to one of your shows instead of be here! Family will always be here for you. Enjoy the fame that you have now, because it will not last forever."

Her words made sense, and I realized that she was right. There were plenty of other times that the family got together; missing one get together wasn't the end of the world.

"Besides," Tracy continued. "Grandaddy rented a karaoke machine for tonight. I so want to see you up on that stage singing for us."

I laughed. I was not sure that singing for my family was a good idea. Somebody was bound to find out the secret.

"Thanks, Tracy," I told her. She had been able to make me feel better.

"Come on. Let's go get a good seat." I smiled, and followed her out the door.

*  *  *

The small backyard that Grandaddy had between the beach and his house had been completely changed for dinner. A number of long tables were spread out in the area with a small stage created on the patio. It looked like Grandaddy had rented a really nice system. There were big speakers on either side, a large flat-panel TV to see the lyrics on, and a professional looking microphone to sing into. We'd never had a karaoke machine at one of these parties before, so I felt it was going to be a lot of fun. There weren't many in my family whom I would consider calling 'musical'.

I ended up sitting at a table with my own family, Aunt Judy and her family, and Tracy and her husband. Derek gave me a smile when I sat down next to his sister, but he didn't say anything to me. I smiled back. I had a feeling it was going to take him a while before he was okay with me, but at least both my conversation and the talk he'd had with his dad yesterday had changed his attitude from yelling at me to grudgingly accepting me.

Before food was served, Grandaddy got up on the stage and tapped on the microphone. "Is this thing on?" he said, simultaneously proving that it was. "Good. I wanted to thank everyone for coming tonight. It means so much to have you all here every year. This year, after a number of suggestions from all of you, we did get a karaoke machine to entertain us throughout dinner and afterward. There are lists of available songs on each table, so all you have to do is come up on stage and punch the number of the song you want to sing into that keypad." He was pointing to a small keypad next to the monitor. "I hope to see everyone up here at least once, or you can't come back next year."

There was light-hearted laughter as he stepped off the stage and everyone made a beeline for the food. This was going to be an interesting evening.

After getting my food I returned to our table. Immediately, Tracy threw a stack of papers at me.

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's the song list," she replied with a sneaky grin on her face. "Start looking through it."

I laughed and started looking at the songs. I still didn't think that singing for my family would be a good idea, but I was curious to see what types of songs were available. There was a large selection. My eyes immediately settled on some of the Kelly Clarkson songs, or even some Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood songs. There were plenty of songs here that I knew I could sing well, but I did not want to risk letting the family in on my secret. I pushed the papers back at Tracy, and watched her frown while I started eating.

It wasn't long before the first 'victim' took the stage. A couple of the young girls decided they wanted to sing before they ate, and we watched as they selected a couple of songs to sing. As I ate my food, I watched many of the young kids in my extended family make fools of themselves up on stage. But they all had a blast doing it. As I watched the fun and excitement on their faces, I couldn't help but think of the rush I got every time I performed. I knew what they were feeling, and I hoped they enjoyed it every time they got up there.

"Have you picked a song yet?" Tracy interrupted my thoughts after a while. Everyone seemed to be content to let the kids sing while we ate, but now that I was finishing my dessert, it looked like she was determined to get me on stage. I shook my head. "You are getting up on stage," she told me. It wasn't a question in her mind.

"Can you sing?" Katy piped up. She looked surprised at this information. Naturally, I hadn't sung much around Mom's family before, so few of them knew about my singing ability.

"She is really good," Tracy told her. Katy looked at me with a puzzled expression. This was a side of me she had never seen, never even considered before.

"I'm not that good," I said, trying to defuse the situation. If Tracy talked me up too much, then I'd have Katy working to get me on stage too.

"Don't lie, Megan!" Austin unhelpfully joined the conversation. He looked excited at the opportunity to hear me sing again. I grimaced. I had a feeling that I wouldn't have much of a choice in this matter.

It was settled when someone handed me the song list. I looked up into Dad's eyes as he handed me the papers and saw the slight nod that he gave to me. He knew how much music meant to me now, and it appeared he wanted to share that with our family. "Be careful," he mouthed to me, and I nodded back. I could sing, but he didn't want me to give away the secret.

Tracy squealed in excitement as I started flipping through the papers again. There were plenty of nice pop songs that I could sing, including my favorite Kelly Clarkson song. But when I turned the page and saw the M's, a big grin formed on my mouth. It looked like all of the Mamma Mia! songs were included, and I immediately knew what I was going to sing. I even felt myself smirk at the thought of some of the lyrics that would be coming out of my mouth.

"Okay," I said, memorizing the number of the song. There was still a line of children waiting to perform, so I sat back to finish my dessert. It was another fifteen minutes before I was pushed out of my seat. Tracy had been so excited since I agreed that it had infected most of the people at the table.

I stepped up onto the small stage and pressed the number of the song into the keypad before turning toward the crowd. Unlike most of the people who had come up to sing, I had picked a song that I knew the words to. There was no need to look at the monitor. Most of my extended family were looking at me curiously, wondering what I would be able to offer them. The only people really excited to hear me sing were the people at my own table.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I felt the rush start to creep into my bones. Wig or no wig, Sarah was just below the surface waiting to be let out to sing.

When the piano interlude began for 'Thank You for the Music', I recognized the song as the movie version that Amanda Seyfried had sung. I'd only ever heard that version and the original ABBA version before, since I had never had the chance to see the show anywhere, but I liked them all the same.

When I started singing the words, Tracy started laughing hysterically when she recognized the song. There were a lot of lyrics in this song that spoke to the dual nature of my life. While on the surface it was just another Broadway song, it hinted at the fact that there was more to my life than just Megan.

As I started on the first verse, thanking everyone for the songs I got to sing, I had the attention of every member of the family. Those who knew my secret - my family, Tracy, and Aunt Judy - all had big smiles on their faces as they listened to my words. Many of the other family members had similar looks, without understanding the secondary meaning I had put into choosing this song.

I enjoyed watching my dad start to choke on his drink when I sang the third verse about being the girl with golden hair. Tracy and Aunt Judy were laughing along with my mom, garnering looks from the rest of the family. I continued singing, putting my best effort into the song, just like I always did.

Whether performing for a crowd of thousands like I had in Salt Lake City, or for my family, the rush came crashing over me as the song ended. I knew I had a huge smile on my face to go with my family’s clapping as I walked back to my table.

"That was so awesome!" Katy screamed as I sat down next to her. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing like that?"

I shrugged. I figured that it was better not to draw attention to myself.

"Megan has always been shy about singing," Mom informed the people around the table. "But I do think she is very good at it."

I smiled at my mom. It looked like Katy was going to say more, but I interrupted her before she could. "Now it's your turn," I told her. "What are you going to sing?"

"What? No! I'm not going to sing!" she exclaimed. She looked panicked at the thought of getting up on that stage.

"Come on," I said, and Tracy joined in by nodding vigorously. "I sang. Now it's your turn."

"No," she said. I pushed the song list in front of her. She pushed it back. I pushed it in front of her again. She sighed. I knew that she was going to get up on that stage just like I had, and she seemed to realize it too. She started to look at the available songs.

Now that I had broken the ice, karaoke turned from being the kids' entertainment to being the adults' entertainment. Many of the youngsters were sent off to the beach with a few of the older kids while the rest of us listened to the older guests singing. Katy didn't do nearly as badly as she thought she would, and Tracy even gave a pretty good attempt. Derek never got up on stage, but Mom and Aunt Judy sang a duet together. They really weren't very good, but it had everyone hooting with laughter by the time they were finished.

By the time it started to get dark and many of the children had come back, I had been persuaded to sing another song. Apparently, I had been voted as the best singer of the night, and they wanted me to sing the last song before we headed for the beach to watch the fireworks.

I climbed up onto the stage once again and looked out at my family. Instead of just the people who had been sitting at the table with me, there were now a lot of people looking on with excitement. I couldn't figure out why they seemed to want to hear me sing. I knew that they would have been excited if they knew that I was Sarah Carerra, but they didn't. I was just Megan, one cousin among many.

I entered the number for my second song of the evening into the keypad and stepped up to the microphone again. Some of the younger kids had crowded at the bottom of the patio, and I smiled down at them while I waited for the music to begin. I had first laid eyes on a Kelly Clarkson song earlier in the evening, and it was going to help me finish the night a little more upbeat.

As the music started playing from the speakers, I readied myself to sing, but had to stop abruptly. 'Long Shot' started with an opening sequence that only carried a melody from my voice, much like I had done with 'You Can't Hurt Me'. I had been ready to sing it, but because this was a karaoke version, and there were no words to that piece of the song, it had been recorded into the track. I laughed as Kelly's voice carried throughout the backyard, but I didn't have long before I knew that it would be my turn.

Just as the guitar started playing I quickly jumped in to sing the first verse. As I continued, a bass and then the drums also joined me, and I found myself doing something that I hadn't intended to do. I was moving with the music. Earlier, I hadn't done much but sing the song. But now, as I sang a song that I really enjoyed and that had a nice catchy beat to it, I found the dance steps that my choreographer had drilled into me coming into play as I performed for my family. Many of them seemed to be mesmerized by my words as I sang, and the rush was rising faster than it had during my last song.

This song was different than most. At least, it was different for me. The parts of 'Long Shot' that I liked the most were the verses instead of the chorus. But even so, I liked each piece of this song, and my family seemed to like it to. As I continued through the second verse many of the children at the bottom of the stage were moving along with me, and I saw others at the tables bobbing their hands or their feet along with the beat.

When I finished the second chorus, I had a few moments to catch my breath, and I looked out at the crowd after drawing out the last two words. I took the time to look over at the table where I had eaten dinner. I saw a lot of awed faces there, but my eyes settled on one face. Mom had been there with me at the concert. She had been there when I needed her most after the press conference. And she was there for me now. I knew that no matter what happened in the future, if we were in another city, another state at this time next year, she would be there for me then. And as long as I had her, everything would be okay.

I sang the song to its conclusion, and while I heard the clapping from the table and the screaming from the younger group right in front me, I couldn't keep my eyes from looking anywhere but at the wonderful woman who meant so much to me. She nodded her head in appreciation, and I choked back the tears.

*  *  *

Mom was motioning for me to sit next to her as I approached the blanket where she and Aunt Judy were sitting on at the beach. Katy was sitting next to her mom, and Tracy and her husband were sitting on their own blanket next to ours. I could vaguely see Austin sitting with Dad and most of the other guys farther down the beach.

I'd had to return to the house to get some water after finishing my song, and then I'd had to make my way through the crowd of well-wishers as they moved from the backyard to the beach to watch the fireworks. Nearly everyone stopped me and told me how good I was at singing or told me how beautiful my voice was. It was definitely different than what I got with a crowd when I was dressed up as Sarah, and I was grateful that I had such a wonderful extended family.

Eventually I'd made it to the beach. As I sat down next to Mom, she wrapped her arms around me. "I am so proud of you, Megan," she whispered in my ear. "I told you that you didn't need the wig to be an excellent singer. You are the artist, not Sarah. Please don't forget that. I don't want to lose my little girl."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I squeezed her back tightly to reassure her that I understood what she was saying.

"Megan," Tracy interrupted us. Mom let me go and I turned toward my cousin. "Thank you. I thought I had seen you perform when you sang that Mamma Mia! song. I was wrong. Thank you for showing me with that last one."

I knew she was being cryptic in her words since there were people sitting with us who didn't know about Sarah. I nodded back to her with a smile that I hoped let her know that I understood what she was saying. She'd been able to see a video of the concert, and she'd seen a couple of my televised performances, but she had never seen me perform in person.

"You're welcome," I replied. A boom and a bright red light pulled our attention away from each other and I turned to watch a second, blue burst fill the night sky. Soon an entire rainbow filled our vision as we watched the fireworks burst on either side of us.

I leaned in against my mom's shoulder, and she rested her head on top of mine. I was an independent young woman when it came to my music, but deep down inside, I needed my mom.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Want More Sarah Carerra?
www.sarahcarerra.com proudly introduces its first exclusive, behind the scenes look at the Sarah Carerra story. Come on over and listen to the songs found in this week's chapter. Just click on the Behind The Scenes button at the top for full access.

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.22 - Stardom

Waking up Monday morning meant donning the wig again and returning to the life of Sarah Carerra. The weekend had been exactly what I needed and had given me a chance to take a break from all of the glitter and glamour that I had been submerged in for the past few weeks.

After I was dressed, I stepped into the kitchen to eat breakfast. I was happy to note that I was looking forward to singing on stage again. It had been fun to get up on stage last night as Megan and entertain my family, but it still didn't compare to the rush I had received when I performed in Salt Lake City. Although I couldn't perform in front of that large of a crowd for nearly a month yet, I was sure that there would still be a large crowd at the mall for the concert celebrating the release of my album on Thursday.

Mom came into the kitchen while I was eating my cereal, and I smiled at her. This weekend had given me a new appreciation of my relationship with her. She had always been there and loved me while I was growing up, but never had I felt closer to her as I had over the weekend. I now realized why many young girls considered their moms to be their best friends.

"Morning, honey," she said while grabbing a bowl for herself and joining me at the table. "You were a big hit last night. Nobody could stop talking about how well you can sing."

I smiled while I finished chewing the mouthful that I had taken. "It was fun," I finally replied after swallowing. "I'm glad that I got the chance to sing for them, even if they don't know about Sarah."

"Those who do know really enjoyed it," she told me. "I haven't seen Judy that excited in a long time. Your dad said that he would have tickets for anyone in the family who wanted to see Sarah perform at the OC Fair, and when I told her, she nearly freaked out. She's really proud of you, you know."

I nodded. I had seen the way Aunt Judy was looking at me while I had been up on the stage the day before.

"What do you have going on today?" Mom asked.

"I've got a meeting with the people who make the perfume we wanted to endorse," I told her. Then I thought of something that I hoped would really make her happy. It would make me happy, at least. "Do you want to come?"

Mom looked shocked at my question for a moment. Then I saw the longing appear on her face shortly before she spoke. "No, honey, I shouldn't."

Immediately I felt tears start to well in my eyes, and I had to push them back. The only events of Sarah's that Mom had been to were the concert in Salt Lake City and the press conference. She hadn’t had the opportunity to experience most of what my new life entailed, and that was going to change today!

"I think you should come," I told her while making sure to make eye contact. I saw her lips curl slightly at the ends of her mouth and knew for certain that she wanted to come. "You're my mom," I continued without letting her voice the protest I knew was coming. "I want you to be there when I'm dressed as Sarah. This weekend has taught me just how much I love you, Mom! I would have been lost if you hadn't been there at the press conference. And yesterday...I never thought that cooking with you would be so fun! Please come!"

I saw the struggle on her face as she considered my words. I could only sit there and hope that she agreed to join us.

"Come where?" a new voice joined the conversation. I slumped down into my chair a bit as my dad entered the kitchen. I knew that he wanted to try to keep my personal life separate from my professional life, but I didn't want to leave Mom behind anymore when I knew that she wanted to come. She had just as much to be proud about as Dad did, and she had every right to come.

"To the perfume meeting," I replied to him. "I want Mom to come. She hasn't had a chance to see the other side of my life, Dad, and it is a big part of me now."

Dad's face immediately registered his disagreement. I knew that he wanted her to be there too; he wasn't callous and cruel at all. But I also knew that he felt her being there would only be one step away from someone finding out about my real identity.

But I didn't care about keeping my real identity a secret if it meant I couldn't share what I was going through with the people whom I loved the most. We had already agreed that it was the wrong decision to leave Emily and Ethan out of the equation. Now I had realized that we were doing the same thing with my mom. I wasn't going to stand for it.

"Megan, I don't think--" he started to say.

"I DO!" I yelled while cutting him off immediately before he could finish the sentence I knew I didn't want to hear him say. "She's my best friend, Dad!"

I jolted at my realization. Emily and I were going to be lifelong friends. We told each other everything, and nothing was ever going to keep us apart. But she and I didn't have the same relationship that I now realized I had with my mother. Mom was there for me even when Emily couldn't be there for me. There was no way that Emily could have soothed me the way Mom had after the press conference. Spending an afternoon in the kitchen with Emily might have been fun, but it wouldn't have had the same meaning. And deep down inside, I knew what that meant. Emily and I were BFF's, but my mom was my best friend.

The words seemed to have a similar effect on my parents. Tears appeared in Mom's eyes as I stared at my dad, who had involuntarily taken a step backward. He seemed to be at war with himself over the prospect of allowing his wife to come with us and trying to protect the secret. I knew he was only trying to do what was best for me and for our family, but he was being overprotective again.

"Okay," he finally said and then walked back out of the kitchen. He probably wanted breakfast, but I wasn't sure that he wanted to stay in there with us.

The look on Mom's face was enough to tell me that I had made the right decision.

*  *  *

I spent the ride over to the perfume company's headquarters in the backseat of Dad's car. One of the disadvantages with having Mom come along was that she got to sit in the front seat. It didn't matter if I was a famous pop star or not.

But having her there to talk to on the way made it all worthwhile. Both Emily and Ethan weren't able to come - or didn't want to come in Ethan's case - and it was nice to have a friend with me again. I loved my dad, but my relationship with him was definitely different than my relationship with my mom.

Dad pulled up to an office building close to downtown. There weren't many people around when we stepped out of the car, but I still saw some of them point when they saw me. We made it inside the building lobby without anyone approaching us, though.

Inside, we were met by a receptionist sitting at her desk. She looked to be in her early twenties, and her face lit up when she saw me and I even heard her squeal.

"Hi," Dad said. I could see the small smile he had as he watched her reaction. "We're here to see Judy Kirkland."

"Yes," the girl replied, showing her professionalism by taking her eyes away from me and looking at her computer. "She's expecting you and should be out in a few moments." Then she turned toward me. "Sarah, can I have your autograph?"

I smiled at her. I knew that she was trying to keep the composure that the company probably expected from her, but I hated to leave her empty-handed. "Of course," I replied. Dad immediately dug out one of the press photos he always had on him. I signed it for her and then handed it to her.

"Thank you," she said with the largest smile I had seen from her yet.

"You're welcome," I replied. There was a bit of humor in my voice at her reaction, but signing autographs for fans was sometimes as much fun for me as it was for them. I loved seeing their reactions when I handed them whatever I had signed.

We stood there for a few more moments before a woman entered the lobby from the adjacent hallway. She appeared to be in her late 40's and in excellent shape. She too had a big smile on her lips and her blue eyes showed her excitement from behind the cut of her brunette bangs.

"Sarah!" she said while extending her hand toward me. "It is nice to meet you. My name is Judy Kirkland."

"Hi, Judy," I replied and took her hand, giving it a light shake. I then turned toward my parents. "This is my agent Don and his wife Linda."

Judy smiled at both of them before shaking Dad's hand. "Don, it's nice to put a face to your name. If you will all follow me, we have a room ready where we can discuss the details and check out a sample."

Dad nodded his head and the three of us followed her down the hallway and into a conference room. There were two other people in the room talking when we entered, but they stopped and stood up.

"Sarah," Judy said and pointed to a man in a nicely tailored suit. "This is our Chief Marketing Officer, Brad Pickett." He held out his hand and I gave it a shake before we turned our attention to the other lady in the room. She seemed to be in her late 20's and could have easily been a model. "And this is Tina Kirkland. She is the creative director in charge of marketing for Stardom."

"Pleased to meet you," I said and shook her hand too. Nobody mentioned it, but she looked a lot like Judy, and with the same last name I assumed that Judy was her mother.

"Please, have a seat," Judy said and we all took seats at the conference table. I sat down next to my mom across the table from Judy and her crew. It was kind of odd to have Mom between Dad and me while I was dressed up as Sarah, but I wanted her there to get her opinion of the perfume.

Tina, who sat across from me, had a box sitting in front of her, and she reached for it immediately after we sat down. "First thing I'd like to do is introduce you to the perfume." She opened the box and pulled out a perfume bottle made of pink glass in the shape of a stylized star. There appeared to be something in the glass that made it glitter as it was moved around.

"This is Stardom," she said and handed the bottle to me. I took it carefully and turned it around in my hands. I really liked the bottle. It had that 'Glam' factor that Julia was always looking for. The star was also pretty cool looking. It almost looked like a Christmas ornament, but managed to keep itself from falling into that category.

Next, I did the one thing I had been waiting all morning to do. I uncapped the lid and sprayed the back of my left wrist. I then held my wrist up to my nose to see what it smelled like.

"Mmmm..." was what escaped my lips. Immediately, I knew that this was a perfume I was going to be wearing every day. It had a light, sweet, and fruity smell. But mixed in with the faint smell of strawberries was something that I couldn't quite identify. Whatever it was, it immediately seemed to remind me of what it felt like to be on stage. I didn’t know how they had captured that smell, but it certainly was an aptly named perfume.

I passed the bottle to my mom and she had a similar reaction to mine. It was obvious that she really liked it too.

"What do you think?" Tina asked me. I smiled back at her; the corners of her mouth curled up as she realized that I just became their spokesperson.

"I really, really like it," I told her. "I don't know how you did it, but it smells like the feeling I get when I'm up on stage." Mom was nodding her head too.

"Great!" Judy said excitedly. "Then let's get down to the details of what we would expect of you."

I nodded, and the real work began.

*  *  *

It didn't take long after we were back in the car for me to realize that we were not heading for home. In fact, it seemed like we were heading toward the studio.

"Where are we going?" I asked my dad. I saw him smile in the rear-view mirror before he responded.

"I have a surprise for you," he said, but wouldn't elaborate. It took some coaxing, but he finally confirmed that we were heading for the studio.

It took us about ten minutes to get there, and I followed my dad down a corridor I hadn't been in before. After a short walk we were in Max's office.

"Sarah!" Max greeted me when we entered. "It's nice to see you again!"

"Hi, Max," I replied warmly. He seemed to be excited about something, and I wondered what was going on.

"Come in, come in," he said and waved the three of us into the room. Once we were seated in front of his desk, he pulled out a box and laid it on his desk in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked. I hadn't expected any gifts from him or the record company.

"Open it," he said excitedly.

I picked up the box and opened the cover. Then I gasped. Inside the box was a CD jewel case. On the cover of the case...was me! It was my album!

I stared at the image of me. The picture they had chosen to use was one of the pictures from the airport. But I knew it was totally Sarah the second I saw the picture. My face was hidden behind my hair in the picture, but somehow it was very apparent to me that Julia had been wrong about losing the glam in the outfit. Dressed in the jeans and simple top, I managed to pull off an essence of glam even if there were no glam pieces in the shot.

I thought it was slightly odd not to use a picture that showed my face on the cover, but once I opened the case, I appreciated what Max and his team had decided on. Staring back at me from the CD itself was a close up beauty shot that had come from the beach. We had taken a few beauty shots there with a white background, and this one had turned out beautifully.

I was also happy to note that the inside cover of the CD had a picture of the band and me performing. It looked like the picture had been taken while we were shooting the music video for 'You Can't Hurt Me' because I was wearing the white dress and it looked like we were on the roof of the red brick building.

There was also a small booklet inside that I started to look through. Each song was listed with the lyrics, another picture of me or the band, and the credits. I flipped through it a bit and smiled when I saw Chloe's name next to a few songs. Even Madison's name was listed under 'Friends Forever'. She would certainly score some points with her friends.

The back of the CD case sported the same photo as the CD, and almost looked like it could be a cover itself.

"What do you think?" Max asked me after I had seen each piece. I looked up at him and smiled.

"I love it!" I told him enthusiastically. I was feeling much of the same rush that I normally got after performing a song, and I knew that all the hard work that the band and I had put into making this CD had been worth it. I couldn't wait to get their thoughts on it!

"I'm glad," Max replied, beaming. "They are already in production and will be ready for Thursday. Sarah, I think that this album is going to be a big hit. We've already got high order volumes coming in. That one is yours to keep."

I smiled back, and when we left his office shortly afterward, I still had a large rush flowing around inside of me.

*  *  *

When we got home, I immediately headed to Sarah's room and removed the wig and glam. I would have been back out of the house just as quickly if I hadn't been stopped by Dad to get my opinion on the Jive. I had already decided that I wanted to endorse the music device. After telling him that I would endorse it, he finally let me out of the house and I was quickly on my way to the mall. There was no way that I wasn't going to share the album with Emily as soon as possible and I knew that she would still be at work.

I wanted to show Ethan the album too, but he hadn't answered when I had called him from the backseat of Dad's car while we were on the way home from the studio. I hoped that he wasn't trying to avoid me again. I no longer knew what to do to try to get through to him. If I couldn't get him to open up soon, I didn't know what would happen to our friendship.

After pulling my car into the parking lot, I quickly made my way through the mall toward The Treble with Music. The store wasn't very busy when I entered, but I saw that Emily was helping a customer at the register. She smiled at me and held up one of her index fingers to let me know she would be right with me.

While I was waiting, I looked around the store. It had changed slightly since the last time I had been inside. A space had been cleared at the back of the store where a table had been set up and there were pictures of me all over the place. It was still three days until I'd be signing CDs here, but they had already converted the place to try to draw in as many people as possible. I had a feeling that I would be making this store a lot of money this week.

Eventually Emily finished with her customer, and I walked over to the register.

"Hi, Megan," she said with a broad grin. It felt like it had been a week since I'd last seen her. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might want to see this," I told her and pulled out the album. Her reaction was similar to mine the first time that I had seen it. She gasped before taking it from me and looking through it. When she found Chloe's name next to the songs that she had helped me to write, she lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Megan, this is awesome!" she finally exclaimed. She was nearly as excited as I had been. "I can't wait for Thursday!" she continued. "Have you seen the mall? Your picture is everywhere! It's going to be amazing!"

I smiled at her reaction. I felt much the same way. Walking through the mall had shown me that they were definitely playing up my concert for all it was worth. I was glad that I was going to have the chance to sing here. I'd been shopping here my whole life, so it was nice to give something back.

"Have you shown Ethan?" Emily asked me. My smile disappeared at the mention of his name.

"No," I told her, and her smile also dimmed. "I think he's avoiding me."

"What?" she had a confused look on her face. "Why?"

"I don't know, Emily," I replied. "I really screwed up our relationship at the concert. He doesn't answer when I call him, and he barely acknowledges me when I'm around. I went over to his house last Friday and dragged him with me to look at the Jive, and he moped around the whole day like he didn't even want to be there."

Emily sighed. I didn't think she realized just how bad our relationship had become because she was at work nearly every day. But now she was starting to understand that I needed her help.

"I'll talk to him," she finally said after a moment of silence. "There must be something bugging him, and I'll see if I can find out what it is so we can patch it up."

"Thanks, Emily," I beamed at her. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

*  *  *

*  *  *
Have a song you want to hear Sarah sing?
I'm looking for cover songs that Sarah can sing to help fill out her concerts. These songs should be of a pop variety that someone like Sarah Carerra would sing. If you have any suggestions, please post a comment below or here.

Thank you,
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.23 - Star Power

"Megan, it's time to wake up," somebody said softly just before I was lightly shaken. I opened my eyes to see Dad standing next to my bed.

"Huh?" I mumbled. It was too dark in my room to be time to wake up.

"It's time to wake up," my dad repeated. It still didn't make any sense to me. I think I groaned because he started chuckling at me.

"I thought we didn't need to be there until 9:30," I said. "What time is it?"

"It's 4:00," he replied. "And you're right - we don't need to be there until 9:30. But it's in Seattle, remember?"

"Seattle?" I heard myself ask. He hadn't told me that the makeup shoot was in Seattle.

"Yes," my dad confirmed. "Last week I told you it was in Seattle. Now hurry up, because we need to be at the airport in just under an hour and a half."

I groaned, but threw the covers back. If I would have known that we were getting up this early, I would have gone to bed at a more decent time. As it was, I felt like I could sleep for another eight hours.

I struggled to get ready. Everything felt like it was in slow motion, even after a nice warm shower. I apparently took too long getting ready because I didn't have time to eat breakfast before we left, and I would have to settle for something at the airport. But eventually I managed to drag myself outside to find a white limo waiting for me.

"There she is," Dad smiled from where he was standing next to a guy I had never met. The guy appeared to be the driver if his suit was any indication. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet Eddie. Eddie, this is Sarah."

"Hi," I mumbled and gave him a short wave.

"She forgot we were waking up this early," Dad explained to him before turning back to me. "Eddie will be our driver for the concert tour. He comes highly recommended."

"It's nice to meet you," was about the only thing I was able to get out before Dad ushered me into the limo. I think he knew I still wasn't fully awake.

I remembered nothing of the drive down to the airport, but traffic must have been light because Dad awoke me from where I had fallen asleep against his shoulder sooner than I would have liked. When I looked out the window I noticed that we were pulling into the airport. I had just enough time to pull out my compact and make sure my makeup was okay before Eddie pulled the limo up to Terminal 3, where Alaska Airlines was located. He was quickly out of his door and around to the passenger side of the limo where he opened the door for us. Dad was the first to get out, but when I slid out myself there was a small crowd watching us.

I was afraid that someone would approach us and I'd have to put on a smile I didn't feel at the moment, but we were left alone as we entered the airport and headed for the security checkpoint. We were flying back this evening, so all I had was my purse and Dad had his normal laptop bag. I did have to smile for a few people standing in line near us and even signed an autograph for one of them, but before long we were through the checkpoint and into the terminal.

We checked in at the gate and then walked over to the food court to get some breakfast. Fast food breakfasts aren't often very good, and the food we ended up with was no exception, but it was nice to have something in my stomach. Several people kept pointing at me while I ate, but not many approached me. I did give out a couple more autographs while we ate, and even posed for a few pictures with some of my fans.

By the time we got back to the gate and found a place to sit for the remainder of the wait until boarding, I felt much more awake. A little food and some interaction with fans were enough to get my brain working, and then Dad decided it was time to make me wish I was still in bed.

"What's this?" I asked as he handed me some papers. I glanced at them and frowned before he had a chance to speak. This was work. I wasn't ready to start working.

"It's the script for the commercial," he said unnecessarily. "It would be a good idea to memorize the lines before we get there."

I nodded reluctantly and started reading through the lines. Everything seemed to come from the same cookie cutter mold as every other makeup commercial I had seen before, so I had a good idea of what would be expected of me.

I spent some time trying to memorize the lines and then I started to work on my presentation. I was speaking the lines to myself, but apparently I wasn't being quiet enough.

"Would you shut up?!" someone yelled nearby. I looked up to see a man glaring at me from the seats across from us. He looked really mad. "I'm trying to get some sleep before we board!"

"I'm sorry," I replied. I would have stopped if he had politely asked, but he didn't have to yell at me!

"You’d better be!" he wasn't frothing at the mouth, but it wouldn't have surprised me if he started. Being in a public area like we were I would have thought that he would be more understanding of the noises around him.

"Calm down, sir," Dad said to the guy. "She didn't mean to keep you awake."

"Who are you, her dad?" the guy asked. "Isn't she old enough to stand up for herself?"

"No, I'm her agent," Dad replied, more firmly this time while leaning forward into a more intimidating pose. He sounded really calm, but I could see the tension around his eyes that gave away the fact that he was starting to get upset.

"Are you going to an audition or something?" The man asked. He looked like he was calming down some, and I could see my dad relax slightly.

"No," I replied. "I'm shooting a commercial today. I was trying to learn my lines."

The man looked at me again with a new set of eyes. It was apparent that he didn't recognize me, but his expression led me to believe that he had seen my face somewhere before.

"Who are you?" he asked a moment later. I heard a couple of people nearby start chuckling at him, but they didn't say anything.

"Sarah," I told him. "Sarah Carerra."

His eyes shot up at my name. Although he had not recognized my face, he definitely knew my name. I could see some guilt creep across his face now.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that," he said, like me being famous meant that I shouldn't have been yelled at. In truth, he shouldn't have yelled at anyone that way.

"It's okay," I replied. I did not agree with the reason for his apology, but at least he did apologize. "I should have been more aware that you were trying to sleep."

"Um," the guy looked nervous now. "My daughter...she's a big fan..." I laughed lightly, but I turned to Dad who was already pulling out a press photo for me to sign.

Being famous certainly had some perks.

*  *  *

The flight was just over two and a half hours long, which gave me enough time to become familiar with the script and get some more sleep before we landed.

We met our driver near the baggage claim and were escorted out to a black limousine that drove us to the studio where the commercial and photo shoot would take place. When we arrived, we were quickly ushered inside and down a hall to a studio. It looked like we were going to get right to work instead of meeting in a conference room first.

"Sarah!" exclaimed a kind looking woman. I couldn't quite place how old she was. She had one of those faces that could have been in her late 30's to her early 50's.

"Hi," I replied. I didn't know who she was, but I figured she was probably somebody important.

"My name is Caroline Murray and I'm a representative for Starlight Cosmetics. I'll be overseeing the photo shoot today," she said. Then she turned toward Dad. "And you must be Don?"

"I am," he said. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Caroline then turned to look behind her. "I don't see...there she is." She waved at someone, and another woman headed our way. When she reached us, she smiled at me.

"Sarah, this is Gloria. She'll be your photographer today," Caroline introduced us.

"It's nice to meet you, Sarah," Gloria greeted me with a joyful look in her eye that I hoped meant that she would be fun to work with.

"It's an honor," I replied, garnering a broad smile from Gloria. I figured that flattering her would likely make her easier to work with.

"We don't have much time this morning," Caroline interrupted us. "We have another photo shoot in here at noon, so we better get started."

Gloria nodded to her, and I was led over to a makeup station.

"Stephanie!" I happily yelled when I saw her standing next to a vanity. I quickly gave her a hug. "I didn't expect to see you here! You should have flown up with us!"

Stephanie laughed at my enthusiasm before replying. "Hi, Sarah. I'm flying back with you, but I came up yesterday to visit a friend."

"Well, I'm glad you're here," I told her. "My makeup should be flawless for these ads, and there isn't any other person whom I would want to do it for me."

She beamed at me and pointed to the seat. We chatted while she did my makeup. She had been asked by the company to be the makeup artist for the shoot when they found out that she had been the one who had made the decision to use Starlight's products on me. Apparently it was a real honor for Stephanie to be asked to do so.

Eventually she finished with me and I was led over to where the camera was set up. There was nothing but a white background in front of the camera.

"Alright, Sarah," Gloria told me. "Just beauty shots for the ads."

I nodded, and it wasn't long before I was posing for even more photos of Sarah.

*  *  *

After a catered lunch, Caroline escorted us down to another studio. This one wasn't much different than the first, except that the backdrop in front of the camera was black with what appeared to be small twinkling lights. 'Starlight', I realized a moment later.

Caroline led us over to another small group of people who were sitting in some chairs waiting for us. They stood up as we approached.

"Sarah, this is Thomas," Caroline said while pointing to a man who was dressed very flamboyantly. I hadn't seen many people with this kind of fashion style, and there was a reason for that. I thought he looked ridiculous, but I was sure he loved it. "He is the director of the commercial."

"Sarah," Thomas said in a light, airy tone. I didn't like him immediately, but I didn’t know why. He seemed fake. "Good to meet you, darling. Love your music."

"Hello," I replied. I highly doubted he had ever even heard my music before. "It's nice to meet you too." I wasn't telling the truth, but I wanted to keep him in a good mood. I knew from my first photo shoot that I didn't work well with people who were upset and yelling.

"Have you read the script?" he asked. I saw a hopeful expression on his face, which made me grateful that I had taken the time to memorize the lines. I nodded to tell him that I had. "Excellent! This shouldn't be too hard for someone of your talent. Hopefully we'll be done early!"

I too hoped that we got through this quickly. I was already getting sick of the fake kindness he was showing me. Perhaps he was genuine, but that wasn't the impression I was getting from him.

Despite the attitude that Thomas seemed to have, he was very good at describing what he wanted from me. He led me over to the backdrop and gave me a brief explanation of what he wanted.

Dad and I had signed a contract with Starlight for at least three commercials over the next year. This first one, along with the print ad, was focusing on the 'Night Sky' eye shadow collection that Stephanie had been using to give me my signature look.

"The commercial isn't much more than an extension of the beauty shots that you did this morning," Thomas explained. "Most of the shots will be you moving around on the screen with a smile on your face. We'll get you to provide the voice over afterward. The only line you'll be speaking on screen will be the final line."

"Okay," I said with relief. Even if I hadn't learned my lines, I could have read them from the paper I had been given while we recorded. But I felt that I'd likely perform them better from memory than from reading them.

"Alright, Sarah, head over to makeup and wardrobe. I'll be waiting here when you are through," Thomas said and then turned and walked to a chair where he picked up a book.

I quickly made my way over to where he had pointed. There was a girl in her early twenties waiting for me. Unlike Thomas, her friendliness seemed to be genuine, and I smiled at her as I approached.

"Hi, Sarah," she greeted me. "My name is Gwen, and I have set out a dress for you to change into. Head on in." She was pointing at a door that I assumed led into a dressing room.

"Thank you," I replied and stepped inside. Sure enough, it was a small dressing room and waiting for me inside was something that had to have been picked out by Julia. There's no way someone else would have been able to hit my style so exactly.

The dress was primarily white, fell to my knees, and had thin straps over my shoulders. But it was the twinkling adornments that gave it that "glam" factor. In vertical rows all along the dress were small circular dots of some type of metallic material sewn to the dress. Each dot was connected to the others in the column by a small strand of the same material. I couldn't help but smile as I watched them. It looked kind of like starlight. I quickly removed the clothes I had been wearing and slipped the dress over my head.

Gwen was nowhere to be seen when I stepped out of the dressing room a few moments later. But Stephanie was nearby and she quickly touched up my makeup before sending me back toward Thomas. He plastered his fake grin back onto his face as I approached and stood up from his chair.

"You look smashing!" he commented to me. I smiled back, but I didn’t believe him.

The commercial shoot was ten times easier than anything else I had done in front of a video camera to date. Thomas had me moving about in front of the camera in the way that I remembered from just about every makeup commercial I had ever seen. We spent a lot of time doing headshots and three-quarter shots to try to emphasize my eyes. He even turned on 'You Can't Hurt Me' and had me sing some of the words in case they wanted to incorporate the song into the video somehow.

Eventually, we got around to shooting the last scene for the commercial. This was where I would make or break Thomas' expectations. Until this point, I hadn't had any lines to say, but now I had to cap the commercial off.

"Action!" Thomas yelled, and I immediately went into the motions he expected of me.

"Give yourself the attention you deserve," I repeated the lines that were clearly in my head. I was half afraid that I would forget the lines. But when it came to learning dialogue, or lyrics, I had a knack for remembering the words. "And shine with the power of Starlight." I gave the camera the best smile I could.

"Cut!" Thomas yelled excitedly. "Sarah! That was great! I knew you'd be good at this! Let's give it another take."

I chuckled slightly at his words, but moved back into position to do it again. It took five tries in total to get it exactly how he wanted it, but at least it wasn't the dialogue that he was tweaking. That was something I was able to pull off easily.

After redressing in my own clothes, I found myself in an all-too-familiar sound booth where I recorded the rest of the lines for the commercial.

I had been slightly nervous when I had entered the building earlier this morning. But as I walked out to the limo with Dad and Stephanie for the ride back to the airport, I felt just the opposite.

I felt like a star.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Have a song you want to hear Sarah sing?
Thank you for all of the cover song suggestions that you have given. I've received a number of really good suggestions that I think will make it into the story. If you have any other suggestions, please post a comment below or here.

Thank you,
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.24 - Doctors and Pop Stars and Music Videos, Oh My!

I awoke late Wednesday morning, but I was thankful for the extra sleep. Waking up early and getting home late yesterday had been enough to make me glad that there wasn't anything big planned for today, at least in the Sarah world.

Megan, however, had a doctor's appointment this morning. It had been three weeks since I had collapsed on stage and had my surgery, and I had a check up this morning to make sure that everything was healing correctly. Frankly, everything seemed normal to me now and I didn't want a doctor poking around down there, but I was given no choice in the matter.

I climbed out of bed and took a nice, long shower to help wake me up. Then I headed back to my room to get ready for the day. By the time I was finished, it was already after 10:00, and my appointment was scheduled for 11:00. That would give me enough time to eat breakfast before Mom and I had to leave.

"Morning, Austin," I said to my brother while stepping out of the hallway. He was watching TV in the front room, and I turned toward the kitchen. But I stopped quickly when I realized that there were two heads rising above the back of the couch. Another glance showed me that Susan was visiting again, and she was looking at me as quizzically as I was looking at her.

"Morning, Megan," Austin replied. Then he noticed that Susan was looking at me and twirled around quickly with a look of fear on his face. I laughed out loud at his reaction. I wasn't dressed up as Sarah, but if I had been then he would have just outed me to his girlfriend. He sighed quickly when he saw me. "This is my girlfriend, Susan," he said in relief. "Susan, this is my sister."

"It's nice to meet you," I told Susan while stepping into the front room. "I haven't seen Austin this happy in a long time."

Susan laughed, and Austin grimaced. I knew that he probably didn't like what I was doing, but it would help him in the long run. I wanted to make Susan feel welcome here.

"It's nice to meet you too," Susan replied. "Austin is always talking about how great you are. It's nice to put a face to the picture he's painted."

Now I laughed. She really was a good girlfriend for Austin. She seemed to be bringing him out of the shell he'd been in for so long. It was also nice to see the real side of Susan. She had definitely been a different person when I was dressed up as Sarah.

"Well, I have a doctor's appointment in a while, and I want to get some breakfast first. I'll leave you two alone for now," I said and with a small wave stepped into the kitchen where Mom was reading a book.

"Morning, Mom," I said while pulling a bowl out of the cupboard and reaching for the box of cereal that was still on the counter. I carried both and a spoon to the table and placed them next to where Mom was sitting.

"Morning, Honey," she replied with a smile before returning to her book.

I walked over to the fridge and retrieved the milk. "Are you coming with me?" I asked her.

"If you want me to," she replied, giving me another smile.

"Only if I get to drive," I said which caused her to laugh. She nodded her head to let me know that I could, and I poured my cereal.

*  *  *

"Good morning, Megan," Dr. Holbrook greeted me as she stepped into the examination room that Mom and I had been led to. "How are you doing today?"

Jenny Holbrook had been the doctor who discovered who I truly was. Without her, I wouldn't be the girl I was today.

"I'm doing well," I replied. Even if she had been the one to lead me through my transition, I was still nervous about her examination. "No pain or anything."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Hop on up here and we'll get this over with."

I smiled nervously but did as she asked. I had already taken off my clothes and changed into the paper gown that the nurse had provided for me, but I still felt completely naked.

Dr. Holbrook didn't waste any time, and I tried to think of being up on stage singing while she went about her business. It must have worked, because before I knew it, she was done.

"Everything looks like it's healing really well," she said once I had been covered once again. "You appear to be a healthy young woman in all respects now. Congratulations."

"Thank you," I replied with a huge smile. I knew that already, but having a doctor confirm it helped.

"Now, for the future, you have two options," she said. "I'm sure your mom has a gynecologist whom she uses, and you are more than welcome to go to her too. Or, you are more than welcome to come back here. Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable is fine with me."

"Thank you," I replied. "I'll keep that in mind." I honestly had no idea what I would do in the future. This wasn't something that I had ever considered before.

"There's just one more thing, if you feel up to it," she said. I'm sure I must have had a nervous look on my face, because she laughed at my response before continuing. "It's nothing like that," she said. "I'm going to be visiting my daughter in a few weeks. She lives up in Paso Robles, and I thought it would be fun to treat her and my granddaughter to your concert at the Mid-State Fair. I've got tickets, but I was hoping that you would be willing to meet her and maybe sign an autograph?"

"You didn't need to do that," I replied. "I could have gotten you tickets. But I would love to meet your granddaughter. I'll make sure that my dad gets you some backstage passes and you can come and visit before the show."

She was beaming at me now. I loved making fans happy.

*  *  *

Dad was waiting for us anxiously when we got home. I knew that there wasn't anything planned for Sarah today, so I wasn't sure what was making him so nervous.

"Hurry and put on the wig," was all he said when we entered the house.

"Why?" I asked for clarification.

"Just hurry," he said and tried to shoo me down the hall. I didn't know what was going on, but I honored his wishes and went to get ready. I heard the doorbell ring as I was finishing up my makeup, and realized that someone must have been coming to see me.

As I opened the door to Sarah's room I heard my parents greeting somebody in the front room. Figuring that they would be waiting for me, I walked down the hall and then peeked around the corner. If it was someone whom we didn't want to see Sarah, then I could quickly duck back down the hall.

"Josh!" I screamed instead when I saw Josh Holliday and his mom standing in the front room. A wave of emotions washed over me. Josh was still in the middle of his concert tour. Because he was flying around the country every weekend to perform, I hadn't had the chance to see him since the night we had performed together in Salt Lake City.

A large grin spread across his face when he saw me, and my heart nearly melted. I had forgotten how cute that smile was. I knew the last thing we had talked about together had been about his love for Megan instead of Sarah, but it looked like he still had an appreciation for Sarah.

"Hi, Sarah," he said and my legs started to feel wobbly. This reaction certainly helped me to realize that what I felt for Ethan was not the same thing as what I felt for Josh. Ethan had never made me feel this way.

"Come in and have a seat, Sarah," my dad said. "Josh has something he would like to ask you."

My breath caught in my throat again as I stepped into the front room and took a seat next to my mom. Josh and his mom took a seat across from us and Dad sat down in his favorite chair.

Last time Josh had come to my house to ask me something, I had ended up opening for him in Salt Lake City. Josh had a show here in Los Angeles on Saturday; was he going to ask me to do the same thing? Was I going to get the chance to get back on stage this week instead of the three weeks I'd have to wait for my own concert series to start? Granted, I would be on stage at the mall tomorrow, but the limited space at the mall meant that it wouldn't be a very big crowd. But Josh was performing at the Staples Center! That one venue held more seats than anything I had booked for my entire concert series!

I took a deep breath. I was jumping to conclusions. He wouldn't be here to ask me to sing again. This was something else.

"I was hoping you would perform with me on Saturday," Josh said, shattering the reservations I had just told myself. I felt my excitement rising again. "I mean, singing a few duets with me."

So it wasn't opening for him, but I'd still get to be up on stage with all of those people watching! And I'd get to sing that duet with Josh that we had talked about the night we first met, when he'd taken me to the Tween Awards!

"I'd love to," I replied. There wasn't any other answer I could give. I saw Josh smile big, and out of the corner of my eye I knew that Dad had expected the same answer because of the smile on his face. I had the feeling that Josh and Dad had been talking about this for some time.

"Great!" Josh exclaimed. "I have three songs that I've been working with Don to get approval to sing with you. Don, can we sing them all?"

"Yes," Dad replied. "I got approval for 'Lucky' last night.”

"'Lucky' as in Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat?" I asked.

"That's the one," Josh confirmed. "We'll open with that one, and then move on to the others. Are you an ABBA fan at all?"

"Not per se," I replied. "But I am a fan of Mamma Mia!"

"That's good," Josh continued. "My mom loves ABBA," He said, and his mom nodded next to him. "She had a really good idea for a second duet. Do you know the song 'Does Your Mother Know’?” I nodded. "Well I guess the original was actually written for one of the guys in ABBA. They changed it to a female lead for the Broadway show. Anyway, my mom thinks that it would be a good one to sing together if we split the verses between the two versions."

"That sounds interesting," I told him. And it did, too. That song was usually sung between an older woman and a young boy, or perhaps the other way around originally. Having two teenagers sing it would be different, but it might be kind of funny too.

"Then, to finish up, I thought we could sing 'I Need You'," Josh told me.

I couldn't help it. I gasped. "You mean..."

"Yes," Josh nodded. "Clarissa doesn't want anything to do with the song anymore, so I need someone else whom I can record it with."

Clarissa Montague and Josh had been an item just under a year ago. Clarissa was older than both of us, but she had a good voice and had a pretty decent fan base. She had latched onto the opportunity to sing a duet with Josh for the Grammy awards. But when the two of them broke up a couple of weeks later, she refused to record the song with him.

Now, I would get the opportunity! The song itself was a really beautiful piece that I had loved back then, and I would love to sing it now.

"I'd be honored, Josh," I replied softly. When we had first discussed singing a duet together, I had balked at the idea. That had been during dinner before the Tween Awards, and Josh hadn't been the best date in the world. But by the end of the night my feelings about him had changed. Seeing him tonight had proven to me that those feelings had only grown in the time since our concert. Singing such an emotional and memorable song with him was definitely something I wanted to do.

"Awesome!" he said excitedly. I hoped for a moment that he would give me a hug to celebrate, but it seemed that emotionally he really had moved on. He looked like he wanted to do something, but he didn't. "We're having dinner over at my aunt's house on Friday," he said instead. "I'd like you and your family to come, and we can do some practicing there." I nodded back to him, sad that he wasn't going to do what I wanted him to do.

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer," he said suddenly, ripping what was left of my heart out of my chest. He had just gotten here! I didn't want him to leave! "But I've got an interview in an hour and we still need to make it downtown."

He stood up, followed quickly by his mom and my parents. I reluctantly stood too and followed them to the door. I didn't know what else to say, but he turned and looked at me before stepping outside.

"Thank you, Sarah," he said. "I was half afraid you would say no. I know how you feel about me, and you know that I can't completely return those feelings. But I hope that we can stay friends."

Friends. He had a big smile on his face, but I still felt like I had just been dumped by my soul mate. Maybe I had. I smiled back. It was partially a fake smile, but I too hoped that friendship would still be in our cards. Besides, friendship might be the key I needed to win him back from myself. This was so confusing, just like the night of the concert all over again.

"Bye, Sarah," he eventually said when he realized I couldn't muster any words.

"Bye, Josh," I was finally able to reply. Then I had to watch in pain as he walked down the steps and got into his limo.

*  *  *

I was in a funk for much of the afternoon. Not even the excitement of tomorrow's concert or the thought of singing with Josh on Saturday was enough to put a smile on my face. I didn't realize that my feelings for Josh had grown that strong. Watching him retreat from me hurt. I didn't know what else to do.

Eventually, Dad had enough of that attitude and sat me down in front of the TV in the front room. Mom sat down next to me and Dad took a seat in his chair again. Even Austin was present for whatever he wanted to show us.

"I know that you are feeling bad about Josh, Princess," he said. "But I have something that will cheer you up. I was going to save it until after dinner, but I can't stand seeing you mope around the house anymore. Without further ado, I give you the music video for 'You Can't Hurt Me'."

That perked me up immediately! He had the music video and he was waiting to show it to me until now? I should have been mad at him, but I was too excited to see it to think of anything else.

He pressed play and I was mesmerized as I appeared on the screen walking down a street with my back to the camera, wearing the schoolgirl outfit that Julia had dressed me in. After a few steps, it appeared like I looked at a sign to my right that pointed down the alley toward a 'Stairway to Stardom' and briefly touched it with my hand. My head turned to look down the alley, and with the opening notes of the song playing, I turned and started walking down the alley.

As the first part of the opening melody came to a close, the scene changed and I saw myself approaching the wrought-iron staircase. I stopped and my hand caressed the sign pointing up the stairs as the second half of the opening melody began with a crash of Stacy's cymbals. Then with an eager, almost excited expression on my face I stepped toward the stairs.

The happiness and excitement of the girl on screen was quite evident when I took my first step up the stairs, but that didn't last very long. Almost in slow motion, and in tune with the beginning words of the song, a tomato came flying from off the screen and hit me on my left arm. A shocked expression crossed the girl's face as the force of the unexpected impact knocked her off center and she fell to her knees.

Next thing I knew, the picture had switched to a group of people who were throwing tomatoes. A few looked like reporters; some looked like concerned fans or parents. There was even one who looked an awful lot like Brady Townsend, the reporter who had turned the press conference into a living nightmare.

When the scene changed back to show me kneeling on the stairs, it included a close up of me that showed the pain and anger that I had felt. But there was also a fierce determination in my eyes and I watched mesmerized as I stood up and took another step up the stairs. Then another. Amid the rain of tomatoes, I watched and listened as the girl struggled to make it up those stairs. Finally, she collapsed at the short landing half way up only to be hit by another tomato before the video cut to the band and me on the top of the building.

The contrast between the confident young woman singing on top of the building and the picture that I had seen of the nearly defeated girl on the stairs was amazing! I couldn't believe how different I looked between the two scenes! The clothes helped to make a difference, but somehow there was an extra confidence showing through while I sang. Mom had once told me that I had a fire in my eyes when I performed. I had never noticed it before in the playbacks I had seen of my performances, but I saw it now. I wondered if that look had anything to do with the rush that I felt when I performed.

When the first verse came to an end, the video switched back to where I was kneeling on the stairs. The pain and anger on my face was subtly different. It was almost as if I was mad at myself for letting the tomatoes and the jeers from the crowd get to me. Then the determination returned again, and I watched as the defeated girl on the screen stood up and took another step forward. With each step she stood straighter, taller. It wasn't long before the tomatoes that were hitting her had no effect on her. Then, the tomatoes stopped hitting her altogether. Instead, they'd miss her or fall short of the stairs.

By the time I reached the top of the stairs, that fire I had seen during the chorus was starting to appear on my face. Just before the video cut back to us on top of the building there was a new girl staring at the camera. She had a fierceness in her eyes that gave me chills. The video then cut to the band and me playing through the second chorus. That same fire I had seen in my eyes the first time was, if anything, even more pronounced the second time around. I sat silently watching, only to have the rush start to creep into my bones. Just watching myself perform was enough to invoke that fire that built within me.

As the song softened to the short interlude between the second and third chorus, I watched as the scene cut back to the girl on the stairs. Immediately, she turned and started walking toward the stage that was now visible behind her. Along the way, she fiercely pulled hard on the various articles of clothing she wore, and as she got closer and closer to the stage she left a trail of clothes, and her old life, behind her. In her place was the confident angel that had been singing on stage wearing the white dress with the color dancing around her.

Once she reached the stage, she quickly donned the silver heels that were waiting for her, and grabbed the white microphone Dad had bought me just in time for another crash of Stacy's cymbals to ring out. She started singing immediately, voicing the end of the chorus softly before all other noise stopped and I sang 'You Can't Hurt Me' with so much emotion that I felt the fire burning throughout my whole body intensify.

The frenetic pace of the chorus kicked in at that moment, and I saw the fire I felt burning in my body as I sat there watching it appear on the face of the girl as she sang the final chorus of the song. Somehow, the camera had captured every emotion, every feeling I had felt while writing this song. I couldn't ask for a better debut music video. I suddenly understood that this song would define who I was for a long time to come.

As I watched myself sing the last 'You Can't Hurt Me' of the song, I watched the video cut to a close-up of my face, and I got chills again at the fierce determination mixed with the fire of the rush I knew I had been feeling at the time burning in her eyes. Then, the video cut to black.

Only three words escaped my lips as the video ended. But those three words told my small audience everything:

"Play it again!"

*  *  *

*  *  *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
sarahcarerra.com proudly offers another exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of Sarah Carerra. Today, learn about how the 'Big 3' songs were created and what inspired them. 'Intuition', 'Ever After', and 'You Can't Hurt Me' are arguably Sarah's greatest songs, and now you too can learn more about what made them what they are today. Head on over and see for yourself here.

Thank you,
Megan

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.25 - Just Another Day at the Mall

When I awoke on Thursday morning, I couldn't contain the excitement level that started to rise within me. Not only was I going to get the chance to sing and interact with a number of my fans, but I was also going to release my first album!

I was almost giddy as I took a shower and did what I could to get ready before the entourage showed up. I ended up slipping into a pair of shorts and a tank top to wait. The concert was scheduled to start at 4:00 this afternoon. I would sing for about half an hour, then I'd be signing autographs from 5:00 until 7:00.

Mom wouldn’t be able to do much to help me later in the day, so she had taken it upon herself to make us a big breakfast. I saw the smile on her face and noticed her humming 'Ever After' before she ever saw me enter the kitchen. I laughed at the embarrassed look upon her face when she looked up. She was such a great mother.

As I ate the food she had prepared, I started to think about all the people who made my life special. Mom and Dad were at the top of the list. I wouldn't be where I was today without them. Austin had the least to do with Sarah, but I still wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world, not even a sister. I had Emily to fill that void. She had to work today, but I was pretty sure she'd get to see the concert. I knew that she'd be able to hear it from 'The Treble with Music' if she wasn’t able to watch. Ethan said he'd ride in the limo with me, but I hadn't heard much more from him. Ethan still meant so much to me, but I still hadn't been able to break through the shell that he had developed while he was at camp.

The rest of the morning went by pretty quickly. Julia and Stephanie arrived to get me ready, and I found myself in a dark pair of jeans and a pink top that looked almost like something I would normally wear to the mall. The bracelets, the necklace, and the 3-inch heels that Julia added to the outfit provided the glam that set me apart from being just another girl at the mall, however. I admired her ability to find the perfect outfit for every situation.

By the time I walked outside to the waiting limousine, I could already feel the first tingles of the rush. Dad was already at the mall, and Mom was bringing Austin and his girlfriend Susan later. That left only Ethan waiting for me as I approached where he was standing next to Eddie. Unfortunately, he was his usual self during the ride, and hardly said a word to me.

When we pulled up to the mall, Eddie let me out of the limo at a side entrance that I didn't even know existed. Just inside the doors were a number of offices where my dad was waiting for me. I didn’t know where I was supposed to be going, but I knew he would know.

"Hi, Sarah," Dad greeted me. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I smiled back at him.

There were a number of people whom I was introduced to next. Many of them were either prominent managers of the mall or store owners. I greeted each of them, but like with most people whom I met as Sarah, there was no way that I could remember their names.

Then I was led down a narrow hallway that led to the Plaza. Our local mall was based around a circular, outdoor plaza. There was a small cafe and some tables along with some other amenities and stores on the first floor, and the second and third floors opened up and looked down on the Plaza too. I figured that the edges of all three levels would be packed with people when the time came for the concert, but for now it wasn't any busier than it normally was.

I had only made it two steps into the plaza before somebody nearby screamed. I cringed and covered my ears while turning to see a girl and her friends staring at me like they couldn't believe I was standing there. Then they rushed forward toward me.

"Sarah! Can I get your autograph?" one yelled and shoved a piece of paper at me. I smirked while reaching for it and the pen she was digging for. I signed the paper, and was reaching for another when Dad stopped me.

"You're signing autographs all afternoon, Sarah," Dad told me. He sounded slightly upset. "We need to get some other things done first. Please come."

I frowned at him. I had never turned down an autograph before. Yes, I'd be signing a lot of them later, but that didn't mean these girls were going to be there.

"Sorry, girls," I told them, eliciting a disappointed moan from those who didn't get an autograph. "Come back this evening though, if you can."

I felt bad as I stepped away from them and followed my dad the short distance to where a stage had been set up. The guys were once again putting the final touches on their equipment, and the girls were nowhere to be seen. I suspected they were around though.

"Hi, guys," I greeted them. They each stopped what they were doing and smiled at me.

"Hi, Sarah," they each replied. Then Jason spoke. "Are you ready to get back on stage?"

"Very much so," I told him. Apparently he could see the longing on my face because he started laughing. "Oh, by the way, I want to get you guys to sign my copy of the album before you guys leave, okay?"

"Okay," Jason said. "We'd like you to return the favor if you could."

"Of course," I replied. The band and I had been through so much in the short time we had known each other. I'd do almost anything for them. "Where are the girls?"

Jason rolled his eyes at me like I should already know that answer before pointing at the entrance to Bloomingdale's that was right off the Plaza. He was right - I should have known.

The guys went back to setting up their equipment and I sat on a nearby bench to wait for the sound check to start. I did not know why Dad was in such a rush to get me away from those girls who wanted my autograph, because now all I was doing was sitting there. Ethan sat down next to me, but I couldn't get him interested in any type of conversation and we sat next to each other silently. It was frustrating.

Eventually Sophie and Holly showed up sporting a couple of shopping bags. They looked embarrassed when they realized that we had been waiting for them, but soon I was up on stage with them. As I sang through 'Friends Forever' that Stacy had picked for the sound check I watched people scramble to find a place to watch us.

Then I noticed Ethan sitting on the same bench I had been sitting on a few minutes before. He may not have been one of the co-writers of this song, but I had hoped that it would apply to him too. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. Perhaps there was still hope for us.

When I finished singing the song, there was a pretty good applause returned. If this small sampling was any indication, the full concert this afternoon was going to be a blast.

*  *  *

The wait between the sound check and the concert was horrible. The girls went to do more shopping, but I was stuck sitting in one of the offices where nobody could see me. I seriously considered taking off the wig and joining them, but I knew that would be too risky. At least I had my Jive and my phone to keep me occupied for part of the time. If I'd known that it would be that boring waiting all alone, I would have brought a book. I had no idea where the guys spent the time in between. Even Ethan abandoned me.

But Emily was kind enough to help alleviate some of the boredom. She dragged Ethan back down and ate lunch with me while she was on her break, confirming my suspicion that Ethan had been with her. We texted back and forth a bit while she was working, but the closer we got to the concert the less time she had to talk. Apparently the store's sales were starting to boom in anticipation of the CD signing.

When Dad finally showed up to escort me back out to the Plaza, I nearly screamed with relief. I knew I'd need to be more prepared for these waits in the future.

"How are you doing, Princess?" Dad asked me as we approached the door leading out to the Plaza.

"I was bored silly before, but now I'm really excited," I replied. I was too. I could hear the crowd now that we were at the doors. They weren't nearly as loud as the crowd in Salt Lake City had been at this point, but there were enough people out there that I knew it would be a busy signing session afterward.

"Good," he replied. "Wait here for a moment. Someone from the mall is going to introduce you before you go out."

Before I could respond, I heard a voice over the speakers.

"How is everyone doing today?" the feminine voice yelled into the microphone. A loud roar was the reply. When the noise died down, she continued. "Before we bring Sarah out, there are a few announcements that need to be made. First, we ask that everyone please be courteous to the other mall patrons and the facilities during and after the concert. We love to put on these shows for you, but we can't keep doing it if the facilities are not taken care of. Second, when the concert is over, please proceed to your next destination in an orderly manner. I know many of you will be heading for 'The Treble with Music' for the CD signing. Please wait your turn and have some patience. Sarah will be here for at least two hours and that should be plenty of time for everyone to get a chance to meet her. Okay?"

There was a chorus of responses, mostly positive, before she continued. "Now, if you'll all join me in welcoming Sarah Carerra!"

The crowd roared again as Dad opened the door onto the Plaza. Immediately the rush started to increase at the noise levels directed my way. I stepped out the door and noticed that there was a small corridor between me and the stage that had been kept clear. I quickly walked through it and climbed up the short stairs onto the stage where the band was waiting for me. I stepped up to the microphone, but there was too much noise to say anything over the cheering of the crowd.

Eventually the noise started to die down, and I was able to start the show. "Welcome to the debut concert for my new album!" I yelled. I'd hoped to get more out, but they started cheering again afterward. I had to wait patiently until it died down once again.

"When my manager asked me if I wanted to do a concert and a signing session today, there was only one place that came to mind," I told the crowd. "I've been shopping at this mall for most of my life, and it seemed like a natural place to spend some time with you all." They roared again, and I felt the smile on my face widen as I waited to continue.

"My life has completely changed over the summer," I said when they had quieted once again. "Some of it good, some of it bad. This is one of the good parts."

I briefly stepped back from the microphone, but the boom of Stacy's drums filled the air immediately. I stepped back up to the microphone when Jason joined in with his tune, and it wasn't much longer before I debuted 'My Life' for the assembled crowd. I had written this song about the feelings I'd had the night after my first concert. It was an apt beginning for how I was feeling today.

That feeling continued as we performed five more songs for the assembled crowd. I sang them 'Intuition' second, followed by the two love songs 'Open Your Eyes' and 'Ever After'. 'Ever After' got the reception I expected after the emotional display I had made on national TV when the Salt Lake City concert had been replayed. I didn't know if Emily was watching, but I knew she probably felt it too. I then introduced the crowd to 'Turn Around' before it quieted once again.

"I told you at the beginning that there were good and bad things that have happened to me this summer," I said to the crowd. That seemed to be enough to tell them what was coming next, because a small cheer ran through them. "Most of you know the bad side of this next song, but in truth it has become one of the most positive experiences of my life. Not only did it build up my confidence, but it also allowed me to learn how to deal with the pressure of living in the spotlight. Thank you all, and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you in 'The Treble with Music'."

There was a small groan of disappointment when the crowd realized that we were already on the last song, but that quickly turned to another cheer when the opening notes of 'You Can't Hurt Me' started coming from the band. After watching the music video last night, I knew that this was one of the songs that would stick with me for the rest of my life. I could feel the inner fire within me burning brighter than ever before as I sang the song for them.

As the song came to an end, the mall erupted into the loudest roar I had heard all night. I basked in the rush that was overwhelming me for only a moment before two police officers were at the bottom of the stage to escort me up to the store. The crowd was still roaring as I gave them one last wave and stepped off the stage.

*  *  *

It only took me a couple of steps to realize why they wanted me off the stage so quickly. I had thought there might be a back hallway they would take me down or something, but instead the two police officers started moving Dad and me toward the nearby elevators. If I was going to get to the store through the throng of people headed in the same direction, it was going to take some time. People would try to approach me as we moved, but the two police officers kept me between them and didn't let anyone get close enough to impede our progress. I knew that there would be plenty of time for them to meet me at the store, so I tried not to slow us down either.

The elevator ride up to the second floor was somewhat of a relief as we had the entire elevator to ourselves. But it wasn't long before we were back in the crowd and trying to make our way to the store. The closer we got, the harder it was to keep moving. We slowed down quite a bit, but most people were willing to move out of the way when they realized who was trying to get through.

The line for the CD signing was already out of the store and around the nearby corner. I was worried about not having enough time to see everyone. I had already told my dad that I wanted to stay longer if there was still a line after the two hours we had specified. He didn't seem to like that idea, but I didn't want to leave anyone upset about not getting a chance to see me.

When I stepped into 'The Treble with Music' there was a small cheer from the people who were waiting at the front of the line. I was led to the back of the store where I had seen the table set up the other day. I smiled at Emily as I passed by the checkout counter. It looked like there were a lot of boxes behind her that held the CDs. The fans in the line would be able to purchase their CD before continuing down the line to where I was sitting. I was sure there were even those who weren't buying a CD who would still have me sign a poster or some other memorabilia that they had.

I was happy to take a seat behind the table. The two police officers stood nearby, Dad sat down next to me, and before I was even settled in we were approached by a man.

"Sarah," he greeted me excitedly. "Thank you so much for agreeing to do the signing here. I'm Jeffery Chambers, owner of 'The Treble with Music'."

"Hi, Jeffery," I greeted him with a large smile. I'd met him a couple of weeks ago as Megan, but never as Sarah. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you for the opportunity."

"It's my pleasure," Jeffery replied. I grinned back. It was obvious that this whole thing would give his store a big boost in sales. I would have been shocked if he wasn't pleased.

He left shortly afterward, and the first fan approached me. She was probably about my age and had a huge smile on her face.

"This is so totally awesome!" she exclaimed with one of the largest smiles I had ever seen. I smiled back as I took the CD from her. "I'm your biggest fan!"

"What's your name?" I asked her while uncapping the permanent marker that my dad handed me.

"Brittany," she replied. Dad had already told me that I didn't have enough time to personalize any of the messages in my autographs, and I had to struggle to only sign my name before returning the CD to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Brittany," I replied. Then she was ushered away. It was much too brief of an encounter with one of my fans, but it needed to be quick if I was going to get through all of them before my time was up.

The signing session continued in that vein for the next hour. I saw a number of people I knew from school or from church. I had to force a smile on my face when some of the football players and cheerleaders who had given me a hard time at school showed up in line. But the smile I gave Ms. Carson, one of my teachers, was completely genuine.

"Hi, Austin," I smiled at my brother as he stepped up to the table with his new girlfriend. "Hi, Susan."

"Hi, Sarah!" Susan said excitedly. Once again she was the blubbering girl I had first met as Sarah instead of the confident girl I had been introduced to as Megan. Austin had an unexcited look on his face that told me he couldn't wait to get out of there, so I quickly signed the CD case Susan slid my way and let him lead her away.

It wasn't long afterward that I had the first major shock of the day. I had just signed for a beautiful little blonde girl and looked up to see who was next.

"Paul!" I exclaimed, louder than I wanted to. It was the wrong thing to do, because he froze in place immediately. Paul Johnson was a friend from school. He had been my lab partner in Biology. Then, on yearbook day just over a month ago, I had confronted him when I'd seen him eyeing me over lunch. Paul was deathly afraid of girls. The fact that I was now a girl had made him very nervous when I had sat down across the table from him that day. But we were still friends, and I had at least gotten him to talk to me.

I couldn't believe that he was here though! Standing in line to get an autograph from a female celebrity was the last place on earth I would have expected to find him! He would have had to stand in line for over an hour to make it to me. I couldn't believe that he hadn't chickened out at some point. I was so proud of him!

It looked like he hadn't completely conquered his fears, because he was standing at the front of the line with an expression on his face that told me he wasn't going to be moving anytime soon. I had tripped his alarm response when I called out his name.

"It's okay," I told him, hoping it would help. It didn't. "You are Paul Johnson, right? Megan's friend?"

Invoking my real name seemed to help. He took a small step forward, and then another. I was smiling proudly at him as he finally reached me.

"How...How do you know my name?" he stuttered. Some of the fear started to encroach on his face again, but started to dissipate when he saw my kind smile.

"I know Megan pretty well," I told him. "We've met before, at her house. Before this, anyway," I said while motioning around me to indicate the craziness of Sarah's life. It wasn't a complete lie, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

"She's talked about you before," I continued. "She said that you were one of the nicest persons she has ever met, but that you are really shy. I'm sorry I scared you like that when I called out your name. I was just surprised to see you here!" I was beaming again. I could even feel tears start to well up in my eyes that I immediately pushed back down. Crying in front of him would not be the best thing to do, but I was so happy that he had made the effort to come down here to meet me! It was a big step forward for him.

He looked speechless, and I was afraid I had overdone it for a moment. Before he was able to talk, we were interrupted.

"Hurry it up," one of the store employees said. His name tag said Tony, but I hadn't been introduced to him at all. He was the one helping to make sure that the line flowed quickly. Paul jumped at his words, and turned to go.

"Paul, wait!" I said quickly. He turned back to me with fear in his eyes. I knew that he didn't want to get in any trouble, and he would want to get out of here quickly now. "I haven't signed your CD yet."

He looked down at the CD case still clutched in his hands like he didn't even know it was there. I smiled up at him, and he held it out to me. Despite what Dad had told me to do earlier, I wrote 'I'm so proud of you' before signing my name. Then I handed it back to him.

"Thank you for coming, Paul," I said. I was rewarded with one of the largest smiles I had ever seen Paul give to someone. I didn't know why he had decided to come down here today. I didn't know what had prevented him from leaving before he made it to me. But that smile told me that he had accomplished something today. He had grown closer to the type of person I'd hoped to be able to bring out in him.

And inside of that smile, I saw his own ‘thank you’ returned to me. He didn't say anything else before he turned and walked out of the store. My eyes followed him the whole way. The guy that had been standing behind him was not happy that my attention was still elsewhere when I turned to sign his CD.

"Hey!" he screamed while slamming his palm onto the table. I know I shrieked at the surprise of his move, but before I could do anything else, the two police officers were on either side of the boy, holding him by the arms. I knew without a doubt now that 'boy' definitely described the male in front of me, even if he was my own age.

"Johnny!" I screamed back at him. "What was that for?"

Johnny Crawford's sneer was unmistakable. He was really mad at me.

"You know this boy, ma'am?" one of the police officers asked me.

I reluctantly nodded. "Unfortunately," I replied. "He's the son of my representative with the record company." The officers started to let go of him at my statement, which was not what I wanted. "He was just leaving, though." I had to suppress the smile that started to curl my lips when the officers’ grips tightened instead.

"You can't kick me out!" he spat at me. "You have to sign my CD! If you don't, my dad will fire you!"

"No, I don't," I replied calmly. "Your dad told you to stay away from me. I don't think he would be upset at my refusal. Bye, Johnny."

The two police officers started moving him toward the door to the store, but it wasn't easy. If he got any more rowdy, I expected the officers to charge him with something.

I sighed. I wished I knew what was going on in that boy's head. I had no idea why he seemed to be so obsessed with me. But one thing was becoming clear to me: Johnny Crawford did not like it when he didn't get his way. But I didn’t care.

"Are you okay?" Dad asked me. I looked over at him. The concern creasing his eyes was evident, and I could feel the love and support behind them.

I nodded. "Yeah, I just don't like that boy at all."

"He has been giving you a lot of problems this summer," he replied. "I'll talk to Scott about him. Perhaps there is something that we can do to alleviate the situation."

"Thank you," I replied with a smile. I really hoped that I didn't have to deal with Johnny when school started again.

I was in a slight slump after that. I tried to be nice to the fans who followed Johnny, but it was getting more difficult as the time wore on. We were approaching the two-hour mark, and I was seriously considering stopping at the appointed time instead of continuing on.

But that all changed a few minutes later. A large smile broke out on my face as the next people in line stepped toward me. I knew immediately that I wasn't going to be stopping at two hours. It was because of fans like these that made this whole thing worthwhile. I wasn't going to let Johnny ruin that.

"Hi, Tracy," I greeted my cousin warmly. She returned my smile, and I looked over at her husband. He was astonished, and I knew immediately that Tracy had told him my secret. Dad would be unhappy about that, but I was okay with him knowing. Like Tracy, he was a lot of fun to hang around with. "Hi, Mark."

Amazingly, his eyes became even wider at my greeting. Obviously he still harbored some doubts about me as they approached the front of the line, but I had just confirmed that I knew him.

"I..." he started before pausing. "I never would have guessed," he finally said. I laughed, which caused him to laugh with me. "I thought you were good on Sunday, but today...Wow!"

"Hurry up, Sarah!" we were interrupted by Tony. He'd been doing that every time I took a little extra time with somebody. And I was tired of it.

"I'll take as much time as I want, Tony!" I shot back at him. The frustration I'd had at seeing Johnny came spilling out at him. It was unfortunate, but it had the desired effect. He closed his mouth and stepped back as he realized that I was the one in charge of the line, not him.

I turned back to Tracy. "Where's Heather?" I asked. Now that I had decided that I would be staying late, it was nice to have a short break and talk for a couple of minutes.

"She's at my Mom's house," she replied. "Mark and I thought we'd make it a date afternoon. We had lunch together before coming over to watch you perform."

I laughed lightly. I never would have thought that I would be a date for my cousin! "I'm glad I could help," I told them, which got them to laugh with me again.

Tracy then handed me two copies of my CD. I looked at her curiously while uncapping the marker again. "I told Katy I would get her one," she explained. "She wanted to come, but she had dance class."

"Ok," I replied and started writing on the first CD. "Tracy, Mark, and Heather, Thank you for everything," I said while writing. Then I signed my name and handed them the CD. Then I started writing on Katy's before handing the second CD case to them. Tracy took a look at it and started laughing. Mark did the same after he'd read it.

"Sarah, you are wicked!" she exclaimed before they turned to leave. They'd had the longest interaction with me of any fan yet, and I could see Tony getting antsy again. "Let's do lunch again, okay?"

I smiled and nodded back at her before the two of them walked away, still chuckling.

"What did you write?" Dad asked curiously.

"I just told Katy that I was the best friend she didn't know she had," I said with a straight face. That got Dad laughing too. Katy was going to be really mad when she found out about my secret, but in the meantime I was going to have fun with her.

That short time with my family reinvigorated me and gave me the energy to continue the signing. It was another 45 minutes before we were finally able to make our way out of the store and toward the door where my limo was waiting for me. I even had to stop three times to give another autograph on the way. But by the time I sagged into the back seat, I was more than ready to go to bed.

My wrist hurt, and I was tired. But I was happy that I'd had this opportunity. I loved my fans!

*  *  *

*  *  *
The Bad News
I won't sugarcoat it. This will be the last chapter of Sarah Carerra posted for a while.

When I started writing this story, I had no idea that it would become such a big part of my life. I can't go a full day without having some kind of idea for the story pop into my head. I love this story. I love writing this story. I love reading your comments and seeing how my story can bring a moment of entertainment to you. I thrive on it.

So why am I stopping?

Truthfully, I'm not. I have nine projects that I am currently working on right now. Most of them do not get much time. Sarah takes up a lot of my available time, and I know the fans of A Flower's Bloom may be jealous of the story for that reason. I have other stories that I want to finish and give to you too. I'm even trying to write a non-transgender book with the hope of getting it published. But none of these are the reason why Sarah is taking a break.

Life is.

I try to stay ten chapters ahead in Sarah Carerra to prevent things like this from happening. But the muse isn't always there, and I had started to get behind. Then December happened. December caused my life to get hectic. Between work and school and family, I didn't get much time to write. I had hoped to get a lot done over the holiday break, but that turned out not to happen as I got to spend some rare time with my sister who lives two states away. Every week as I've posted a new chapter and watched the end of what I had ready to publish loom ever closer, I've gotten more and more depressed at my inability to find the time to write. I'm truly sorry that it has come to this, it wasn't my plan.

What happens now?

I'm writing still. I have three more chapters of Sarah written, and I'm working to get two more before I send them off to my editor. I started dedicating time every day to sit down and write. So far my muse has cooperated and that time has been spent on Sarah. I believe that it will continue to be. My hope is that this break will only be for three or four weeks. That seems like a long time now, but I hope it will be shorter. I will leave updates at www.sarahcarerra.com.

Thank you for your continued support. I couldn't do this without you guys, and I hope that I can return to posting a new chapter each week quickly. My life will be empty without something to share in the upcoming weeks.

Sincerely,
Megan

---

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Interlude

It has taken me longer than I expected to get to this point. I want to thank everyone that has waited patiently for more Sarah Carerra. I'm sorry I had to make you wait.

I came really close to being able to post a new chapter this morning. But there are a few things I need to finish before I can do that, and I will have them done in the next couple of days.

Sarah Carerra will return Monday, March 7, 2011.

The last few weeks have been amazing. Chapters have been flowing out of my head freely, and I hope that continues for the forseeable future. I love this story. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of something I want to add or what will happen next. I wish I could write faster, but alas this is the best I can do.

Book 2 is now longer than book 1, and it is only about 2/3 complete. I've also really started narrowing down what is going to happen in Book 3. I even have a few ideas for a 4th book. So there is still plenty of Megan/Sarah's story left to tell. I hope you'll bear with me and enjoy the ride.

I didn't want to leave everyone disappointed that another chapter wasn't posted today, so I've compiled a few paragraphs that will give you an idea of what will happen in the next five chapters. Enjoy.

*  *  *

"You are expected," I mocked sarcastically while driving up the short lane to the roundabout in front of the home. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea again. I hadn't wanted to attend a formal dinner, but if Josh's aunt and uncle employed a butler, they probably had a whole staff on hand to make this a high society dinner.

The house itself was something I had only ever seen in movies before. I knew that my family lived in a nice house that would get us a pretty penny if we ever sold it, but this place put to shame the home I'd known my entire life. I was really intimidated as I stepped out of my car and approached the front door. I really wished I had Mom and Dad, or even Emily or Ethan with me to help keep me from turning and running away.

*  *  *

My lips instinctively tightened at his words. Austin and I had never really gotten along very well before my life changed so drastically early this summer. But looking at him now, I knew that he had looked up to me. Seeing me become his sister had to have been hard. We'd talked about it some after my first concert, but I knew that he had to be struggling still. He truly had tried to impress me during the game, and I realized that he wanted me to look up to him just as much as he was looking up to me.

*  *  *

As we approached the stage, a few screams of excitement came from those sitting nearby as they caught sight of me, but I concentrated on preparing myself. I'd done this enough times that my nervousness was very weak, but it would always be there. The day I wasn't nervous to take the stage was the day I died. However, I knew that there wasn't much to be worried about. I had done this before and I would do it many times again.

*  *  *

There was a flicker of something in Josh's eye. We were staring at each other, inches apart at the end of the song, and I noticed something.

*  *  *

With a great amount of trepidation, I got out of my car and headed for the front door. Ringing the doorbell was almost enough to make me want to head back home. I hadn't had to face anyone who knew me as my old self in over a month and a half.

*  *  *

I pulled into the gas station where we normally filled up without a second thought. It wasn't until I saw the little girl gradually getting closer and closer to me while I waited for the gas to flow into the car that I realized this was the first time I had stopped for gas as Sarah.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.26 - Lucky Girl

I woke up Friday morning with one of the most satisfied feelings I had ever experienced coursing through my veins! Getting up on stage and performing yesterday left me with a fire burning in my body. That fire was the power that kept me returning again and again to sing in front of a crowd.

But if the rush was the fire, interacting with the fans at the CD signing was the fuel. I had never had an experience like that in my life! Two hours and forty-five minutes of fan after fan excited for the short chance to meet me.

And I got to meet them. I'd seen the numbers, I'd heard the news, but I had never fully understood my popularity until last night. Young and old, male and female, it didn't matter. There were fans from almost every walk of life represented by the many people whom I met yesterday. I felt honored to have that privilege, and I knew that it was something I needed to cherish.

As I got ready for the day, that feeling continued to stir around inside me. Eventually, that feeling started to mesh into a tune. Then the tune started to morph into a song. I was proud of the way that I had overcome my fears to get up on stage that first time at Johnny's house. I was proud of my ability to walk out on the stage in Salt Lake City and perform a concert without any prior experience. But I was also proud of the way that Paul had taken a step forward and come to the CD signing.

If ever there was a person who was scared to live life, it was Paul. I didn't know why he was so shy and so timid. I couldn't understand why he had chosen that moment to take a step outside of his shell. All I knew was that moment, along with the feeling I had at conquering my own fears, needed to flow out of my head.

I stepped into Sarah's room and grabbed my guitar case and the notebook I wrote my songs in. Sitting down on the couch, I did the only thing I could with those feelings and thoughts. I poured them onto paper. The song in my head had a really nice, upbeat sound that I couldn't fully write by myself. But I put down what I could and I knew that the band would help me put the rest down later.

Mom interrupted me just as I finished the song, and I smiled at her as she entered.

"How are you doing?" she asked while stepping into the room.

"Great!" I replied while setting my guitar back in its case. "I just wrote another song! Did you know that Paul came to the CD signing?"

"Paul Johnson?" Mom asked astonished. I nodded and smiled. Paul had been over to our house many times when we were lab partners, but he hadn't come by since I became Megan. "Why was he there?"

"I don't know!" I said. "He was the last person I expected to see, and I nearly frightened him away when I gasped his name."

Mom smiled. She knew just how timid and shy Paul was. She seemed to share some of my wonder at his unexpected appearance.

"I think I'm going to take him some tickets to the OC Fair," I continued. "I think he'd like to come, and I'd like to see him there. If he's sitting with you guys, then he'll be okay too."

Mom nodded. "I think that he'd like that. I always did like him. You could do worse, you know."

I blushed immediately. Paul was a friend, and I'd never thought of him as anything else! I didn't know why Mom would jump to that type of conclusion!

"Mom!" I finally found my voice. "He's just a friend!"

She smiled back at me. Then I realized that she likely had made the statement to see how I would react. I had proven that I was interested in boys that first night I had gone out with Josh. We'd discussed that pretty heavily afterward. She probably wondered if I was finally moving past the boy whom I had a crush on.

I sighed. I was supposed to go to dinner with Josh tonight, but I knew that he didn't want to have that type of relationship with Sarah. At the concert he was really interested in me as Megan, but he hadn't even tried to contact her during his stay in Los Angeles. Perhaps he no longer had any feelings for me whatsoever.

That was a depressing thought.

"Megan," Mom said and wrapped me in her arms after seeing my reaction. "You've never really had a crush on anyone before. Josh is your first. The first one is always the worst when you finally move on. Josh is a good kid, but getting involved with him would be...complicated."

"I know, Mom," I said, trying to hold back the tears that had already begun to spill out. I knew that Josh had probably moved on - I just hadn't accepted that thought. Having her point it out was not what I wanted her to do. "Maybe I should just cancel dinner."

"I wouldn't do that, Honey," she said. "I know it will be tough to see him, but it will teach you how to deal with the situation, and I'm sure your father will be upset with the ramifications it might have on your career."

Her words made sense, but they didn't make me feel any better. I knew that I had to go to dinner to help support the idea that we would be working together. We had already agreed to sing duet at one of his concerts, and Dad had already been talking about having him show up at one of mine. Shunning Josh for the way he was making me feel could seriously diminish our ability to work together. I smiled wanly at her and nodded.

"Come have a light snack," Mom said to me. "It's already two and I don't think you even ate breakfast." My stomach growled to prove her point. "Besides, your dad has something he wants to tell you. He's been excited all morning, but he didn't want to interrupt the song."

That got my attention, and my tears started to dry up. I nodded again and reached down to close the guitar case before I stood up and followed Mom out to the kitchen.

Dad was sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich when we arrived, and I noticed that there were two more plates waiting for us. I sat down next to them and took a bite of my sandwich.

"Hi, Princess," Dad said to me with an excited smile on his face. "Did you finish the song?"

I finished chewing before I responded. "As much as I can alone. I want to get together with the band and finish it so we can use it on the tour."

Dad nodded. "We'll need to come up with some other songs too if we want to fill the show's timeframe. We might have to do some covers, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing."

"Okay," I replied and took another bite.

"Your album was quite a hit yesterday," he said next. From the excitement on his face I knew that this was what he had been waiting to tell me. "Megan, you sold 428,000 albums yesterday! That's phenomenal for a first album!"

I stopped chewing. 428,000 copies? That was a staggering number! I hadn't had any real idea how many would sell, but that number was way higher than I thought it would be!

I just stared at Dad before I responded. "Are you serious?" I asked after forcing myself to swallow.

"Yes," he replied. That same smile I had seen when I sat down was still plastered on his face. "I told you that you had potential! This just proves it. I'm so proud of you!"

I didn't know what to say! I was completely in shock, and I couldn’t think of anything else to do except continue to eat. 428,000!

By the time I was done eating, Mom and Dad had showered me with compliments and encouragements. I was still in a daze as I returned to Sarah's room and spent the afternoon going over the songs that Josh and I would be practicing later in the evening.

I still hadn't fully recovered from that news when I stepped back out of Sarah's room after putting on a nice, but not too formal, dress for dinner.

Since I was dressed and ready, I was surprised to find my parents in the front room watching TV together. Neither of them was dressed or ready for dinner.

"Aren't you guys getting ready?" I asked with concern. I didn't want to be late. Despite what I had talked to Mom about earlier, I hoped that I still had a chance with Josh, in one identity or the other.

Mom turned around and smiled slightly at me. That smile told me everything, and my shoulders slumped at the knowledge that I would be braving my feelings for Josh alone this evening. My parents weren't coming.

"Why not?" I asked before she replied. Josh had invited both me and my family! They had every right to be there!

"Honey, Josh invited your family. We aren't Sarah's family." Her response made my stomach fall. I knew there was a separation between my parents and Sarah. That was for my own protection. If they were linked to Sarah as her parents, then it was only a simple task for someone to realize that Sarah and Megan were the same person.

I glared at her, and without another word to them I walked out to my car and started driving toward Josh's house.

This day had started out with one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. Now I had sunk into the pit of despair. I never thought that I would feel betrayed and deserted by my own parents!

*  *  *

"How can I help you?" came the refined voice from the callbox at the gate entering into Josh's relatives’ house. When he said they lived in Beverly Hills, I expected a mansion, but I still wasn't prepared for what I found.

"Sarah Carerra," I replied. "I'm here for dinner."

"You are expected," the voice returned. This statement sounded nasally. The gate started to open and I rolled up my window before driving forward.

"You are expected," I mocked sarcastically while driving up the short lane to the roundabout in front of the home. I was beginning to think this was a bad idea again. I hadn't wanted to attend a formal dinner, but if Josh's aunt and uncle employed a butler, they probably had a whole staff on hand to make this a high society dinner.

The house itself was something I had only ever seen in movies before. I knew that my family lived in a nice house that would get us a pretty penny if we ever sold it, but this place put to shame the home I'd known my entire life. I was really intimidated as I stepped out of my car and approached the front door. I really wished I had Mom and Dad, or even Emily or Ethan with me to help keep me from turning and running away.

The door opened before I reached it, and Josh was standing there with a smile on his face that melted the idea to run straight out of my mind. If he was here, I would be okay. He was dressed much the same way I was: nice, but not formal. He had on a pair of slacks and a button up shirt, though the lack of a tie told me that I didn't have to worry about fitting into high society this evening.

"Hi, Sarah," he said with that voice that started to make my legs all wobbly again. How was I supposed to get over him when he had that kind of an effect on me?

"Hi, Josh," I replied. It sounded slightly too love-struck to my ears, though. Thankfully, he didn't seem to catch the tone in my voice. But the person standing next to him did. I watched her lips tighten at the knowledge that I still had feelings for her brother, even if he wasn't returning them. "Hi, Amanda," I said to her. Amanda Holliday and I had gotten to know each other pretty well on the flight to Salt Lake City for the concert, and I was happy to see her again.

"Hi, Sarah!" she replied excitedly and stepped forward to give me a hug. That was unexpected, but it turned out not to be awkward at all. When she let go, I saw that Josh's lips had tightened much like hers had. I had the sudden impression that he was jealous of his sister. Well, it was his own fault that he wasn't getting his own hug!

"Where's your family?" Josh asked me next.

"They couldn't make it," I replied. It was my turn to tighten my lips as I thought of how I had felt abandoned by my parents. I knew that it was for my own good, but that didn’t stop me from wishing that they were here.

Josh frowned, but stepped back to let me inside. "Come on inside. Dinner is almost ready, and we have a lot to do tonight if we are going to be ready for tomorrow."

I nodded and stepped into the house after him. The inside of the house was just as immaculate as the outside, and I felt out of place immediately. The opulence that was displayed was off-putting, and I wondered how long I would have to endure it to get out of here.

Just inside the door were two other people waiting for us. I first turned my attention to Josh's mom, Annie. She gave me a welcoming hug. I had also gotten to know her fairly well during the concert, and it was nice to have a few friendly faces here.

The second person was a boy. He looked to be about Amanda's age, and I guessed he must be their cousin. He had that same look on his face that most of the teenage boys had when they met me.

"Sarah, this is Steven," Josh said when it was apparent that Steven wasn't going to talk for himself. "He's my cousin. Believe it or not, he is an only child."

An only child...in this huge house? Talk about overkill. I could see wanting to have a nice place, but this mansion must have had like 80 rooms. Too much for a family of three, if you asked me.

He smiled at me. "You are expected," he deadpanned in the same tone as the butler had on the voice box outside. I started laughing out loud when I realized that it was the same voice.

"Okay, you got me," I said when I finally was able to talk again. I was still chuckling, and I noticed that the slightly scared expression he'd had at meeting me was now gone. He had broken the ice. "It's nice to meet you, Steven."

"The pleasure is mine," he replied. He looked innocent enough when he said it, but it was dripping with the feelings I knew he was having about me. I wasn't too keen on continuing that type of discussion.

We were then led into the dining room where I met Josh's aunt and uncle. Uncle Ned and Aunt Karen weren't much for words, and they almost seemed somewhat put out that I was in their home. We sat down quickly and dinner was served. It seemed they felt that the sooner they were finished and didn't have to interact with me, the better.

Dinner was nice. The food was excellent, but the companionship was only so so. Josh and his family, and even Steven, were very kind, but discussion was stifled primarily by Steven's parents. I was not sure why they agreed to let me visit if this was how they felt. I sincerely hoped for Steven's sake that they weren't like this all of the time.

After dinner was over, the two of them quickly retired to a different part of the house, and the rest of us found ourselves in a study that had a pretty nice sound system.

"This is where I work on my music when I'm in town," Josh told me while I sat down on a plush couch. "I thought it would be a good place to practice the songs for tomorrow."

I looked around. Sarah's room had become the place where I most often worked on my own songs. It was very feminine and soothing to me. This place was the opposite. It wasn't blatantly masculine. But it was definitely a room that would be better suited for a guy than a girl. Overall, it was a nice, cozy place to work on music. He could have done a lot worse.

"It's nice," I replied, garnering a smile from him. Josh walked over to the music system and pressed a button. 'Lucky' started playing immediately, and without any preamble Josh started singing the first verse. I smiled, and when it came my turn, I joined him.

My feelings were conflicted as I sang the song with him for the first time. It was a love song, and as I watched his eyes as we sang, I clearly saw that he was attracted to me. If he had those types of feelings for me, why didn't he act on them? He knew that I was interested. All he had to do was to return them.

The second song was better. It was a light-hearted comedy piece that was easier for us to set aside our emotions. We had a lot of fun with it.

The third song, however, was the worst of all. It was a slow, meaningful song. I had to struggle to hold in tears while I sang it with Josh, because I learned the truth while watching his eyes while we sang it. He had feelings for me, but he didn't love me. I could see that clearly now. I doubted that he even loved Megan. What he was returning to me wasn't the same thing that I had been feeling for him. I had hoped that there was still a chance for us to be together, but it was painfully evident to me now that it wasn't going to be in my immediate future.

As we continued to sing and practice throughout the night, Josh knew what I had learned. His concern for me grew as we continued to practice. Fortunately, his family eventually left us alone, and by the time we were finished, I felt exhausted and emotionally spent.

"Sarah," Josh said as I collapsed back down onto the couch. "I'm sorry."

I looked up at him, and as much as it hurt, I smiled. Josh was a good guy. Someday he would make some girl very lucky. But that day wasn't today, and when it happened, I was unlikely to be the girl. It hurt, but there was also relief in my smile. I was happy for him. I knew that we would continue to be friends, and perhaps there would be a chance for more in the future, but I finally was okay with what was happening now.

"It's okay, Josh," I told him. "You don't need to apologize. This isn't your fault."

"Sarah," he said. I knew he didn't agree with my words, but I held up my hand to let him know that he didn't need to say anything more. "Look," he said instead. "You are amazing. I envy the guy who gets to be with you. But that can't be me. Not right now."

"I know," I told him. "But I hope we can still be friends. Is that okay?"

"Of course," he said while finally returning my smile.

This had been one roller coaster of an emotional day. From the wonderful feeling I'd had this morning to the sadness I had felt at leaving my parents at home. But now, it had turned into a good day again. I hadn't lost Josh. I had gained another good friend. Perhaps someday that would mean more, but if it didn't, I was glad for what I had.

I was a lucky girl.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.27 - We Love You Too, Austin!

"Megan, wake up," my mom said as she shook me gently Saturday morning.

"Why?" I groaned. I wanted to sleep longer, especially after the emotionally draining night I'd endured with Josh.

"Well for one, you have an appointment with Mary, but I want you to come to Austin's soccer game afterward," she said. "He's starting to feel left out with all that you are doing this summer. It would mean a lot to him if you were there."

I groaned again. I had talked to her about what had happened the night before, and she had been there for me once more. But now she wanted me to be there for someone else. I loved Austin. I knew that I had been taking a lot of my parents’ attention this summer. I didn't mean to make him feel left out at all.

"Okay," I finally managed and threw back the covers to get ready.

I spent the morning with Mary talking about Josh and the feelings that I had about him. I thought that I had come to terms with what had happened the night before, but she made me feel even more comfortable about it.

By the time I pulled up to the park where Austin's soccer game was being played, I already knew it was going to be a great day.

I parked my car and walked to the field where I saw everyone standing and watching. It didn't look like they had started yet, but there were a few people on the field warming up. Eventually, I found my parents and headed their way.

"Oh good, you made it," Mom said when she saw me approaching. She was smiling at me, and a number of people around them turned to look.

"Hi," I said shyly when I realized I was now on display to the other parents who were standing nearby.

"This is Megan?" one woman asked. My mom nodded, and motioned for me to come closer. I walked over to her and she gave me a quick hug.

"Where's Austin?" I asked, partially because I was curious and partially because I wanted to deflect any further discussion about me.

"He's over there," Dad pointed to where one team was standing in a circle.

I smiled when I saw him. "Go Austin!" I yelled and watched as he looked up. Even from across the field, I could see the smile grow across his face.

It wasn't long before the game started. Austin wasn't in at the beginning of the game, but he was substituted in shortly thereafter. Dad said he played forward, but all that seemed to mean was that he was always on the far side of the field from where we were watching.

I cheered my heart out every time the ball was near him, and Austin managed to score three goals during the game, a feat Mom said was very unusual for him. When the game was over and he started walking over to us, he had one of the most excited expressions on his face that I had ever seen.

"Did you see, Megan?" he asked excitedly. "I scored three goals for you!"

"I saw, Austin," I told him and wrapped him in a hug. He was kind of sweaty, but I didn't care. "You were amazing!"

He continued to smile as he got a similar hug from Mom and a manly one from Dad. I hadn't seen him this happy in a while, and I didn't want it to end.

"Come on," Dad finally interrupted our celebration. "We need to get home so that Megan can get ready for tonight."

It was the wrong thing to say. I saw Austin's excitement level drop when the attention focused away from him and back to me. He smiled though. "Can I ride with Megan?" he asked.

It was my turn to smile then. "Of course," I replied.

"Awesome!" he said. "I've always wanted to ride in your car!"

I laughed at his excitement. I'd told him that I'd give him rides when I could, but I had been so busy with Sarah's life that we really hadn't done anything together in a while. We needed to do something else. Something like lunch.

"Alright," Dad agreed to what I had already agreed to. "But Megan, please hurry home. Julia and Stephanie will be over soon, and we need to be at a sound check not long after lunch."

"Okay," I said. "Come on, Austin."

He smiled again with excitement, and we walked toward the parking lot.

"I didn't know you were that good," I told him. "I'm sorry I don't get to come to more of your games."

"It's okay," he said in that tone that usually indicated that it was just the opposite. "You usually have an appointment with Mary anyway."

My lips instinctively tightened at his words. Austin and I had never really gotten along very well before my life changed so drastically early this summer. But looking at him now, I knew that he had looked up to me. Seeing me become his sister had to have been hard. We'd talked about it some after my first concert, but I knew that he had to be struggling still. He truly had tried to impress me during the game, and I realized that he wanted me to look up to him just as much as he was looking up to me.

After we got in the car, we quickly made our way out of the parking lot. I saw Austin look at me quizzically when I turned in the opposite direction from home, but he didn't say anything. It wasn't until I turned down a specific street that his eyes widened.

"Where are we going?" he finally asked. The excitement that had been in his eyes after the game was back when he realized where we were.

"I thought we could get something to eat before we head home. Just you and me," I told him. My smile grew as I watched his eyes open wide. He was practically salivating by the time I pulled into Alfredo's Italian Restaurant. Alfredo's made excellent food, and my whole family loved to come here. But their prices were quite steep, and Mom and Dad rarely were willing to spend what was required to eat there. This time, however, I had plenty of money at my disposal to choose where to eat. I knew how much Austin loved this place.

Stepping out of the car, I realized that Austin wasn't dressed for the place in his soccer uniform, and I hoped that they wouldn't turn us away. It was lunchtime though, so it should be less formal.

Austin was on cloud nine as he opened the door for me and walked into the restaurant behind me. I was happy that I had the ability to give something back to him. He was the best brother that I could have asked for, and he deserved the chance to have opportunities like this.

I walked toward the hostess' booth, and saw the hostess frown as we approached. I might have been dressed well, but it appeared she didn't really approve of Austin's appearance. She turned to me. "Waiting for your parents?"

I choked out the laugh that had formed in my throat at her words. Even without the wig I knew I looked older than my true age of sixteen. But that didn't mean I looked old enough to be able to pay for a meal here.

"No," I told her, causing her frown to deepen. "Austin here had an amazing soccer game, and I thought that he deserved to be taken out to lunch for his efforts."

Austin's eyes widened at my words, and the hostess grimaced. Then I got the feeling that even though she didn't like how he was dressed, that wasn't the real reason that she was concerned.

I sighed and reached for my purse. I knew what this was about. This was another example of when I missed the treatment that Sarah received, but I also knew that this was a part of the life that we were trying to protect with the secret.

"Look," I told her while pulling out my wallet. "I plan to use my debit card to pay for the meal, but if it makes you feel any better, I do have a one hundred dollar bill in my wallet. So I can pay for our meal either way."

I pulled the aforementioned bill out and showed it to her. This place was expensive, but it wasn't that expensive. Immediately, I watched her grimace deepen. This time I knew it was because she felt she might have offended a paying customer.

She looked down at her board, pressed a button, and then turned to the young lady standing next to her. "Certainly. Please follow Jessica. She will show you to your table. Have a good meal."

I smiled kindly back to her, and watched with a small amount of pleasure as her shoulders slumped forward. She had prejudged us, and that was something that I hated when people did it.

Once Austin and I were seated, he dived into the menu immediately. I picked mine up, but before I got a chance to look at what was offered, my phone rang. Knowing who it would be, I did not reach for my purse. Instead, I started looking at the salads. I didn't want to eat anything too heavy if I was going to be on stage tonight.

"Aren’t you going to answer that?" Austin asked after my phone started ringing for a third time.

"No," I replied. "If I did, then Dad would just yell at me to come home. I want to eat lunch with you first. They can wait for me."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? What if Dad grounds you and doesn't let you perform tonight?" Austin asked.

I looked up from my menu and met his eyes. I said quietly, but firmly, "Austin, I spend so much time as Sarah that I rarely get to spend time with the family. When was the last time you and I did something together?" I watched as he started to think about my question. Since he couldn't answer immediately, I knew it had been too long. "See what I mean? You can't even remember."

He seemed to realize then what I was talking about, so I continued. "Dad is my manager, and he's very good at it. But sometimes, he doesn't leave me with enough time to do the things I want to do. Yes, I have a show tonight. That doesn't mean I can't take the time to have lunch with you. I happen to know the sound check isn't until four, and it's only noon. It takes about an hour and a half for Stephanie and Julia to get me ready, and then it will take about 30 to 45 minutes to get downtown. That leaves me with plenty of time to have lunch with my brother."

He smiled and then nodded, and looked back down at his menu. "Besides," I said. "You deserve this after the whooping you gave the other team today. I didn't know that you were that good."

He looked sideways for a moment, clearly uncomfortable at the praises that I was giving him. "I'm not that good," he replied. "I usually don't even score. I'm better at hockey. I wish it was winter so that I could play that instead."

"Well, you could have fooled me," I told him. "You played great today."

"Thanks," he said, blushing. "But I got lucky. Two of those goals I don't even know how they went in."

"Well, I thought you looked better than anyone else out there," I said.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Yeah, but you aren't exactly an expert on sports."

"I know sports!" I argued.

"Yeah, sure," he replied. He was laughing though, and I knew he was right. Even as Brett I hadn't been very interested in sports. I'd watch them with Dad and Austin occasionally, but I never really cared much about who won or anything.

"I guess you're right," I finally conceded. "But I still thought you looked great."

"You're just saying that because you're my sister," he replied. "You have to say that."

I laughed. I'd missed Austin.

"Look, Austin," I told him a moment later. "I'm sorry for taking so much of Mom’s and Dad's attention this summer. I never in my wildest dreams thought that something like this would happen to me. But when I get up on stage, it's the most wonderful feeling I've ever experienced. I'm sorry how much it has disrupted what you wanted to do this summer. I know you had hoped to go camping with Dad."

"It's okay, Megan," he replied with a sigh. "I'm jealous sometimes, but when I hear you sing, all of that goes away. You are amazing! I would feel bad if anything I did kept you from singing and sharing that with all of your fans. I mean, I wish I could go tonight. But I guess there will always be the tour. It will be fun to see some of the country, even if it means missing some of the soccer season."

I smiled at him. That sounded so mature coming from a fourteen-year-old. He really was growing up.

"Well, we have a week in New York," I told him. "I want you to find something there that you really want to do, and we'll go and do it, okay? No matter what, I promise that we will do it."

"You mean it?" he asked excitedly. "Anything?"

"Anything," I replied.

"Megan, you're the best!" he exclaimed, causing me to chuckle at his enthusiasm.

"No, Austin," I said in return. "You are." Then I reached across the table and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed immediately, but I knew he felt the same way when our eyes connected again.

*  *  *

"Where have you been?!" Mom screamed.

"We stopped to get some lunch," I replied defensively. I had expected my dad to be mad, especially after seeing Julia's car in the driveway when we pulled in. But the reaction from my mom was unexpected. I expected her to be upset too, but I just wasn't expecting such a strong reaction.

"Why didn't you answer your phone?!" she continued to scream at me. "Do you know how worried I was? You could have been in an accident or something!"

"Mom! Don't yell!" Austin yelled back at her. "She wanted to take me to lunch and spend some time with me! She has plenty of time to get ready!"

Mom turned back toward me without responding to him. "Answer the question!"

"Mom," I said calmly, hoping it would help her relax a bit. "If I answered it, all Dad would have done is scream at me to come home. I haven't gotten to spend any time with Austin in months! I wanted to take him to lunch. And I still have enough time to get ready."

"I don't care! You always answer your phone! Do you understand me?" Mom didn't usually get mad, but when she did it was usually for a good reason. I had worried her, and I was sorry for that. But answering the phone would have meant coming home early.

"Honey, calm down, she's safe," Dad said while wrapping Mom in his arms. That was totally unexpected on his part. I thought he would be right there with her ready to ground me for what I'd done. But instead, he seemed to realize that I needed the time with Austin. He was also upset that I hadn't answered my phone, but at least he wasn't mad at me for making Julia and Stephanie wait. At least I didn't think he was.

"Megan, go get ready," he said to me. "We're running tight on time now, so hurry."

I nodded and headed down to Sarah's room. I knew that Julia and Stephanie would be waiting for me there. When I opened the door, I found the two of them sitting on the couch watching some celebrity gossip show on the TV. They looked over at me and smiled.

"There she is," Julia said. Her tone was a welcome relief from the screaming and disappointment that had come from my parents. My biggest worry about taking Austin to lunch had been that I would upset these two. I needed them, and making them mad would be a bad thing for my career.

"I'm sorry," I replied. "I took my brother to lunch after his soccer game."

"It's okay," Julia told me. "We still have plenty of time."

Something seemed off with these two. There wasn't even a hint that they were mad at me. I expected that they would at least be slightly agitated that I had made them wait, but it seemed like they weren't even bored.

"Don't give me that look," Julia said. "You pay me way too much for me to get mad at waiting for you. I can't say I didn't enjoy a bit of downtime, either."

I laughed. Stephanie was nodding her head too, and I knew for sure that what I had done was okay with these two. I didn't know exactly how much they were paid, but that imaginary number in my head just added a couple of zeros.

"I'm still sorry," I told them. "I haven't been able to spend much time with him since this whole ordeal started, and he was feeling left out."

"I understand," Julia spoke once again. "I have a sister who feels the same way when I start talking about all the people whom I work with. It's important to spend time with your family. Now quickly, put these on."

She handed me a bundle of clothes, and I smiled back. I knew it was going to be a great day. Now, if only I can keep myself from getting grounded.

*  *  *

"You really aren't coming?" I asked my mother despondently.

She glared back at me. "I'm too mad at you, and someone needs to watch Austin."

I heard Austin groan. I knew he felt he was old enough to watch himself. I had stayed home alone at his age without any problems.

"It's just one concert, Princess," my dad said. "They'll get to see you perform at a lot of them before the end of summer. And it's only three songs. I'll be there with you backstage, and they'll get a chance to see you perform them again with Josh in Salt Lake City, okay?"

"Okay," I said, but it didn't feel okay. They had been to both of my performances up until this point. Granted, there had only been two, but that was still a track record I didn't want to break so soon.

"I love you," I told them both.

"I love you too, Megan," Austin responded back and even came over and gave me a hug. "Go out there and score three goals for me, okay?"

I laughed and smiled back at him. "I will, I promise."

Then I turned to my mom. Except for her remark that she was still mad at me, she hadn't said anything to me since I had gone to get ready. I had connected with my mom this week in a way I never had before, and now I was worried that I had really ruined that.

Finally, her face softened, and she opened her arms. I immediately ran into them.

"I love you too, honey," she whispered in my ear. "But you scared me to death today. I didn't know where you were and you didn't answer your phone. You have no idea how badly that made me feel. Please consider that in the future, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," I told her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to take him to lunch alone."

"I know, honey," she replied as she let go of me. I stepped back and looked at her loving face. "And Megan, thank you."

She smiled at me, and I felt my whole face light up. I knew why she was thanking me. She was thanking me for the attempt I had made to reach out to Austin again. I hadn't realized how my new life in the spotlight had affected him, but now I knew that I had to make sure he was included. I loved him so much, and he deserved just as much attention as I was getting.

As I walked out of the house toward the waiting limo, I knew one thing for sure.

I had the best family in the world.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.28 - A Staple for the Holliday

There were already a number of people standing around when the limo pulled up to a door at the Staples Center. For a moment I worried that things would become complicated until a man wearing a security uniform approached the limo and opened the door. Then I saw a number of other security officers standing between the street and the door to help me get inside without anyone approaching me.

Dad was the first to get out, since we had stopped with the arena on his side of the vehicle. But he turned around and offered me his hand as I slid across the back seat and swung my legs out the door. He smiled down at me as he helped me out, and then stepped back to let the people gathered around see me. Cameras started flashing immediately, and I waved and smiled as I was escorted straight to the door.

I noticed the looks of shock and surprise on the faces of the people whom I passed. My appearance on stage today was going to be a surprise, so my presence hadn't been advertised at all.

Before I knew it, I was inside. There were more people in here too, but they only got a short glimpse of me as I was escorted straight to another door that led to a stairway. A short trip down and I was through another door onto the event level.

It immediately became apparent that I was now in a non-public zone because everyone I saw was wearing a pass of some sort, including the young woman who was waiting for us on the other side of the door.

"Ms. Carerra," she greeted us warmly. "How are you doing today?"

"I'm kind of excited," I replied, returning the smile that was on her face. I was happy to note that it appeared to be genuine. "I've never performed in a venue this big before."

She chuckled kindly before continuing. "My name is Sylvia Meyers. I'm the event coordinator for this evening. If you would follow me, I'll show you to your dressing room."

I nodded, and she started walking, slowly enough to let me walk beside her. She also pulled a pass off of the clipboard she was carrying and handed it to me.

"Please put this on. Everyone is required to wear them. You can leave it with your manager while you are on stage," she explained. I nodded and slipped the lanyard over my head and then pulled my hair through while she handed another pass to my dad.

It didn't take very long before we stopped in front of a door. She opened it and I followed her inside to a small dressing room.

"I hope this is okay," she replied, and I noted the first hint of nervousness that she had displayed in the short time since we met. I had a feeling she was worried about what I would think of such a small dressing room.

"It's fine," I replied with a smile. I knew that I would be placed in a smaller dressing room this evening. I was only going to be on stage for three songs, and my name was not even listed on the headline. Honestly, I was just happy to have a dressing room.

The relief on her face was evident, and she smiled back once again. "Okay," she said. "If you need anything, there is a list of numbers by that phone there." She pointed at a phone to let me know what she was talking about. I nodded, and she looked down at her clipboard again. "Your sound check is in 20 minutes. Someone will be by to show you the way. Then you are welcome to stay here until it is time to take the stage this evening. You can watch the concert on the TV, or you can watch any of the channels that are provided."

"Okay," I nodded my understanding. I knew what she was really telling me. She wanted me to stay in my dressing room all night unless I was needed. I didn't really have anywhere else to go, anyway.

With a wave, she was out the door and only Dad and I were left in the dressing room. I smiled at him, and then made my way to the couch. When I started this career, I hadn't realized that it involved a lot of waiting around. This time, however, I came prepared. Dad was already setting up his laptop when I pulled my book out of my purse.

*  *  *

I had hoped to see Josh at some point that evening, but that didn't appear to be likely. He wasn't at the sound check like I thought he would be, and he never came by before the concert started. I had no idea where his dressing room was, so I didn't have a way to seek him out, either.

Dad and I sat on the couch and ate a small snack while watching the opening act. They were a band called the CommBats. I had never heard of them before, and their music was decent. I doubted it was something I'd listen to normally, but it was an interesting performance nonetheless.

It was when Josh took the stage that I really felt the pangs of disappointment. I had hoped that he would come by to wish me luck before we met on the stage, but it appeared he was avoiding me. If he was, then I hoped whatever was worrying him wouldn't affect the songs.

He looked as good as ever in the jeans and T-shirt he was wearing. It was almost too casual to be worn on stage, but somehow he managed to pull it off. I was dressed similarly in a pair of jeans, heels, and a more fashionable top than his tee, but it was still very casual looking. Of course Julia wouldn't let me on stage without any Glam, and I almost felt overdressed when looking at him.

It was about 45 minutes into his concert when Stephanie showed up to touch up my makeup, and not long after that when my escort showed up to take me to the stage. I followed him in silence with Dad following me.

Unlike the sound check, the arena was alive with sound as we approached the doors onto the floor. I smiled to myself as I felt the rush start to creep into my bones. When my escort opened the door, the rush intensified immensely at the sound of Josh singing and the roar of the crowd. The place was awash with energy, and I couldn't help but bask in it.

As we approached the stage, a few screams of excitement came from those sitting nearby as they caught sight of me, but I concentrated on preparing myself. I'd done this enough times that my nervousness was very weak, but it would always be there. The day I wasn't nervous to take the stage was the day I died. However, I knew that there wasn't much to be worried about. I had done this before and I would do it many times again.

Josh's song started to wind down, and a tech handed me my microphone. Even here, at Josh's concert, the white microphone gave me a rock to hold onto. Dad's gift was a constant at every performance, and I was glad that he had given it to me.

"Thank you," I told the tech before handing the microphone to my dad. I then took the security pass off and handed it to him before taking the microphone again. When Josh's song ended, I was at the bottom of the stairs ready to take the stage.

"Are you ready for something special, L.A.?" Josh's voice boomed around the arena. The roar that followed his words brought a smile to my face. I couldn't wait for my first concert. I'd forgotten what a roar like that felt like, and I was missing the much smaller, but still noisy, crowd that had been in Salt Lake City.

"These next three songs are unique to this stop on my tour," Josh continued. "I'm very grateful for the chance to sing them, and I hope that you enjoy them too."

He didn't say anything else to preamble the songs and I watched as he walked over to the side of the stage opposite of where I was. We had talked about this and rehearsed it a bit after dinner the other night. Now, I wasn't sure it was such a good idea. We were singing two love songs together, and I could feel my heart breaking already.

Josh's guitar player started strumming the opening notes of 'Lucky', causing me to realize that I was about to step onto a stage without my own band for the first time in my career. The thought depressed me instantly, but I didn't have time to reflect on those thoughts as Josh started to sing.

There was a small cheer from the crowd when they recognized the song. The anticipation levels in the arena seemed to increase, too. They knew this song was a duet, and they wanted to know whom Josh would be singing with. I stayed hidden in the shadows while he continued to sing his first verse.

I didn't have long to wait until it was my turn. I took a few steps up the stairs beforehand, but my first words were still sung while I was in the darkness off stage. When I took another step I was on the stage, and another cheer emanated from the crowd when they recognized me.

My first verse wasn't any longer than Josh's, and I had only made it a few steps into the light by the time we started to sing the first chorus together. That was when my heart faltered. As we continued to sing the long first chorus, the two of us were looking at each other, and very slowly working our way toward each other. We weaved around the stage, getting closer and closer while we sang.

By the time his second verse started we were within touching distance, and we circled each other as we continued to sing about how lucky we were to be in love together.

It hurt.

I was sure the show looked great for the fans, but staring into Josh's eyes like that was something I would never forget. As we sang about our love for each other, I hoped that I'd be able to find some indication that what we were singing about indeed was what he was feeling. But instead I couldn't read him at all. He made all the right gestures and movements, but I couldn't see it in his eyes. I started to lose what hope I had to capture his heart.

I sang through my second verse, hoping that the fans wouldn't be able to hear the pain that I was feeling. I tried to push my emotions into the song and let them drive the moment, only holding back the pain. It seemed to work.

As we finished the second chorus, and the song wound to its conclusion, I saw it.

A flicker.

There was a flicker of something in Josh's eye. We were staring at each other, inches apart at the end of the song, and I noticed something. Appreciation, friendship, I wasn’t entirely sure what it was. He wasn’t returning the love I wanted, but it gave me hope.

Unfortunately, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Josh. He pulled away from our faux union quickly, and I thought I saw a frown on his face for the briefest of moments before he turned to the crowd.

"Sarah Carerra, everybody!" he said. The crowd roared, but I barely heard them over my inner turmoil. I turned and acknowledged them with a wave.

"Thank you for being here, Sarah," Josh told me with a smile on his face. It wasn't a real smile.

"Thank you for having me," I replied. Someone near the stage burst into laughter, and I really had to battle to keep from joining him when I realized what I had said. However, the smirk on Josh's face made the entire thing worthwhile.

"Sarah has agreed to sing two more songs with me this evening," he told the crowd. "I'm so very lucky to know this wonderful woman." Then he turned back to me once again. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied and we took a step away from each other.

A loud, quick beat started playing immediately. The energy in the arena increased immediately as the speed and intensity of the song far outweighed the slow love song we had just sung. I smiled despite myself, and started moving to the beat as he started the first verse once again.

The very first thing he sang was to tell me how hot I was. I almost laughed at the absurdity of what he was telling me. He might have believed his words, but that didn't mean that he wanted to do anything about it. The humor that filled this song was evident in the words, especially when they were sung between two teenagers.

I joined him on the chorus, and the crowd was on their feet dancing with us while we sang.

The song talked about the obvious attraction that we had for each other, but it also was very clear that nothing was going to happen. The crowd probably thought that it was a great fun piece, not realizing that this was our true relationship. I was certain that many of them hoped that the first song described Josh and me, but it just wasn't true anymore.

By the time the song came to an end, the arena was electric once again. There's nothing like a quick, fast, fun song to make everyone happy. I just wished I could feel the same way.

Josh walked to a table at the side of the stage to take a sip from his water bottle. After two songs, my own throat was slightly dry, but I knew I'd be okay for the last song and could get a drink after I left the stage. Besides, the feelings that had been swirling around inside of me made me want to get off the stage and go home as quickly as possible.

When Josh was finished he came back over toward me with a sly grin on his face. I wasn't sure that I was going to like whatever he had planned.

"Sarah," he said to me while speaking into his microphone. "Would you like to introduce the last song?"

Okay, that surprised me. I didn't expect him to give me the stage to talk about 'I Need You'. It was his song. Then it dawned on me. It wasn't his song. It was our song now. He wanted to help reinforce that by letting me talk about it.

I nodded before bringing my own microphone to my mouth. "Josh came to me a few days ago and asked me to sing with him tonight," I told the crowd. "But there was something else he asked me to do too. I remember sitting at home and watching him sing a beautiful song during the Grammys one evening."

I was interrupted by a low cheer running throughout the crowd. At least some of them knew what I was talking about. Once the cheering had died down, I continued.

"I'm truly honored to be able to sing this song with Josh," I told them. Then, I nearly whispered the next part into the microphone while looking Josh straight in the eyes.

"'I Need You'."

A louder cheer erupted around the arena at my words, but it was drowned out by the expression I saw on Josh's face. He knew that I was saying more than just the name of the song, and I saw the pain in his eyes briefly before he turned away.

I didn't know what was keeping him away from me. There was obviously an attraction there. That kind of pain didn't come from someone who doesn't feel something for another person. But it told me everything I needed to know...again.

The signs had been there for days. I'd even come to the conclusion with my mom earlier this week. Josh and I were not going to be together.

I felt cold inside as I heard the beginning of the song start. Josh had a keyboard player in his band, and when the four note chord that was the cornerstone of this song played the first time, I had to hold back tears. Every single note seemed to stab straight into my heart. How was I going to get through this song now?

The notes played softly for a moment before the rest of the band joined in and I did my best to prepare for the song. Unlike the other two, I was the one who sang first during this song.

When I started singing the first verse, I was afraid that there would be something in my voice that would betray my true thoughts, but I couldn't hear it. If it was there, I hoped those in the arena wouldn't be able to hear it either.

The words didn't help either. This song was about a couple who had broken up, but they each couldn't get the other out of their minds. As I sang about the thought of memories and moments that I no longer had in the song, I couldn't help but to compare them to those of the memories and moments I would never get to experience with Josh.

There was one line in my verse that Josh sang along with me, and I listened to him as we sang. I thought I heard sadness in his voice, but it could have been my imagination.

As we sang through the chorus, we moved closer to each other. Every step I took toward him seemed like a step toward my own personal doom. He was like a flame that was so amazing to behold, but it was going to consume me if I got too close. I knew that I was on the verge of breaking down, and in some unspoken agreement, we both stopped advancing.

I listened as he repeated much of the same things that I had sung about during his own verse, wishing that his words were true. But I knew they would never be. It would take a miracle for Josh to change his mind about me.

After the second verse there was a small instrumental piece in the song, and Josh and I had our eyes directed at each other the whole time. It was the hardest part of the song for me to get through. I wanted nothing more than to run home and hide under my covers and cry, but that wasn't something I could do. I was on stage in front of 20,000 people. I could not cry now.

Josh seemed to be hurting too. I did not know if he was upset that he had made me feel this way, or upset about whatever reason he decided he couldn't be with me. Regardless, it left us to sing the song with a melancholy feel to it that completely fit with the message the song was portraying.

Right after the instrumental piece was a line that I had sung many times over the last couple of days, but it had never affected me like it did while I stood on that stage. Josh and I sang the line together, but it was the words that made me jolt inside. The line talked about how it was better to hurt than to not feel anything at all.

My ability to keep myself from crying ended at that moment. The tears weren't pouring out, but I could feel one or two run down my face as I jumped straight back into singing the song. I wasn't sure if my voice wavered at all through the last part of the song, but I felt spent and empty as those four clear notes played once again to end the song and destroy my heart.

The crowd roared. They loved it.

I ventured a gaze toward Josh, not sure what I'd find. He looked very remorseful, and I was suddenly worried about him. It looked like one or more tears had trailed down his face too. I got to leave the stage now, but he still had to finish his show.

"Sarah Carerra, everybody," he said softer than I would have expected. The crowd started to cheer, and I took a small bow.

"Thank you," I replied to them before waving as I headed for the stairs down off the stage. Originally, Josh had said that he wanted to give me a hug in front of the crowd before I left, but looking at him now I knew that was a bad idea, for both of us.

Dad was there the moment I was out of sight, and the sounds of the crowd cheering melted from my mind as I saw the concern on his face. He knew.

I handed my microphone to the tech who would pack it away, and put the security pass my dad handed back to me over my head before we started walking back to my dressing room.

I managed to hold it in until we were behind closed doors, but the second Dad and I were alone in my dressing room he wrapped his arms around me, and I burst into tears.

*  *  *

When I climbed into bed that night, I knew I didn't want anything to do with Josh Holliday ever again.

I had expected him to come by after the show, yet I waited futilely. I expected that I would see him during the backstage ‘meet and greet’ that I'd been required to attend at the Salt Lake City show, but nobody showed to escort us.

By the time Dad and I climbed into the limo for the ride home, I knew that Josh was not the right kind of guy for me. Nobody I would want to marry would leave a girl in pain like that! I felt betrayed, and I didn't even know why.

Mom was at the door hugging me the second I walked in. Emily was there too. Dad must have called ahead. I remembered almost no details of the rest of the night, but I felt the misery and disappointment eventually turn into the comfort and love of my family and friends.

I didn't need Josh. I had them.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Listen to the music from this chapter at www.sarahcarerra.com.

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.29 - A Friend in Need

The next morning I resolved that I wasn't going to let Josh hurt me anymore. He had toyed with my heart on more than one occasion, and I wasn't going to stand for it any longer. I didn't need that kind of thing in my life. I had enough going on as it was.

I knew that I couldn't dump Josh out of my life. Dad had told me that I was obligated to record 'I Need You' with him now, and that Josh had already agreed to join me on stage in Salt Lake City. But that didn't mean that I had to let my feelings for him control me. It would be strictly business both on stage and when we recorded the song.

I did not need him. I'd held that thought as I fell asleep the night before, and I knew it was true. I would find someone who would give me the love I deserved. It just wouldn't be Josh.

I pushed him out of my thoughts and went to get ready for the day. Mom had let me sleep in and miss church after the long night before, but I still wanted to listen to the countdown. It would be the first time that 'You Can't Hurt Me' would have a chance to make the list. I was hoping it debuted high, but I knew it was unlikely since the song had only been released as a single three days earlier.

When I walked out of the bathroom after taking my shower, I was intercepted by my mom before I could make it to my room. She smiled at me kindly before speaking.

"How are you doing?" she asked me.

I sighed. I never wanted to experience what had occurred last night, but once again I was glad that I had suffered through it. I needed to feel that heartache and pain if I was going to get over Josh. Now that I was certain there wouldn't be anything between us, I could focus on moving past those feelings and learning how to consider him a friend. I had vowed last night that I didn't need him in my life anymore. With a calmer head this morning, I knew that we could still be friends. I just didn't want to see him until it was absolutely necessary.

"I'm doing okay," I finally replied. "I mean, we talked about this on Friday. I should have been prepared for what happened last night."

"Oh, Honey," Mom replied while wrapping her arms around me and softly stroking the back of my head. "You can never prepare yourself for what happened last night. I'm sure this won't be the last time that a guy hurts you like that. It's part of growing up. I am proud of how you are handling it. I'm still getting to know you as my little girl, and you are already becoming a young woman."

I smiled while returning Mom's hug. We stood there holding each other for a few moments before she stepped back and looked at me. I couldn't help but feel the love and support that she was showering upon me, and I loved her all the more for what she meant to me. I was so glad to have her!

"Your dad and I are going over to one of his client's houses for the afternoon," she changed the subject. "Will you be okay here?" I nodded. "Make sure Austin stays out of trouble. He has some friends over. Don't let them get too rambunctious."

"Okay," I replied. I could use some time alone anyway.

After she turned to leave with Dad, who was waiting at the end of the hall, I returned to my room to finish getting ready. Then I stopped by to check on Austin and his friends. They were in the front room playing video games, and I knew that would keep them entertained for a while. Leaving them to their fun, I headed for Sarah’s room.

I had no idea where 'You Can't Hurt Me' was going to debut. I felt confident that it would make the countdown after the number of albums that were sold, but it had one huge disadvantage going against it. 'Intuition' had debuted at #8 after a full week on the radio. 'You Can't Hurt Me' had only been on the radio since Thursday.

While sitting on the couch listening to the countdown, I noticed my guitar, which reminded me of the song I had written about being scared and overcoming it. Dad had given me the tickets I requested for Paul and his family, and I still needed to take them over to him. I was still amazed that he had come to the CD signing! I vowed to visit him this afternoon. I knew him well enough to know that he probably hadn't had anyone other than his mom to talk to about what he had done, and I wanted to be there to help, if I could.

Surprisingly, 'You Can't Hurt Me' hadn't been played by the time they got to the Top 10. That meant that I likely had a second Top 10 debut song! I sat there, mesmerized while listening for where it would end up. Finally, the announcer introduced it.

"For the second time this summer, Sarah Carerra has debuted a song on the countdown within the Top 10," he said. "Her new song looks like it is excellently poised to take over the top spot and hold on for a number of weeks. But that won't happen today. Debuting at #2, here is 'You Can't Hurt Me'."

While I was surprised that it had managed to claim the second spot on the countdown on the first week, I was also disappointed to realize that it hadn't clinched the top spot. As I sat and listened to it, I realized that if it had come out only one day earlier, there was a strong chance it would have been on top. I knew most albums came out on Tuesdays, and I wondered if that would have made a difference.

Either way, I knew that it would be on top next week, and I hoped it stayed there for a long time.

With a contented sigh I stood up. It had been a while since I had checked on Austin and his friends, and I felt that I had better make sure they hadn't gotten into any trouble. I knew it was unlikely. He was a teenage boy, but he was a good kid.

They weren't in the front room anymore. They weren't raiding the kitchen either. It was a noise from down the hall that alerted me to their whereabouts. I walked down the hall until I could hear them talking excitedly in his room. Peering in the door, I found them huddled around Austin's computer.

"Dude!" one of them shouted. "Isn't that the girl from the Nike commercial?"

I didn't like where my thoughts took me. Horny teenage boys huddled around a computer monitor talking about girls didn't leave many options about what they were doing. I thought I knew Austin better.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked loudly to get their attention. Most of them looked. Some of them were looking at me in a way I did not enjoy. Then they all returned their heads to the monitor.

"Megan!" Austin yelled. Oddly enough, it wasn't the yell of someone who had just been caught red-handed. Instead, he seemed excited. "Come see this! It's amazing!"

Curiosity took over at that point. My initial thoughts had to be wrong if he wanted me to see what they were looking at. Stepping over to his desk, I found them looking at a video where some girl was running across the roof of a building...

"Whoa!" escaped my mouth as she leaped across a huge gap between two buildings. I didn't think it was possible for a human being to do something like that!

I sat there mesmerized as my eyes were glued to the monitor just like the boys. That girl was amazing! She continued to do superhuman things that no one should be able to do until she left us all breathless by dropping straight down from the top of a building!

I thought she was going to break her legs or something, but instead she did some weird flip thing and landed perfectly with nothing but a huge smile on her face. That's when I saw it. She had the fire in her eyes.

I thought it was scary enough getting up on stage and singing to feel that rush. I couldn't even comprehend doing something like what that girl did to get the same feeling.

"They call her Catwalk," Austin said while starting the video again. I laughed. Her name should be 'Insane'.

"I'm going over to a friend’s house," I told him, pulling my eyes away from Wonder Woman. "Are you going to be okay here alone?"

"You're leaving me alone?" he asked, shocked. Mom didn't like leaving him alone for some reason.

"You're a big boy - you can handle it," I replied. His friends started chuckling, which caused him to flush red with embarrassment.

I left them like that and stopped in my room to grab Paul's tickets and my purse before walking out to my car.

Paul's house wasn't too far away, and it wasn't long before I pulled into his driveway. I hadn't been over to his house since we finished our Biology class, and I wasn't sure what his parents would think about me now.

With a great amount of trepidation, I got out of my car and headed for the front door. Ringing the doorbell was almost enough to make me want to head back home. I hadn't had to face anyone who knew me as my old self in over a month and a half.

After a short wait the door opened, and I found myself looking up into the surprised eyes of Paul's mother. It was obvious that very few girls my age came knocking on their door after seeing that look!

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson," I said cheerily. "Is Paul home?"

I thought she was going to have a heart attack for a moment because of the surprise that crossed her face. Maybe this wasn't a good idea.

"Yes, yes, come in!" she said excitedly. Too excitedly. It was obvious that she didn't recognize me, and she was too happy to finally have a girl calling on her son. She stepped back to let me in, and I tentatively took a step into the house. There was no backing out now.

"What's your name?" Paul's mom asked me a moment later while directing me into their sitting room. I obediently followed and took a seat on their couch while she sat across from me. I had hoped that I would be able to talk to Paul, but it looked like his mom wanted to get to know me first.

"Megan," I replied. Her eyes shot up in shock again. Obviously, Paul had told her about me.

"But you look so different..." she voiced. I knew that was the case, but I also knew I looked similar enough that she should have recognized me. I could see her looking at me again, searching for the similar features between me and my old self. I'd been over to their house enough times that she knew me pretty well.

"Mom, who was at the door?" came a voice from near the stairs. A moment later Paul walked into their sitting room.

"Hi, Paul," I said with a small wave.

"Megan!" he nearly shrieked in shock. "What are you doing here?"

I smiled back at his reaction. I thought we had overcome this awkwardness on yearbook day, but apparently I was wrong. He looked scared out of his mind to have me in his house!

"I wanted to see how you were doing," I replied. "Plus, I have a present for you."

I dug into my purse to find the tickets to the concert that Dad had given me. Once I pulled them out, I held them out for him. "Sarah wanted you to have these," I said.

I didn't think it was possible, but his eyes widened even more. It took him a moment, but he finally stepped closer and took the tickets from me. Then he stared at them in awe for a moment. I knew he was happy, though.

"Sarah who?" his mom asked. That was the first inkling that I received that she was unaware of where her son had gone on Thursday evening. I looked up at Paul for a moment, and he was subtly shaking his head. He didn't want her to know.

"Sarah Carerra," I said, despite his wishes. I knew that she wouldn't be opposed to having him out of the house more often, especially if it was in a public setting like the mall. He was just afraid of what she would think.

"The singer?" Paul's mom asked incredulously. "You know Sarah Carerra?"

"Yes," I replied. "I've known her my whole life. My dad is also her agent, so we see each other quite a bit. Those tickets are for the OC Fair on August 5th. I won't be there that night, but the tickets are next to my family."

Paul's mom reached out her hand, and Paul handed her the tickets. "Why would Sarah want Paul to have tickets?" she asked.

I looked at Paul. It wasn't my place to tell his mother where he had been. I saw him struggle for a moment before he sighed and turned toward her.

"I went to her CD signing at the mall on Thursday," he told her. His mom's eyebrows shot up again. "I guess I've met her before, even though I didn't remember her. But apparently we met at Megan's house once."

I nodded confirmation when she looked over at me. "She knows how shy he is," I elaborated. "She was really impressed to see him there. She said that he even helped inspire a song, one about overcoming your fears."

Paul's eyebrows shot up this time, and his jaw dropped open. Maybe I shouldn't have told him that, but he was a big part of the song I had written, and he deserved to know what that meant. His mom also looked shocked again, and it looked like she wouldn't be able to handle much more.

"Well," she said while standing up. "I'll let the two of you talk. I need to get started on dinner."

She started to walk out of the room when Paul turned back to me. "Come on, Megan. Come up to my room."

Paul's mom stopped walking for a moment before she turned back to us. "Just..." she started, but she looked like she was nervous now. "Just leave the door open, okay?"

I blushed immediately when I realized what she was implying. Paul turned beet red. Paul was a nice guy, but I didn't plan to get involved with him like that. I didn't plan to get involved with ANY guy for a while after what had happened last night. We were just friends.

We quickly made our way up the stairs and down the hall to his room. I thought I had been uncomfortable back in the front room, but it was nothing like how I felt when I stepped into his room.

I didn't know if Sarah was Paul's first crush or not, but it was immediately clear why he had come to the CD signing on Thursday. It looked like every one of my posters was hanging somewhere in his room! The CD I had signed was in a frame mounted to a wall too. There was quite a bit more memorabilia around the room that had my face on it. I didn't even know some of that stuff existed!

Paul had overcome his fears because he was in love with me. Just like Ethan had been. Just like my cousin James had been. But I couldn't tell Paul the truth. Not now. He needed that fantasy to help him get over his fears. If Sarah could pull him out of his shell, I wasn't going to ruin that by telling him the truth.

"Uh," he said when he saw my reaction. "I'm sorry. I kind of have a crush on her."

I gave him a friendly smile. "It's okay, Paul," I said. "That's normal. I'm just happy someone was able to get you out of your shell."

He sighed and flopped down on his bed. I took a seat on his desk chair near the door. "I'm not sure why, but she makes me want to meet people and have friends. She makes me want to have a life."

I smiled. That was the best thing I could have heard!

"I'm glad to hear that," I told him. "You're too kind and smart to be hiding from everybody. You have a lot to offer the world."

He smiled back at me while sitting up. "It's not just her, you know."

I wasn't sure what he meant by that. "What?" I asked for clarification.

"It's not just her," he repeated. "It's you too."

Now I was really confused! "What do you mean?"

"Megan," he said and then looked me in the eye. "You became a whole new person at the end of the school year. That takes guts! But if you can do what you did, then I can learn to get over my fears."

I wasn't sure what to say. That seemed so mature of him! It definitely wasn't something that I expected him to say to me.

I smiled warmly at him. "Well, I'm glad that you are trying."

"I'm still scared, Megan," he told me sincerely. I nodded my understanding. "I mean, even talking to you is scary." I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up his hand. "Look, I know you said you haven't changed, but you have. I see that even more now than I did at the end of school. You are truly a girl. I'm still mostly the same person who is scared of girls. I was scared to death to meet Sarah the other day. Then she freaked me out when she recognized me. I froze after that and I didn't even get to talk to her."

I chuckled at the memory of what my reaction had caused him to do. "I think your visit was one of the highlights of her night," I told him truthfully. "It's people like you who keep her going."

His smile widened, but I knew he didn’t believe me. Of course, he thought he was still a no-name fan to her. He had no idea that she was one of his best friends.

"Did she really write a song about me?" he asked.

"Yeah!" I replied happily. "She played it for me, and I think it was really good. The song is about overcoming your fears. She said that the fear she had to get up on stage the first time, and seeing you overcome your fears to come to the signing on Thursday, helped shape the song. She doesn't mention you specifically, but she wanted me to make sure you knew that the song was also about you."

He nodded, wide-eyed, and then flopped down on his bed again. I think he was still in shock.

"Want to play some video games?" I offered. Even though I was never any good, we'd often play them for a while after getting our biology assignments done. It wasn't what I preferred to do, but it was something he needed.

"Yeah," he said and got up to turn on his TV.

We spent most of the afternoon playing video games together until I had to head home for dinner. I knew that the best thing I could do for him would be to spend time with him. If he could overcome his fears with me, then hopefully he could transfer that courage into talking to and interacting with other girls. If nothing else, he could use the time with a friend. I knew that my busy schedule wouldn't give us much time together, but whatever little I could spare would help. He was a good guy.

*  *  *

*  *  *
Special Thanks
I have to give a special thanks to Connie Alexander for letting me finally return the favor of honoring her wonderful story within my own during this chapter. If you haven't read it yet, check out Catwalk Confidence now.

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.30 - Hidden Inspiration

I was startled awake by the blaring of my phone Monday morning. I didn't know what it was doing, because I had never heard it make that sound before! I scrambled in vain to reach where it was charging on my nightstand, knocking it off the table in the process.

Screaming slightly in frustration, I threw my covers back and scrambled out of bed to retrieve the annoying device. I yanked out the power cord, and then turned it over so that I could see the screen.

Great, just great. Dad had found some way to get my appointments onto my phone. This particular alarm was telling me that I needed to wake up.

Sighing, I dismissed the alarm and then opened the calendar. I had a whole week’s worth of appointments sitting there waiting for me. My last week before preparing for the concert tour full-time was not going to be a restful one. Today I was shooting another commercial, this one for the Jive. Wednesday I apparently had a number of radio interviews and a magazine interview. Thursday I had a meeting to decide what songs we were going to sing for the tour. Friday I was...

"The Tonight Show?" I asked out loud. I was going back on the Tonight Show? I wondered if I was just singing or if I was actually going to be interviewed.

The rest of the week was free. I had Tuesday open, and I already knew that Emily wasn't working. Saturday was free after my appointment with Mary and a photo shoot for the perfume I was endorsing. Then I had time to relax on Sunday before I had to start rehearsing for the tour. It was going to be nearly non-stop work from now until the time school started.

Sighing, I threw my phone back onto the bed and grabbed my robe before heading for the shower. I didn't want to be awake this early, but there was no use climbing back into bed.

When I finally made it to the kitchen for breakfast, I found my dad waiting for me. He had a sly grin on his face, so I returned his look with a cold one.

"Morning, Princess," he said. "Nice to see you up so early."

"As if I had a choice," I threw back at him. He started laughing softly to himself. I didn't share his amusement as I grabbed a bowl and some cereal.

"Just, don't abuse the power, okay?" I asked him kindly.

"I promise I won't," he said. "I'll only put friendly reminders about work on there."

I nodded, hoping he was telling me the truth.

*  *  *

Photo shoots and commercial shoots were starting to feel routine to me. I never would have expected that to happen before the summer started. But now, as we pulled up to the studio where the Jive commercial was going to be shot, I realized that it was just another part of the job.

Dad said that he had been told that I wouldn't actually have any lines of dialog in the commercial, but that they wanted to use my image and there would be a part where I was singing 'You Can't Hurt Me'. I was truly intrigued to see what they had come up with.

We were directed into a large room, and I noticed that it was broken up into two distinct sections. The first section was all white, with a small table in the middle. The second section was surrounded by green and had something inside of it that put a huge smile on my face: my band.

I made my way over to them with excitement. "Hi, guys!" I greeted them. A chorus of greetings and smiles was returned from them.

"How have you been?" Jason asked me.

"Great!" I told them. "I've got another song that I'd like to work on with you guys if we can find the time. I'd like to use it on the tour."

Jason smiled back at me. "That sounds like a plan. We actually have five songs for you too. If you're willing to use them, we'll play them for you."

I was surprised at that revelation. I knew that they wrote songs, but I never thought that they would write any for me. But the thought of singing songs that they wrote was intriguing.

"I would love to hear them," I told him with a large smile. The rest of the band and the girls all smiled in return. At that point, I realized they were afraid I would turn them down. I would never do anything like that.

Before we could say anything else, we were interrupted by a representative for the Jive, and we had to get to work.

*  *  *

The shoots went really well, and by the time we were getting ready to leave, I was excited to see where the advertising campaign went. This wasn't the only commercial I would be making for the Jive, but it was going to be a powerful one, I was told.

We had started out the day by taking pictures in the white room. I had the distinctive ear buds that came with the Jive in my ears, and they took many beauty shots of me with different emotions on my face.

The commercial shoot was next, and it too started in the white room. Even after finishing the shoot, I still didn't know exactly what they were doing. They had me walk in, pick up a Jive, put the earphones in my ears, and smile before replacing the Jive on the table and walking off the screen. Then they filmed us performing 'You Can't Hurt Me' while I was listening to a Jive in front of the green screen.

It made no sense to me, but Dad said that he liked what they were doing. I would just have to wait until I saw the finished commercial to fully understand, it seemed.

I was excited when Dad and I left the studio. The guys had invited the girls and me over to their place to work on my song and to hear what they had written for me. I had agreed, but I needed to get my guitar and drop off Dad. He wanted to come and hear the music, but he apparently had an appointment with another client this evening, so I'd be out on the town alone as Sarah for the first time. It was really exciting!

After picking up my guitar, I stepped back out into the garage and placed it in the front seat of my car. Then I walked around and got inside. I knew vaguely where the guys' house was, but I still put their address into my GPS before starting the car and heading out. I didn't get very far before I realized I needed gas, however.

I pulled into the gas station where we normally filled up without a second thought. It wasn't until I saw the little girl gradually getting closer and closer to me while I waited for the gas to flow into the car that I realized this was the first time I had stopped for gas as Sarah.

Looking up at her, I watched her freeze in place. It was apparent that she knew me, but she was also scared.

"Hi," I said with a smile. That broke the ice and she ran over to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. I couldn't help but laugh at her response.

"Jackie! You leave that girl alone!" I saw someone yell from the door of a minivan nearby. She got out and walked over to us, and pulled the girl away. "How many times have I told you to leave strangers alone?!"

She looked up at me next. "I'm sorry. I've never seen her do anything like that before." Then she really took a look at me. "Oh!"

"It's okay," I told her with a smile to emphasize my point. I heard the click that indicated my car had finished filling up. "Give me a second, because I have something for her."

I took the nozzle out of my car and replaced it on the pump before retrieving my receipt. Then I popped the trunk on my car and reached for the large box Dad had placed inside. Opening it, I found what I was looking for. I pulled out one of the press photos and a marker before searching through the other items I had made him put inside too. Finding what I wanted, I turned back to the girl.

"Jackie?" I asked her to make sure I had heard her name correctly. She nodded, but didn't say anything. I bent down to her level, and her mom let go of her. She took a step toward me, nervous that her mom would get mad again. When I smiled, she nearly rushed me again. She was staring at the items in my hand.

First, I signed the photo for her before handing it to her. She looked at it with happiness, but I knew that it wasn't what she wanted. She handed the photo to her mom before looking at the other item in my hands. I caught her eyes again and waited until she was looking at me.

"In my room at home, I have a teddy bear," I told her. "It's a special teddy bear. My dad gave it to me while I was in the hospital when I was younger. Sometimes when I feel alone or scared, I hug it until everything is better."

I handed the small soft pink bear that I was holding in my hands out to her. She took it with a large smile on her face.

"This is the same bear, just a little smaller," I told her. Dad had given me the bear the day I woke up from the accident. It had become my favorite companion when I needed someone to hug while I was alone over the following years. A couple of weeks ago I had made Dad get some smaller ones that were embroidered with Sarah's signature on them. They were for me to give out to special fans. Fans like Jackie. We had only received them a few days ago.

"Thank you!" she screamed before wrapping her arms around my neck in a hug.

I returned her hug while speaking in her ear. "You're welcome, Jackie."

I noticed that there was a man standing next to Jackie's mom now. He looked slightly bewildered at what was happening. I smiled at him while letting go of his daughter, who ran back to her mother to show her the bear. I stood up and closed the trunk of my car.

"It was nice meeting you guys," I told the family while stepping around to the driver's side of my car. I opened my door before turning back to them.

"Thank you, Sarah," the girl's mom replied. I nodded, and then with a wave to the little girl I got in and started the car.

It was moments like these that made me love being Sarah Carerra.

*  *  *

When I pulled into the driveway that my GPS directed me to, I was impressed. I had expected something smaller, but the guys actually lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. It was definitely not the kind of place I would have expected there to be a bachelor pad.

I got out and grabbed my guitar before walking toward the door. When I reached the front porch, I rang the doorbell. I didn't have long to wait before Stacy opened the door for me.

"Sarah!" he said excitedly. "I'm glad you made it!"

"Hi, Stacy," I told him. "Sorry I'm late, I had to stop and get some gas."

"It's okay," he said while stepping back to let me in. "The girls just got here too. We have some pizza on the way."

"Okay," I replied and took a look around the entrance of the house as I stepped in. The place didn't look expensive, but it did show opulence greater than what a normal bachelor’s pad would show. I knew that they had made good money as a session band. I knew that they made even more with me. It certainly showed in their house.

I expected that the place would be dirtier with three guys living alone, but it actually looked fairly clean. I wondered if they had spent some time cleaning up.

"The maid was here this morning," Sophie said with a wry grin on her face. Leave it to her to know what I was thinking. I smiled as she stood up from the couch in the front room. Holly was right behind her.

"I'll have you know that we are clean guys," Stacy defended himself. "We only have the maid to help save time."

"Sure," Sophie shot back with a short laugh.

"Anyway," Stacy continued. "The other guys are down in the studio if you want to go get set up. The girls can show you the way. I'm going to wait for the pizza."

I nodded and turned to follow Sophie and Holly. We didn't get very far before the doorbell rang again. Stacy promptly answered it, and I saw the pizza delivery boy holding a large bag.

"Hi," he said while looking at the receipt he was holding. "Miller?"

"That's me," Stacy said while pulling some cash out of his pocket. The pizza guy looked up, but his eyes never made it to Stacy. They stopped on me.

"Is that..." he started, but stopped short.

"Yes," Stacy replied. I could hear the humor in his voice at the delivery boy's reaction. "It's her."

There was a large intake of breath from the door. I smiled at him and waved. "Hello," I said.

"How much do I owe you," Stacy said, trying to bring the poor boy back to his senses.

"What?" the delivery boy asked unceremoniously. "Oh, right. Forty-two fifty."

Stacy handed over the money and then took the armload of pizzas from the boy.

"Thank you," the boy said. "Um, have a nice day."

"You too," Stacy replied as the boy turned around and walked back to his car in a daze.

Sophie and Holly broke out into laughter the second the door was closed. Stacy was chuckling too.

"You are such a tease!" Sophie announced.

"I am not!" I replied while laughing along with her. She just shook her head and turned to lead me farther into the house.

We were still chuckling when we reached a large room where the band's equipment was set up. Jason and Conner were watching TV while sitting on a couch in the corner, but they stood up when we entered. Then they were quick to help Stacy with the pizzas, which they set on a nearby table next to some drinks that had already been set up. It wasn't much longer before we were all eating and talking together.

It was so nice to just hang out with the band for a while. When we got together most of the time, all we did was work. I knew we needed to have another type of relationship if we really wanted to be successful. I knew that the guys and the girls had all become close friends. I also knew that it was far more difficult for them to become friends with me than with each other. Not only was I the “star”, but I was also younger than all of them. The girls weren't much older than me, just short of 20, but the guys were a couple of years older than they were.

While I knew that I could pass as the same age as the girls, I was still the youngest one in the group. The little sister. I loved Anna, and Emily and I did everything we could to include her, but it was never quite the same with her around. I wouldn't trade my time with her for anything, but I knew there were some things we couldn't include her in. My relationship with the band was similar. We had a lot of fun together, but I knew that it was different with me around. Even so, it was nice to be included every once in a while.

When we finished eating, we turned our eyes toward the music that had gathered us together. I was excited to play my new song for them, and just as excited to hear what they had for me.

"Where should we start?" I asked.

"How about we play what we have first," Jason said. "If you like the songs we can give you the sheet music to learn them. Then we can spend most of the time finishing your song."

"Okay," I agreed. "So what do you have?"

"We wrote most of these songs a while ago, so don't think we're masters of writing music or anything," Jason explained. "But we've adapted them for you. One of them is new, and one of them the girls helped us write for you."

The girls had large smiles on their faces when I turned toward them, impressed.

"This first one is called 'Different Girl'," Jason said. "It's about adapting to overcome the challenges that are put in front of you."

He nodded to Sophie, who stood up to sing the song for me. She started to sing before the band joined in with the music, and I knew that using the songs they had written for me would definitely expand my sound. While the song was still definitely 'pop', it was a lot harder, more rock-like in tone.

I was mesmerized as they played the song for me. Clearly it was not the type of song that I would have written for myself, but I really liked it. I think they knew from my smile that we would be performing it on the tour. Chances are it would even make it onto a second album.

When the song came to a close, I saw something that I had never seen before. Sophie had the fire in her eyes that I so often felt when I performed, and the boys were breathing hard like they had just been given an adrenaline boost. I knew what I felt when I performed, but I had never seen it happen to these guys before. Of course, I usually wasn't looking at them while we were on stage, either. I was happy to know that they shared the same passion for performing that I did.

"What did you think?" Jason asked, breaking my train of thought.

"I really, really liked it," I told him. "If the others are like that, then I think we should use all of them."

He laughed, but the broad smile he returned to me told me that he was proud of the song.

We continued in that vein for a while. Sophie and Holly took turns singing the songs, and I was once again wondering why they had settled for being backup/harmony singers. They were excellent!

'Into My Eyes' was the second song they played for me. It was another pop song that had an edge to it, but the message was about finding out that my boyfriend was cheating on me and how happy I was to be getting out of the relationship with him.

'Sweet Revenge' was the next song, and was apparently the "new" song that the band had written for me. All of the other songs had been converted from some of their older work. Immediately, I didn't like it because it was too slow and melancholy. I would have rather had a fast, fun song if I was singing about exacting revenge on someone. We started throwing around ideas, and it wasn't long before we were modifying the song and lyrics together as a group. When we finished, the song was almost unrecognizable from what we had started with, but it was no longer their song - it was ours. We all had smiles on our faces at what we had come up with, and I knew those smiles would continue when they saw their names next to mine in the credits for the song.

I noticed a definite theme in the songs when they played 'Goodbye' for me. It was a really nice song that they thought would be good to end the concerts with because of the words used in the chorus. It too spoke about the end of a relationship but it had a slightly mournful tone as the singer sang about leaving her boyfriend.

"I love them, guys!" I told them excitedly when they had finished. "If Scott is okay with it, I want to use them all, and we can probably even use them on the second album."

"Awesome!" Stacy said with another crash of his drums in excitement. "I knew she'd like them!"

I smiled at his reaction. I couldn't ask for a better band than this. I was worried that they might have been upset at me for suggesting changes to 'Sweet Revenge', but instead it seems to have actually made them happier about the song.

"The last one is ours," Holly said.

"Well, ours with the help of the guys," Sophie added. She smiled as she stepped up to sing the song for me.

The guys started playing immediately. It was definitely a more instrumental piece. It also bordered on the line between pop and alternative. The song started out with a number of different sections where they added more and more to the beat that made up the song, culminating in the start of the lyrics. Sophie didn't even start singing until nearly a minute into the song. The words were very lyrical, but it talked about the feelings that Sophie and Holly ultimately felt to be up on stage. It was entitled 'Dreams' and spoke of how they were living their dreams, and how happy it made them feel.

"I don't know if I can sing that," I told them after they had finished the song. I was wiping away a tear as I spoke. "I mean, that feels so personal to you two. I don't know how I could capture that emotion."

Sophie walked over to where I was sitting and wrapped her arms around me. Holly was quickly doing the same.

"We wrote this for you, Sarah," Holly said. "This is about how you make us feel. I love being up on that stage, but I'd never want the spotlight you are always in."

"She's right," Sophie agreed. "This song isn't about us. It's about how you have brought out our true potential. I was happy doing session work. But now that I've tasted being on stage with you, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

I wiped away more tears as I hugged them back.

Eventually we were able to calm down, and they wanted to hear what I had come up with. After what I had heard tonight, and especially after the work we had put into 'Sweet Revenge', I wasn't sure the song still had the power I thought it did. But I was still willing to let them help me finish it. I pulled my guitar out of its case and sat it on my knee before speaking to them.

"I have a friend named Paul. He is very shy. He told me once that he was scared to talk to girls," I told them. "We were paired up to be lab partners in Biology last year. It took me forever to get him to open up to me. But he did. He was still scared to death to even talk to me, but he did." I wistfully remembered how innocent he seemed back then.

"Last week, he showed up at the CD signing," I continued. "He doesn't know I'm Sarah. He made the effort to overcome his fears and come down to meet me. Of all the people that I saw that night, he was the one who touched me the most."

I absently strummed my guitar as I gathered my thoughts. "When I first stepped on stage at the party where Scott discovered me, I was scared to death. When we took the stage in Salt Lake City, I wanted to run and hide. But I put myself out there. I overcame that fear just like Paul did."

I paused and took a deep breath. "Now, we're 'Fearless'."

I launched into the song immediately. This song was filled with a lot of emotion, but it was a happy song. It showed the world that there wasn't any fear that couldn't be overcome. You just had to face it and prove to yourself that it doesn't have any power over you.

They were staring at me when I finished the song. I was starting to think that they didn't like it. Eventually, Stacy was the one who spoke.

"And that, my friends, is why she is the star."

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.31 - Golden Friendships

I had hoped to sleep in on Tuesday morning, since it was the only day I had off. But Emily wasn't going to let that happen. It was the first day that we both had off in several weeks, and she wanted to make sure that we spent the entire day together. I was fine with that. I just wish she would have let me have some more sleep first.

After she shook me awake, and I finished groaning and glaring at her, I rolled out of bed to get ready for the day. A short shower helped me to wake up, and after getting dressed I found her in the kitchen helping Mom prepare breakfast.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Emily greeted me.

I grumbled something that wasn't very nice. She chuckled along with my mom at my words. I just sighed and grabbed a plate.

"What do you two have planned today?" Mom asked while we sat around the dining room table eating. I didn't know, so I turned toward Emily to hear the answer too.

"I thought we could go to the beach this morning," Emily told us. "Then we can catch a movie this afternoon. I'd like to go shopping, but I do not want to set foot into the mall if I can help it."

It was my turn to chuckle at her. Emily loved shopping. It was weird to hear her say that she didn't want to go to the mall, but I understood why she wouldn't want to go there on her day off. She spent too much time there at her job..

"What about Ethan?" I asked a moment later. I hadn't seen him since the CD signing.

"He has to do some chores first thing this morning," Emily replied. "But he said he'd come down to the beach with us. Anna wants to come too."

I smiled. I hadn't hung out with Anna for a while. I still didn't know how or when to tell her about my alter ego, but it would be nice to see her again.

Once we had finished eating, I returned to my room to get everything ready for the beach while Emily left to grab her stuff and make sure Anna was ready. As I slipped a lightweight dress over my head to cover my bikini, Mom came into my room.

Without saying anything, she wrapped her arms around me.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, returning her hug.

"Yes," she replied, letting go and holding me at arm’s length. "I'm just so glad to have you in my life."

My eyes started to mist up, and I had to laugh to help keep myself from crying. "I feel the same way," I told her.

We stood there in each other's arms, enjoying the moment, before the doorbell rang indicating Emily's return. Mom let go of me, and I gave her a loving smile to let her know how much she meant to me. She returned one of her own. Then we walked out of my room and headed down the hallway toward the front door.

When I opened the door to let Emily in, I was almost knocked over by the bundle of joy that careened into me. I laughed at the joy on Anna's face as she wrapped her arms around me.

"Hi, Anna," I said.

"Hi, Megan!" she nearly screamed in excitement. She eventually let go of me and stepped back. Her happiness at seeing me again was hard to miss as we walked through the house to the garage and climbed into my car. Anna gazed around the vehicle in amazement as we backed out and made our way down the street to Ethan's house.

"This is your car?" she asked after I had blown the horn to let Ethan know that we were there.

"It is," I replied to her question sweetly. "Nice, huh?"

"It's awesome!" was her response. I laughed lightly at her and watched as Ethan exited his house and made his way to my car.

"Hi, Ethan," I smiled at him as he opened the front passenger door and slid in. Emily and Anna were sitting together in the back seat.

"Hi," he said back awkwardly. My mood deflated immediately. I had hoped that Emily had talked to him and helped him get over whatever problem he was having with me, but that didn't seem to be the case.

Emily reached forward and smacked the back of his head. He turned around and glared at her, upset.

"What was that for?" he screamed at her before reaching a hand up and rubbing where she had connected.

"She's one of your best friends, Ethan!" Emily screamed back. "Yes, she's changed! That doesn't mean you get to treat her like a pariah! Try again!"

He turned around, sighed, and looked out his window as he leaned back against his seat. It didn't look like he was ready to speak yet so I backed out and started driving toward the beach. I could see in my rearview mirror that Emily was livid with him and Anna looked really confused and slightly scared.

We drove in silence for a few minutes before he looked back at me and finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Megan," he said. "I just..." He paused for a moment before he could speak again. "I just don't know how to interact with you anymore," he finally said. "I mean, you're still my best friend. I know that. I still want to be your friend too. But you've changed! You're a girl now! And you're hot! I don't know how to handle that!"

There it was - the real reason that he had been so awkward around me since the concert in Salt Lake City. He was attracted to me! I had hoped that wasn't the reason, but I had feared that it was.

He was blushing horribly now at his revelation. I could feel my own cheeks warmer than normal. I concentrated on the road for a moment, trying to figure out what to tell him. Obviously, we weren't going to get together. He was my best friend; I couldn't see myself in a relationship like that with him. Yes, I knew he was attractive. He had the same dark brown hair and dark brown eyes that I had loved on Josh. But I was talking about Ethan!

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Ethan," I finally said to him. "I know I haven't made it any easier. But just because I'm a girl now doesn't mean that I have to be your girlfriend."

Ethan grimaced and his mouth twitched. I didn't like how his mouth twitched at my words. Had he already thought about asking me to be his girlfriend?

I shuddered momentarily at the unwanted thought, and he continued to grimace. It wasn't that I didn't think we could be a couple. I just didn't want to become involved with anyone right now in my life. Especially Ethan! I knew I had considered the possibility more than once over the summer, but the last thing I wanted to do was to jeopardize our friendship by taking it to the next level.

But what if it did go to the next level? Would I be okay with that? I couldn't imagine it. I had wondered about such a thing, but I couldn't see him as anything other than my friend right now. I didn't know if that would always be the case, but that was the way I felt now.

"Look, you guys," Emily spoke up. "I know that this must be difficult for both of you. Your relationship has completely changed. I don't know what that will mean in the future, but right now you should treat each other as the friends that you are. Obviously there is some attraction happening here, and that freaks me out! And if you start kissing in front of me I'm going to punch both of you. Just be friends and if something happens later, we'll deal with it then, okay?"

Her words made a lot of sense, even if I didn’t want to hear her talk about that topic. I nodded. Ethan was doing the same. We were friends. There was no use letting what ifs and speculations ruin that. The car stayed mostly silent for the rest of the trip down to the beach. Despite the conversation, I could feel a change in Ethan's attitude toward me. I hoped that meant that we could get back to being friends.

I pulled into the parking lot and found a spot that I hoped would keep my car from getting scratched, and we all piled out. After getting my board and bag from the trunk, we started walking toward the beach.

"Are you guys still going to be friends?" Anna asked me.

I laughed lightly while turning toward her. "Yes, we are," I replied. I smiled when I saw Ethan nod in confirmation too.

"Good," Anna said. "Then let's go have some fun."

I couldn't agree with her more.

*  *  *

We spent the morning playing in the sand and waves. When we started to get hungry, we packed back up and headed for a nice Italian restaurant that was just off the beach. The plan was to eat and then head over to the nearby theaters for an afternoon show.

After placing our name on the waiting list, we turned to take a seat in the small waiting area. That's when I knew we were in trouble. Sitting there, glaring at us, was Jared Lumbart. He was sitting with another boy and two girls I had never seen before.

I stopped short. The last time I had seen Jared he had pushed me to the ground and kicked me in one of the halls at school. He had been suspended that day. The glare that was on his face told me that he still held a grudge for what had happened.

With a quick look at Emily and Ethan, I sat down quickly as far away from him as I could. My friends sat down next to me, trying to shield me from what they knew was likely coming. Anna nervously sat next to me, worry in her eyes. Not surprisingly, Jared stood up and started walking toward us.

"I don't want any trouble, Jared," I told him before he had taken more than two steps.

"Well you're going to get it!" he replied with a snarl. "I almost failed all of my classes because of you!"

"This is the guy that you beat up?" one of the girls asked. She had a perplexed look on her face that was easy to understand. Obviously she had heard Jared's side of the story, in which I definitely wasn't portrayed as female.

"Obviously, he was mistaken about her gender," Emily replied wryly. Jared didn't like that, and glared at her before stepping closer to me. The girl stood up and quickly ran to where Jared was advancing on me.

"Jared!" she yelled at him. "Don't do this!"

"Shut up, Kristyn," he replied. "You don't know what this...this...THING took from me!"

"I didn't take anything from you, Jared," I replied calmly. I was scared to death and ready to run, but I was trying to not show it. "You attacked me, plain and simple. I did nothing to you."

He raised his fist, and Kristyn latched on to his arm immediately, trying to prevent him from doing anything he would regret. "Jared!" she yelled again. "Stop it! Leave her alone!"

I was impressed that Jared had managed to find a girlfriend who actually seemed like a real person. Most of the cheerleaders he usually dated wouldn't stand up to him like this girl was doing. Jared turned his ire on her for a moment, shaking his hand to try to dislodge her, but she held on tightly. He turned back toward me before doing anything else and took another step forward. Any closer and he'd be standing right over me!

Someone cleared their throat nearby, and we all turned to see the hostess standing there with a large guy next to her dressed in a waiter's uniform. "Sir," she said calmly. "If you can't sit down nicely and leave the girl alone, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Jared turned his glare on the hostess for a moment before sizing up the waiter she had brought with her. The waiter simply stared at Jared, giving him a look that said that Jared was no match for him. It didn't look like Jared was in the mood to fight him, so he turned back toward me.

"This isn't over, Campbell," he said before pulling Kristyn toward the door. "Come on, we're out of here."

I heard the boy and girl still sitting down sigh and stand up to follow. They didn't look pleased to be leaving.

"I'm sorry," I told them as they passed. I was surprised to get a smile back from them.

"It's okay," the girl spoke. "My cousin has a bit of a temper problem. Have a nice meal." Then she stepped out the door with her date.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that had been racing around at the thought that I might have been attacked by Jared. The last thing I needed was to get into trouble with him right before we started preparing for the concert tour.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked me a moment later. I looked up into her eyes and saw the concern she felt for me. I nodded back and smiled.

"Yeah," I replied. "But I think school is going to suck this year."

She grinned momentarily before her face turned solemn too. She probably felt the same way.

"Campbell, party of four," the hostess said, interrupting any other discussion.

*  *  *

We were laughing when we walked through the garage door of my house later that evening. It had been a fun day. We'd caught a movie after lunch, and then we decided to come back to my place for a while to hang out. Anna wanted to go over to one of her friend's house, which left just Emily and Ethan to spend the evening with me.

It felt like the old days. It was like the excitement and chaos of the summer had never happened, except that we had a nice set of wheels to run around town in. Even Ethan seemed to be back to his old self. I was not completely sure if he was pretending, or if our talk this morning had really helped, but he treated me like a friend all day. He no longer did whatever he could to get away from me.

Austin and a number of his friends turned to look at us as we walked from the kitchen into the front room. I had hoped that we could turn on the TV or something while we lounged around, but they were already playing video games.

"Come on," I told my friends. "We've got another room to hang out in."

Ethan groaned, but he started following me down to Sarah's room anyway. I knew he didn’t like spending time in the feminine room, but it was a nice place to lounge around in with the large TV and stocked mini-fridge.

"Megan, is that you?" I heard my dad ask as we passed his office.

I stopped and looked in the door. "Yes."

He had a large smile on his face, and there was some kind of flat box on his desk. He stood up when he saw me and picked up the box before coming over to the door. With a smile, he handed the box to me.

"This is for you," he stated quietly. "But let's go down to the privacy of Sarah's room to open it. I don't want Austin's friends overhearing us."

"Okay," I said. Now I was really curious to see what was in the box. The mailing address said it was for Sarah, but I couldn’t think of anything that someone would send her.

Once we were safely inside Sarah's room and the door was closed, I sat down on the couch and opened the box. I gasped before reaching in and pulling out a black framed award that had a gold-coated copy of my CD on the left, a picture of the album cover on the right, and a small plaque below the two.

"Presented to Sarah Carerra," I read the inscription on the plaque. "To commemorate the sale of more than 500,000 copies of the Olympic Records album 'Intuition'."

I stared at it, mesmerized for a moment before I was able to turn it and show it to the others assembled in the room.

"That is so cool!" Emily yelled and reached out to take it from me for a closer look. I handed it to her before turning back to my dad.

"This award is just from the record company," he said. "We can't apply for certification with the record industry until thirty days after the album is released. But Olympic Records likes to award their artists sooner than that. You hit the 500,000 mark on Saturday. Right now sales are around 700,000. Scott thinks that you'll hit the million mark by sometime next week."

I sat there, staring at him in complete shock. I had been stunned when he told me that I had sold 428,000 that first day. I was stunned to hear the numbers now! I was blown away that my music was so popular!

Dad had apparently already placed a nail in the wall to hang the award on, and when Emily gave it back to him, he walked over to the previously vacant area of wall and hung it up. I noticed that there was a lot of room available for future awards, and I had mixed emotions; I was both excited and scared at what my future might hold.

"Congratulations, Princess," Dad said before kissing me softly on my forehead and walking out of the room. I was still speechless.

*  *  *

I was happy when I climbed into bed that night. I had gotten Ethan back, I'd received my first award from the record company, and I'd survived my encounter with Jared Lumbart without injury. Altogether, it had been a great day. I knew that I wouldn't have many of these days off before school started. I was disappointed that the day was already over, but I knew that even if I was working for the rest of the summer, it was also going to be a lot of fun.

From the concerts, to the sightseeing while we were traveling, to the rush that I got from performing, I couldn't wait to get started!

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.32 - Surprise Interviews

The calm, serene silence of early morning was shattered by the alarm on my phone for the second time. I groaned loudly, but reached for the nightstand to turn it off. A glance at my clock told me that it was 5:00 in the morning. This was definitely not the time of day I preferred to wake up.

I sighed once again while climbing out of my bed and making my way toward the bathroom. The one thing I liked least about Sarah Carerra was her crazy schedule. I knew that I was up early so that I could be interviewed on a number of radio shows. It was already 8:00 on the East Coast, and the shows there would be ending soon.

After a quick shower to help wake me up, I walked down to the kitchen where I knew Dad would be waiting for me. I smiled when I saw that he had already set out a bowl of cereal for me.

"Thanks, Dad," I told him while sitting down.

"You're welcome, Princess," he replied and took another bite of his own cereal. "It's the least I could do when I drag you out of bed so early."

He pushed a folder toward me, and I took another spoonful before opening it. Inside was some information about each of the people who would be interviewing me today, and about the cities where those stations were located.

"You have three interviews this morning," he stated. "Each will be about 10 minutes long. If you want to go back to bed afterward, you can. We don't have to be at the magazine interview until this afternoon."

I nodded while reading through the information. Climbing back into bed sounded like a good idea right now! I continued to read the information he had given to me while we ate. Once finished, I picked up my bowl and his and took them over to the sink to clean before placing them in the dishwasher. I then joined him in his office where the calls would take place.

He was already sitting behind his desk, so I took the soft chair he had moved to the other side and sat down in front of his office phone. Dad had a headset that he would listen to the calls on while being muted and he left me the handset.

"What now?" I asked him.

"We wait for them to call," he said. "We are on their timetable this morning."

I nodded, but stood up and walked back to my room to get my book before rejoining him. I wasn't going to sit there doing nothing while I waited. Besides, I was starting to get to the best part of the book.

As I was sitting there reading, my stomach started to hurt. Dad immediately noticed my discomfort, but he didn't say anything until I grunted in pain.

"Are you okay?" he asked. The concern on his face was readily apparent.

"Yes," I replied. "My tummy is upset about something."

His concern turned to worry quickly. "I hope you aren't getting sick. That will make getting ready for the tour harder."

I hoped I wasn't either, but a moment later the pain stopped. I smiled at him as I stretched out a bit to relax. He didn't smile back.

It was another 10 minutes before we got the first call. This one was from a radio station in New York City. Dad answered the phone, and spoke with someone on the other end before passing me the handset.

I lifted it to my ear and said, "Hello?"

"Sarah?" someone asked me.

"Yes," I replied.

"Okay," came the response. "If you can hold for one moment, Steve is almost ready for you."

"Okay," I answered and leaned back into the chair. This first interview was supposed to be with Steve and Polly from '99.6, The City'.

It didn't take too long before the voice was back. "I'm going to transfer you over to the air now, Sarah. Have fun."

"Thank you," I replied before I heard a click.

"Sarah Carerra, are you there?" a deep masculine voice spoke immediately.

"Yes," I replied. I assumed this was Steve, but I didn't want to say his name in case I was wrong.

"Excellent, excellent," was his reply. "Welcome to 'The City'. You are on the air with Steve and Polly."

"Hi, Sarah," came a feminine voice that had to be Polly. Before I had a chance to respond, Steve was talking again.

"So, Sarah," he said. "I understand it has been an interesting summer for you. Did you ever expect to become this popular in such a short amount of time?"

"No," I replied with a soft laugh. "When I was signed, I figured I'd have a few songs that people would like to listen to. I never expected to certify a gold album a few days after it was released. This whole thing has been crazy!"

"Well," Holly spoke up. "It is well deserved. I don't think there has been such a good response to a debut album in a long time."

"I agree," Steve added. "These numbers are almost unheard of, even with established artists. You've captured the hearts of America in just less than two months."

"I don't know about that," I said. I knew that I had sold a lot of albums, but that was only a small number when compared to the population of the United States. I still only had a small fan base.

Polly and Steve both laughed for a moment. Eventually, Steve was the one that spoke again. "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah," he said in a fatherly tone. I could imagine him shaking his head as he spoke. "I don't think you realize just how popular you are."

I didn't know how to respond to that, and I unfortunately left a few seconds of dead air before Steve started chuckling again. Then he moved the interview on to another subject.

"Anyway," he said. "You are going to be in New York City in mid-August for a couple of concerts, correct?"

"Yes." I could answer this question. I reached for the calendar of events that Dad had helpfully provided me and scanned for the exact dates. "I'm performing in Central Park on the morning of August 17 as part of the Good Morning USA Summer Concert Series. That will be a free show for anyone who wants to come down. Then I'll be performing again on Saturday the 21st at Radio City Music Hall."

"Two very impressive venues," Polly told me. "Is the Central Park show a full concert?"

I wasn't sure of the answer, and looked to Dad briefly. His nod gave me the information I needed to continue. "Yes," I told her. "It will have the same set list as the rest of the stops on my tour." A second nod from Dad confirmed that I hadn't just lied to them with the second part of my answer.

"Have you ever been to New York before?" Steve asked me next.

"No," I replied, shifting in my seat to find a more comfortable position. "I've never been to the East Coast before. One of the things that excites me the most about this concert tour is the ability to see parts of the country that I've never been to before. I've always wanted to go to New York, and this will be my first trip."

"Do you have anything fun planned while you are here?" Polly queried. I smiled. There were so many things that I wanted to do in New York, I was sure that I wouldn't get a chance to do them all.

"Yes," I told her. "I'll be in New York for about a week, so I've got plenty of time to sightsee. I have a few other commitments while I'm there, but there are a ton of things that I'd like to see. A Broadway show, Times Square, a tour of Central Park, perhaps even a stop at the zoo. I'm sure there are plenty of things that I'll get to experience while I'm there."

"I'm glad to hear that you are taking time out of your busy schedule to sightsee," Steve commented. "Some celebrities fly in, perform, and then fly out and miss all of the culture that New York can provide."

"I really hope that doesn't happen to me, at least not during this tour," I told him. "I'm hoping that I'll get a chance to see a bit of each city I stop in. That will get harder after school starts, when I'm only going to be in town for the weekend, but I still hope they aren't ‘in and out’ stops." I looked over at Dad to get his reaction, and he smiled. That gave me hope that my desires would be honored.

"So you aren't taking time off from school?" Polly asked, surprised.

I was worried for a moment. This was one of the reasons that the secret was a good idea. But it was still a risky thing to mention. "No," I replied. I could see the concern in my dad's face as I skirted the area he didn't like me to get into. "I'm going to try to attend school like normal, at least. We'll see how that works out, though." It was likely to work just fine since nobody would know who I am, but the rest of America didn't need to know that.

"That's commendable," Polly replied. "Too many young artists have trouble keeping their schoolwork up while performing. I'd hate to see something like that happen to you."

"Knowing my dad, he'll make sure my manager starts cancelling concerts if my grades start slipping," I laughed as I spoke. Dad was laughing too, but he was nodding his head in confirmation at the same time. Steve and Polly were laughing along with us.

"Well," Steve spoke when we had calmed down a bit. "I'm glad that you were able to join us this morning, Sarah. I wish we had more time, but we're going to have to let you go."

"Thank you for having me on the show," I told him. "I don't like waking up this early, but at least you guys make it worthwhile."

They were laughing again at my words, but eventually they got around to ending the interview.

"Good bye, Sarah," Steve said, and his words were echoed by Polly.

"Good bye," I replied and heard a click shortly thereafter. I was smiling when I put the handset down on the receiver. That had gone much better than I thought it would.

"That was great!" Dad echoed my thoughts. "I'm so proud of you, Princess."

"Thanks, Daddy," I replied.

*  *  *

I was right in the middle of the climactic scene in my book when the phone rang again. I grumbled at the bad timing, but put my bookmark in between the pages and set it down. Dad was already talking to someone on the other end, and I quickly scanned the information about this radio station once again while I waited for my turn to speak. It wasn't long before I was on the air once again.

"Good morning, Sarah," Ava, the show's host welcomed me. "You’re on CO-94 with Ava, Ripley, and the Munchkin."

I chuckled to myself at her words. I had thought that 'the Munchkin' was a typo, but apparently I was mistaken.

"Good morning," I replied. "I'm happy to be here." Ripley and the Munchkin also introduced themselves. I chuckled again when I heard the deep bass of the Munchkin’s voice.

"It's been what, a week since the release of your first album?" Ava asked.

"Yes," I replied. "I can't believe that we got it out the door as quickly as we did."

"That's right," Ava continued. "You only signed with Olympic Records at the beginning of the summer, correct?"

"Right," I confirmed. "It's only been about two months. I've been very fortunate to have a number of amazing people working to get my music out there. I'm still overwhelmed at how successful they have been."

"I think that a lot of that success has to be attributed to you," Ava said. "You've definitely started your career with a bang."

"Thank you," I told her. "But I wouldn't be where I am today without the wonderful people who support me."

"How did you get your start?" Ava asked me. "Did you send your demo into a lot of record companies?"

I shifted in my seat to lean back and relax a bit. Ava had a very calm and comforting tone to her voice, which helped me to feel more at ease. I'd been pretty tense after the first interview, and my back hurt from sitting so straight in the chair.

"To tell you the truth, I hadn't recorded a single thing before I was discovered," I explained. "My two best friends dragged me to a party one night where they had karaoke. I was discovered there after I ended up on stage, and I was signed within a week."

"Wow!" the Munchkin replied. "Most people have to fight to get their demos heard. You're quite lucky."

"Like I said, I've got amazing people around me."

"Tell us about your music," Ava kept the conversation going. "You write many of your own songs, correct?"

"I do," I answered excitedly. Writing music was something that I could talk about all day if given the chance. "Six of the songs on the CD were written by me. Some of them were co-written by my friends, but I also try to have a hand in each of the songs that I sing. My label has given me a number of songs, but I think they are willing to let me write my own music from this point forward."

Dad's eyebrows rose at my pronouncement, and he opened his day planner and started jotting down some notes. I had a feeling that he was going to bring up with Scott what I had just said. He had a quirky grin on his face, and I could feel the same thing curling my own lips.

"That's excellent!" Ava agreed. "Speaking of your music, I wanted to ask you about a couple of your songs. First, who can forget your heartfelt dedication to Chloe during the televised concert with Josh Holliday. Who is Chloe?"

I smiled. I knew Dad was recording these interviews. I was going to have to play this one back for Emily later.

"Chloe is my best friend." I told Ava happily. "We met when my family moved into her neighborhood when I was two. We've been inseparable ever since. She was also one of the two friends who dragged me to the party that got me discovered. Xander was the other."

"And Chloe helped you write 'Ever After'," Ripley stated. It wasn't exactly a question.

"Yes, she did," I told him. "We've written a few over the years, but only three of them have been included on the album. She also helped me to write 'Enchanted Forest' and 'Friends Forever'."

"That's awesome that you have a friend who can help inspire you like that," Ava interjected. "It's a beautiful song, but I also would like to ask you about another one before we have to let you go. I know you have a busy schedule this morning."

Busy? I was sitting around reading more than I was being interviewed.

Before I got a chance to respond she continued with her question. "'You Can't Hurt Me' has a powerful message to it. People are already screaming 'Grammy' about this one. Can you tell us a little about where it came from?"

"Sure," I replied, while balking at the idea of it receiving a Grammy. It wasn't THAT good. "'You Can't Hurt Me' is a mixture of the feelings and frustrations that I experienced after the press conference I had after collapsing on the 'Wake Up!' show."

"For those who haven't heard," Ripley interrupted. "Sarah was confronted by a rather persistent and obnoxious reporter at the press conference, right?"

"Right," I told him. "I didn't really want to share the personal details of my body with the world. He sort of forced that out of me. But later that evening my dad managed to cheer me up, and I started to have a feeling that I needed to write about it. 'You Can't Hurt Me' is what I came up with. It's my statement to the world to let them know that I'm my own person, and I'm not going to change because they want me to."

"I love the emotions that the song portrays," the Munchkin stated. "And that video was awesome. I haven't seen a video quite that entertaining in a while."

"Yes," Ripley agreed. "You really managed to capture the pain that you were feeling in the song. I can't imagine going through something like that, but I must commend you on how well you have handled the pressures that this industry can place on a young artist."

"Thank you," I told him, and I felt a smile widen across my face.

"CO-94 is one of the sponsors of your concert here in Cleveland," Ava told me. I didn't know that information, but it wasn't much of a surprise. "Can you tell us about what we can expect?"

"Uh huh," I replied. I grabbed the paper with my schedule on it once again and searched for the Cleveland show. "I'll be performing at the Nautica Pavilion on Friday, August 13," I told her. "We haven't defined a full set list yet, but the songs are likely to be a mix of what is available on the 'Intuition' album, as well as a few covers and some new songs that the band and I have been working on. It should be a lot of fun."

"Friday the 13th, huh?" the Munchkin said before laughing to himself. "That should make for an interesting show."

I hesitated for a moment. I hadn't made that connection before. I wasn't a very superstitious person, but that didn't mean that it didn't give me pause for a brief moment.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Ava said wryly, filling the short silence before it turned into dead air. "Thanks for coming on the show, Sarah. It'll be nice to meet you when you are in town."

"It was my pleasure," I told all of them. Then I heard the click. I hoped that the lack of a goodbye did not mean that the interview had gone bad.

"Not everyone likes goodbyes on air," Dad explained at what must have been a confused look on my face. I shrugged my shoulders and picked up my book.

*  *  *

Fifteen minutes later I was trying to finish my book before the last call when I felt it. I bolted upright in my chair. I knew immediately what it was, and I felt excitement and trepidation at the same time.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked immediately. I wasn't going to discuss this with him, though.

"Nothing," I replied as I quickly stood up and headed for the door, and the bathroom beyond. I was prepared for this. I knew it would happen eventually.

"Megan!" Dad yelled in worry for a moment. Then he repeated his call in frustration when the phone started ringing. I grimaced at the bad timing, but he was just going to have to stall them for me for a moment.

It didn't take me very long before I was able to make my way out of the bathroom and back to Dad's office. He looked very unhappy when I tried to smile innocently at him. I sat down and immediately took the handset from him before he could ask me anything. I had to wait a few more minutes before I was on the air, but at least it kept him from yelling at me for running out, or worse yet, asking where I had gone.

"Sarah!" rang out in my ears a moment later. "You’re 'Seaside' with Shark, the Surfer, and Dave. Good morning!"

"Good morning," I replied. 'Seaside' was a local radio station that I had grown up listening to, though admittedly I didn't really listen to their morning show. It was nice to be featured on a station that most of my friends and schoolmates listened too.

"Congratulations on your new album," Shark continued. "It's already posting some impressive numbers."

"Thank you," I replied.

"You're from Los Angeles, are you not?" one of the others asked me. I think it was Dave, but I hadn't listened to the show enough to know for sure, and they hadn't introduced themselves.

"I grew up in Malibu," I told them. If they asked for more detail, I could only hope the time I had spent with Gran and Grandaddy while growing up was enough to make it seem like I knew what I was talking about. Malibu was where Sarah supposedly lived, but I had never lived anywhere other than the house I grew up in.

"Malibu," the third guy said. "Good surfing up that way. I could spend all day there."

"Shut up, Surfer," Shark badgered with his co-host. "You probably haven't even been up there before."

"Whatever, Dude," the guy I now knew for sure was Surfer said. "You're just jealous of my moves."

There was an audible sigh over the air before Shark continued the interview.

"Anyway, Sarah," he said. "We're glad that you are talking with us this morning. We wanted to spend most of the time taking calls from our listeners, and we are already running late. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes," I told him. I hoped I sounded calm, because I didn't feel that way. I knew that we were taking call-ins during this interview, and that just brought back bad memories of taking questions from the press at the press conference. There was no way to limit what the people asked on air, and I didn't want to be placed in a scenario like I had been in when Brady Townsend confronted me.

I looked up at Dad, and he gave me a smile. It was obvious that he was still upset with me for running off like I had, but I knew that he would be there to help me through this.

"Alright," Shark said and I heard a small click on the line. "First caller, what is your name and question?"

"Hi Sarah, I'm your biggest fan!" came a feminine voice that was really excited. "My name is Callie and I was wondering. Do you have any pets?"

"Hi, Callie," I replied with a bit of humor at her excitement. I was happy that we were starting with a nice, easy question. "I don't have any pets right now. My family had a really great dog named Ginger while growing up. She passed away a few years ago, though. I'd love to get a little puppy. It's been too long without one scampering around the house."

"Thank you," Callie said forlornly before I heard another click. That was even quicker than most of the interactions I'd had with fans at the CD signing.

"Next caller," Shark said. "Name and question, please."

This seemed very clinical, but I was glad that I had the chance to answer some questions for my fans, even if it scared me to death that they were going to ask something I didn't want to answer.

"My name is Rob," came the voice of a young man. "I was wondering. Is it true that you and Josh broke up?"

"I..." I said, but wasn't sure how to continue. Josh and I had never really been together, so there wasn't any way we could have broken up. "Josh and I were never really together," I told him. "We're just good friends."

"So you're single?" Rob asked hopefully.

"Yes," I replied cautiously. "At the moment I am."

I heard him cheer before he hung up again. That was one of the questions I would have preferred not to answer, but at least it seemed to go okay.

"How are we doing, Sarah?" Shark asked me. "Still okay?"

"Yeah!" I tried to sound enthusiastic, but those kinds of questions would make continuing this interview hard.

I heard another click before Shark once again put another caller on the air.

"Hi, Sarah," I heard another feminine voice. This one sounded like she was one of my older fans, or perhaps a mother of one of my fans. "I just wanted to know if you planned to go to college."

"Oh, okay," I caught myself saying, surprised. I hadn't even really started thinking about where I wanted to go to college yet. "I'm only sixteen, but I do hope to go to college someday. I hope that it will be in my near future, but even if I have to take a few years off because of my career, I would still like to go as soon as possible."

"So you would put college off to sing?" she said in an accusing tone. This question had just turned ugly. I looked over at Dad. He had a small grimace on his face, but I could also see his curiosity at how I was going to answer this question.

"I think that trying to learn and improve my knowledge is a very important thing to do," I told her cautiously. "I want to be a well-rounded person. College is definitely a way to do that. But I think that a lot of what I've done this summer has helped me to grow as a person too. I'm not planning to put off college right now, but if I have to choose between college and singing in a few years, I probably will push college back for a bit. I think that there is as much value in what I am doing now as there is in attending college. College will come when the time is right."

I looked over at Dad. He had a mixed expression on his face. It looked like he admired the way I answered the question, but I wasn’t certain if he liked my answer. This next school year would tell us a lot about whether college was feasible while continuing to work on my music. I sincerely hoped that it was. Emily and I had been talking about going to college together for years. I'd hate to see that ruined by my career.

"Thank you, caller," Shark said and I heard the click indicating the caller was no longer on the line. That was when I realized that she had never given her name.

The show continued along that vein for a while. This was the longest interview of the morning, and I was happy to interact with the local fans again. Eventually, it started to wind down.

"Last question," Shark told me and the audience. "Caller, you're on the air with Sarah Carerra. Please give us your name and question."

"Hi, Sarah! It's so nice to talk to you again! My name is Brittany, and I got to meet you at the CD signing."

She paused after introducing herself, so I greeted her. "Hi, Brittany, it's nice to talk to you again."

"Thank you," she replied, and her voice sounded even happier. "I was hoping you could give me some advice. I love to sing, but I'm scared to death to sing in front of anybody. I've never been able to get up on stage or anything. What would you suggest I do?"

"That's an easy one," I told her and felt my smile grow. I had personal experience with this one, and knew exactly what to tell her. "If you would have tried to get me up on stage three months ago, I would have felt the same way. I was scared to death to sing in front of people. My friend Chloe would be the first to tell you how stupid I was being. She dragged me to a party and forced me onto the stage to sing karaoke. I was signed within a week.

"What you need to do is just get up on that stage and sing. It's hard at first, but it gets easier and easier every time you do. If you don't have a stage, sing for your family. Sing for your friends. Have fun with it. And if you get the rush like I do, it will make it all worth it."

"The rush?" Dave asked, confused.

"What's the rush?" Brittany asked next.

"The rush," I smiled. I wasn't entirely sure how to describe it to them. But I knew I had to try now. "Is when I get up on stage, or start performing somewhere, I always feel this fire start to build within me. It grows and grows, and it is one of the most wonderful feelings I have ever felt before. I'm totally addicted to it now, and I know I won't be able to give up performing for a long time, if ever."

"That sounds a lot like an adrenaline rush," Surfer said. "I get that from surfing."

"Maybe," I replied. "All I know is that it has helped me to overcome my fears. When I first took the stage at my concert in Salt Lake City, I was scared to death. But the rush wiped that all away before I got to the first chorus of the first song. Now, I'm excited to get on stage every single time."

"That sounds awesome!" Brittany almost yelled. "I totally want to see if I can feel that! Thank you, Sarah!"

"You're welcome," I replied with some humor in my voice at her new excitement. "Performing is fun. Think about it that way instead of being scared, and it will be easier."

I looked at Dad, and he was smiling again. This answer he liked. I smiled back while Shark closed the interview.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Sarah," Shark said. "We'll have to do it again."

"I'd like that," I replied.

"Good bye, Sarah," Shark said, and the sentiment was repeated by his co-hosts.

"Good bye," I told them and heard the click that indicated that I was no longer connected with them. I hung up the phone and leaned back into the chair. That had been fun.

When I looked over at Dad, he had a grim look on his face again. I knew immediately that I was about to get a lecture. I sighed while he started to speak.

"We need to talk about your professionalism," he said to me.

"Dad, it isn't what you think," I told him, but he didn't buy it.

"They were very upset to have to wait for you," he lectured. "If you do that too often, people won't want you on their show, and we need that publicity."

"I'm sorry," I told him. "But something very important came up."

"What?" he asked. "What could be so important to make them wait?"

"I..." I started. I really didn't want to talk to him about this. "Girl stuff," I finally said.

His eyes shot up at my explanation. It hadn't entered his mind! The only other period I'd had was while I was in the hospital, so this was new to both of us. But he'd been living with Mom long enough to know what that meant.

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" he asked. "I've been upset with you for the last half an hour for no reason.

"I didn't want to talk to you about it," I said, feeling my cheeks flush. He nodded his head to indicate he understood.

"I'm sorry for lecturing you," he said. "I should have asked first. Next time it happens, please let me know, so I know how to stall. Meanwhile, if you want to go back to bed for a while, you can. We don't have to be at the magazine interview until after lunch."

"Okay," I replied. "I'd like that.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.33 - The Songs We Sing

Dad awakened me a few hours later to allow me enough time to get ready and eat lunch before we had to go. I was a little tired from the wacky schedule, and wondered if going back to bed had been the best idea. But by the time we pulled up to the building where the magazine interview was going to take place, I felt awake again.

It wasn't until we walked into the lobby that I really understood what this magazine interview meant. Dad hadn't mentioned what magazine it was, so I was very surprised to see that I would be featured in Dazzle!

I was giddy with excitement as we were led back to a small conference room by the receptionist. Emily and I had read many issues of this magazine over the years. Being featured inside was going to be a cool experience! It focused mostly on teen girl issues from fashion to dating and beyond.

Inside the conference room was an older woman with a friendly smile on her face. She introduced herself as one of the staff writers, and wasted no time in starting the interview. I answered even more questions like the ones that I had been asked earlier in the morning, and it wasn't long before we were done. I couldn't wait to read the entire thing.

I was surprised to be escorted down to a photo shoot afterward, because they told me that I was going to be on the cover! Dad swore he had told me that news, but I was pretty sure that was something that I would have remembered. Julia and Stephanie were both there to get me ready, and they took pictures of me in four different outfits before we were done for the day.

When I climbed into bed that night, I had a very pleasant feeling coursing through my veins. There had been a few questions I would have preferred not to answer throughout the day. But in the end, everything had turned out okay. I just didn't want to wait the month it would take for the magazine to be on the newsstands.

*  *  *

Thursday was going to be an exciting day. I was really giddy as I got ready to head to the studio. This morning we were going to have our first meeting about the concert tour, where we would decide what songs were going to be sung. Tomorrow I was going to appear on the 'Tonight Show' again, and then I'd have the weekend to prepare for being Sarah nearly full-time for the rest of the summer vacation that I had left.

It was going to be busy, but it was also going to be fun. I was both excited and sad that I wouldn't have a lot of time to myself. Plus, I wouldn't see Emily or Ethan for two whole weeks once we were on the road for the cross-country portion of the tour.

When we arrived at the studio, we were led down a hall to a large room I had never been in before. It appeared to be a small events hall. The band had their equipment set up in one area, and there was a round table nearby where a number of people were already sitting. The band and the girls were already at the table. Scott was talking to another lady whom I had never met. There were also two other guys in their late 20's sitting at the table.

"Hi, everyone," I greeted them as Dad and I approached. They all looked up and greeted me in return. Scott, the woman, and the two guys all stood up so I approached where they were standing. Scott made the introductions.

"Sarah," Scott said while gesturing to the woman he had been talking to. "This is Rosemary Hobbes. She will be the event coordinator for each of your concerts. She's in charge of everyone and everything. If you have any needs or concerns at the different venues, you should seek her out."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sarah," Rosemary said with a friendly smile before extending her hand.

I took it and gave it a shake while replying. "I'm glad to have you on board."

Scott then gestured toward the two guys. "These two will be the directors of your sound team," he said. "This is Stewart King and this is Jared Klauson. They have a number of years experience in putting on concerts and we are lucky to have them on our team. Anything related to the sound and music will be under their jurisdiction at the concerts."

"I'm honored," I said while shaking Stewart's hand before doing the same for Jared.

"The honor is ours," Stewart said while giving me a look that unsettled me a bit. They were much older than me, but they were looking at me in the same way that the boys my own age did. I knew that it happened, but I wished they had disguised it better. They seemed to realize that they were making me uncomfortable, however, and tried not to leer. I mentally thanked them for that, even if I was unhappy at their attention.

"Have a seat," Scott told me. "We're only waiting on one more."

I nodded and sat next to Sophie. Dad sat on my other side. I talked with the band for a bit before the last person arrived. I smiled immediately when I saw Kate Abernathy walk into the room. Kate was my choreographer, but I hadn't seen her since before my first concert.

"Hi, Kate," I said when she took a seat next to Dad.

She smiled back at me before speaking. "It's nice to see you again, Sarah. You never signed up for those dance classes."

"I..." I didn't have a response to that. But the grin that broke out across her face let me know that she was joking with me. I started laughing and she joined in.

"Now that everyone is here," Scott spoke up next. "I'd like to get started. We have a lot to do today so that everyone can get ready for Monday." He looked down at the paper in front of him. "Monday we will go over everything that we need to know about the concert tour. Tuesday we will start choreography, correct?" He was looking at Kate, who nodded. "We've got two weeks to get ready. It isn't much time, but we have good people in this room, and I know we'll be ready for the first concert on the 31st. Okay?"

Everyone around the table was nodding, and Scott looked down at the stack of papers in front of him again.

"I have a list of about 30 songs here," he said. "We need to fill about an hour and a half to two hours worth of time."

He started passing papers around to everyone. Once I got mine I took a look at the songs that he had listed. Most of them were obvious. The entire list of songs from my CD and the six songs that the band and I had worked on Monday night were all listed, and made up the majority of the list. The other 11 were songs that the studio had obtained permission to use as possible cover songs that I could sing. The majority of this meeting would determine which of those songs I would be singing to fill in the gaps, as it was unlikely that we would cut any of my own work from the set list.

There were a number of songs listed that I liked. There were some that I had never heard of. Also...

"We can scratch 22, 24, and 29 off the list," I spoke immediately. There was no sense in debating about those three. "I don't like any of those songs."

"Okay," Scott said and did just that with his pen. "I propose that we include all songs from the 'Intuition' album. This is the 'Intuition' tour, after all."

Everyone agreed, so he moved on to the next point. "We also have six songs that Sarah and the band have written that they would like to include. Those are 14-19 on your list. I tentatively propose that we include them too. Original content will be better than cover songs. I would, however, like to hear each song before we make a final decision on them."

He looked over the remaining songs once again. "That leaves us with eight possible covers. We can go through each of them and see what everyone's opinions are. But before we do that, can we hear the ones you have been working on?"

Scott was looking toward the end of the table where the band and I were sitting. I looked over at them for a second to gauge their reaction before nodding back to him. The band and I stood up and we made our way over to the instruments.

As I sang through each of the songs that the band and I had written, I just had to smile at how crazy this summer had been. I had talked a lot about it yesterday in the interviews, but I was still amazed at how quickly everything had happened! Just three months ago I hadn't even been on stage, but now I was going on a concert tour in two weeks!

When we finished playing each of the songs, we'd have a brief discussion about whether to include it or not. Truthfully, I didn't think anyone was going to say ‘no’ to any of them. It felt slightly like we were just going through the motions when everyone already knew they would be included. They probably just wanted to hear them. By the time we had sung all of them, everyone was smiling. They were all approved.

The band and I took our seats around the table again so that we could go through the list of cover songs.

"Okay," Scott started us off again. "We have eight cover songs left to look at. We have each one available to listen to if we need to. First up, 'Super Trouper' from Mamma Mia!"

"Yes," I voted immediately. I would love to include a song from Mamma Mia! in my concerts, and 'Super Trouper' was an excellent choice. Scott looked around the room, and when nobody argued against me he put a check mark on his paper and moved on to the next one.

"'You Set Me Free' from Michelle Branch," he said. Everyone turned to me immediately to get my reaction.

"I like the song," I supplied.

"It feels a little too recent to me," Rosemary said. "I mean, my daughters still listen to it often enough that it might feel overused."

"I agree," Dad agreed.

"Okay, if there are no objections, then we'll cross it off," Scott said, hovering his pen above his paper. When nobody said anything, he crossed the song out and moved on to the next.

"Don McLean's 'If We Try'," Scott said and looked up at the rest of us again.

"I don't know that one," I told him. Scott turned to his laptop and did something before the song started playing in the room. It sounded like it was made way before I was born, but I liked it. It had this really slow, soft beat that had a kind of melancholy feel at the same time that it made me hope for more. By the time we were done listening to it, everyone agreed that it would be a good one to use.

"Alright," Scott said and made a mark on his paper once again. "Five more. Next is 'Downtown' by Petula Clark."

"I think that one will be perfect for Sarah," Dad piped up immediately. I had to make them play it for me since I'd never heard it, but I agreed with him quickly.

"Jewel's 'You Were Meant For'," Scott said next.

"I really hate that song!" Jason spoke up vehemently. "Can we please not do any Jewel?"

"What's wrong with Jewel? I love Jewel!" Sophie argued. I liked Jewel too, so I was intrigued to hear what Jason would say.

"I just don't, okay?" he said.

"Jewel reminds him of an old girlfriend," Connor supplied. "Bad memories."

"Oh," I said, understanding why he wouldn't want to play any of her songs. "Well, there are plenty of other songs. I guess we can skip Jewel."

"Thank you," Jason said, and the sincerity in his voice and in his eyes when he looked at me made me realize that he really didn't want to perform any Jewel songs. I wondered if I’d be able to get the story out of one of the other band members.

Scott marked his sheet again. Nobody had any issues with the remaining three songs: 'Breathless' by The Corrs, 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia, and Lisa Loeb's 'Stay (I Miss You)'. They were all songs I had heard before and liked, and I was excited to get to sing them on stage.

Once we were finished, Scott looked over the list again, and it was apparent that he was counting the number of songs that we had agreed upon.

"This set list is shorter than I would have hoped for," Scott told us after adding up the time for each song. "We could use one or two more to fill in the time. I could look for other songs that we could try to get performance rights for, or Sarah, do you think you could get us another?"

Everyone looked at me, and I was certain that the surprise was evident on my face. I had never been under a deadline to write a song before. I always wrote when I had something to write about. I didn't know what would happen if he put me on the spot like this.

"Uhm, okay," I said, but I knew I sounded really nervous.

"If you can't come up with anything, than we still have enough," Scott said. "But if anything comes to you over the next week, we'd be happy to use it."

I nodded. I heard his words, but I got the feeling he was really hoping that I came up with another song. I knew I was going to need to spend the weekend searching for something to write about.

"All right," Scott spoke up once again. "Now that the easy part is over, let's talk about what order to sing them in."

*  *  *

When I got home that evening, I was exhausted. I never would have thought that trying to decide what order to sing songs in would be such an issue. It took us nearly two hours to determine the order. Everyone had an opinion, and some of those opinions were very strong to their owners. The only thing that seemed to have preference in the decisions was my choice. It almost turned into a frenzy when people realized that Scott was listening to my final say. But in the end we managed to put together a good set list, and I didn't think anyone was too upset with it. I certainly didn't want to ever do anything like THAT again, however.

After lunch, the band and I were given use of the room to rehearse the songs that we had chosen for the concert tour. We had six cover songs that we had to learn to play together. We would get more rehearsal time during the following two weeks, but we wanted to be able to perform them by then, instead of learning as we went.

Between the two, I felt like we had been working non-stop on the tour for weeks already. I hoped that the rest of the time we had to get ready for the tour wasn't that stressful.

It was with some trepidation, and with a lot of reluctance, that I sat down on Sarah's couch after dinner to figure out what to write another song about. I had absolutely no idea where to start. I knew that I couldn't force the song out. That wasn't the way I wrote. I had to have an inspiration to pull that guitar out of its case. If I didn't, then the only thing I would be able to do effectively was put the guitar away again.

But I could try to find that inspiration. I changed my position so that I was lying on the couch, my head on one of the pillows while staring at the ceiling.

What could I write a song about? I'd written about a lot of things, and they all flashed through my mind. But none of them evoked the feeling that usually came with the beginning of a new song. I thought about the other parts of my life. I had been through a lot this summer, could I write about that?

No. I couldn't find the inspiration there, either.

"Mom! Come quick!" I heard Austin scream from the front of the house, breaking my thought patterns. Curiosity got the better of me, and I stood up and stepped out of Sarah's room to see what was going on.

I found Austin and Mom sitting on the couch watching a home video that had apparently been taken earlier that morning. He had mentioned that he had been taking surfing lessons to me, but I had completely forgotten about them. But the video clearly showed how good he was getting.

I sat down to watch in amazement. I always thought that it would be fun to surf, but he already looked like a pro, and he had only been taking lessons for a few weeks or so.

"Cool, huh?" Austin asked, and I turned to see him looking at me.

"You're really good!" I told him sincerely. The smile on his face grew even wider at my words. I continued watching for a while before I started to get an idea. I could write a song about Austin!

In excitement, I returned to Sarah's room after the video was finished, and picked up my guitar. This was going to be easy.

*  *  *

I screamed in frustration again while ripping another page out of my notebook. I couldn't do this anymore!

"Everything okay, Princess?" Dad asked me from the door to Sarah's room. I hadn't even heard it open.

"No!" I screamed back louder than I should have. Then I sighed in frustration and placed my guitar back into its case. I loved Austin, and I wanted to write a song about him. But now was not the time. I was trying to force it, and it was not working.

Dad came over and sat down next to me. "I'm sorry Scott put you on the spot like that," he said. "Remember, you don't have to come up with another one. I know he wants it, but we really do have enough songs. Don't frustrate yourself over this. If something comes up, great - we'll include it. If not, it isn't a big deal. Okay?"

I sighed. At least he was sincere, unlike Scott had been. I knew that I had to follow his advice, though. I couldn't try to force a song. It just didn't work that way.

"Come get some sleep," he told me. "You've still got a big day tomorrow, and I want you rested for the 'Tonight Show' interview. The song will come when it is ready."

I smiled up at him. He knew exactly what I needed to hear. I kissed him on his cheek. "Thank you, Daddy."

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.34 - Tonight's Headline

I dreamed about Ethan. I couldn't remember most of what the dream was about, but there was one thing that I knew for sure when I awoke. He would always be my friend.

Tuesday had done a lot to rebuild our friendship, even though I knew there was still a lot that we would need to do before he was comfortable around me again. At least he was trying now. I needed to do the same thing. A plan started to form in my head while I got ready for the day. I wanted to go over to his house and try something that the dream had helped me think of for improving our friendship, but that wasn't possible right now. Julia and Stephanie would be here at any moment to help me get ready for the 'Tonight Show'. I knew that I would be over at his house after we got home, though.

I managed to eat some breakfast before Julia and Stephanie rang our doorbell. I let them in and we headed for Sarah's room to get ready. Much like last time, Julia wanted me to look expensive. This time, however, she had a dress for me. I ended up in a slightly formal yellow dress that really complimented my looks. I still looked like a million dollars when I looked in the mirror. I was absolutely certain that Dad would hate the price tag when he saw it, but it was the perfect dress for me.

Instead of heading for the limo that I knew was waiting for me, Julia surprised me by pulling out another outfit.

"What's this for?" I asked her while examining what she had pulled out for me. It looked like fairly ordinary clothes consisting of a pair of jeans and a pretty pink top.

"This is your pre-show outfit," she said. Then she laughed at what must have been a confused look on my face. I hadn't needed a pre-show outfit before this point in time. "Don said that you would be interacting with fans before the show, and we don't want anything to happen to the expensive dress. I let you try it on because I wanted to make sure it fit."

"Oh," I replied, surprised. Dad hadn't told me anything about fan interaction. There was always some interaction with the fans wherever I went, but Julia's description made it seem like this would be a bigger deal.

I reluctantly took off the dress and changed into the other outfit. After I had on the jeans and top, Julia handed me a couple of bracelets and a necklace to act as the glam. As far as Sarah's outfits went, this one had very little glam involved, which led me to raise my eyebrows in question to Julia while looking in the mirror.

She laughed, but came over and took a look from behind me. "You proved me wrong with the album cover," she said. "You don't need a lot of glam to make your outfits work. I think that we still want to continue using it because it will help pull your image away from Megan, but we can probably start cutting back on some of it. If we know that you are going to be making a change from Megan to Sarah, we might want to provide more glam to help cover the difference, but your smile is often enough to get the job done otherwise."

I smiled back at her. The glam had been a part of my life since Sarah had been created, but some of it had been uncomfortable to wear. I liked the idea of wearing less and focusing it more on jewelry or something else that was less intrusive.

"Of course, your stage outfits are a different matter altogether," she smirked at me. "There will still likely be plenty of glam used there." I chuckled back.

When we finally walked into the front room, I was surprised to find two men dressed in suits sitting on the couch talking to Mom and Dad. They all stood up when I entered. Both of the men looked like they could have been in the military, and they both had those earpieces that I always saw Secret Service agents wearing in the movies.

"There she is," Dad said with a smile. "Sarah, I'd like to introduce you to Cole Wagner and Mason Eckles. They have been hired to be in charge of your security."

Surprised again, I looked at the guys one more time. They both looked like they were in their early thirties, and one thing stood out above all else. I wouldn't want to get into a fight with either of them.

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Carerra," Cole said while extending his hand. He looked to be about Dad's age, but he was in a lot better shape. And that was saying something, since Dad was pretty fit.

"It's nice to meet you," I said while shaking his hand. Then I turned to Mason. He almost looked like he could be Cole's twin. I took his hand. "But please, call me Sarah."

"Sarah it is," Mason replied with a smile. I had been worried that they would have the same bland personalities as the people in the movies, but he actually seemed to be nice. I wondered if he'd act the same way when we were in public.

"We need to go," Dad said, and everyone was quick to follow him out to the waiting limo. Mom and Dad got in with me, while the others got into their own cars. The two security guards had an imposing black SUV, while Stephanie and Julia got into Julia's Lexus.

"Do I really need security?" I asked Dad while we were driving.

"Yes," he replied almost instantly and with conviction. I was surprised! If he was that sure I needed security, then there must be a reason.

"Have there been threats against me?" I asked him, already knowing the answer.

Dad sighed, and struggled to determine if he should answer that question. In the end, though, he knew that I already knew the answer.

"All celebrities get threats, Megan," he said. "Some people can be really jealous and cold-hearted. I don't want you to assume that anything is going to happen just because you get the threats, just like I won't assume nothing will happen. Cole and Mason are an insurance policy. They are paid well to keep you safe, and they are really good at what they do. Both of them are highly-decorated ex-Marines. We are lucky to have them and their team working for us."

"Do they know about me?" I asked.

Dad's frown told me the answer before he ever opened his mouth. I knew how much Dad hated letting new people in on the secret. But this was something that would be hard to hide from the guys who had been hired to keep me safe.

"Silence is part of their contract, however," Dad said. He didn't answer my question because he knew I had seen his frown. "If you ever go anywhere as Sarah, they won't be far behind."

"What about my privacy?" I asked him bluntly. I didn't really want two guys following me around everywhere I went.

"They will give it to you," Dad promised. "They aren't like the Secret Service. They won't be following you around everywhere. But when we have events where you will be in the public eye, like this morning, they will be around."

I leaned back in my seat and sighed. I could understand the need for security, but I didn't like the idea of having them around. It was just one more thing in Sarah's life I would have to get used to.

*  *  *

When we arrived at the 'Tonight Show' studio, I realized immediately why I was wearing a pre-show outfit. The last time I had been on the show I had arrived and gone in a side door. Today, we pulled up to the front door where a line of people were waiting to get in for the show.

The people in line all turned and started to get excited when the limo pulled up. The line was rather long since the doors were supposed to open in an hour. The limo stopped about halfway down the line, and before I could even reach for the handle to the door Mason was already opening it. His crisp, dark suit was a stark contrast to everyone else around as I climbed out of the limo.

The screams hit me immediately. Every time I heard the shrill sound, it warmed my heart. I never expected to have people care about me that much! I knew what it was like to feel star struck. I hadn't made the best first impressions when I’d met Josh Holliday and Daren Stockard. I couldn't believe that people felt the same way when meeting me.

Dad climbed out behind me, and immediately handed me a permanent marker before helping Mom out. Then they started heading for the doors to the studio. I could see the quirky smile on Mom's face at the attention I was receiving as they walked by.

I immediately walked the short distance between the car and where the line was being held back by a guy dressed exactly like Cole and Mason, but whom I hadn't met before. I uncapped the marker and reached for the first thing that was handed to me.

I moved along the line slowly, autographing items, taking pictures with the fans, talking to them and even giving some of them hugs. There were cameras everywhere. People were trying to hand me things to sign left and right. Everyone was trying to get my attention as I moved down the line. I tried my best to appease everyone as I slowly moved toward the door.

Cole and Mason were there the whole time, keeping the people from overwhelming me. Mentally I thanked Dad for hiring them. I might not have liked the idea earlier, but they were proving themselves almost immediately.

I was pretty close to the door when Cole leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"You're needed for your sound check," he said.

I nodded back at him while still talking to the fans and signing autographs. It took me a couple of minutes before I was ready to step inside the building, and by that time Cole looked antsy. I didn't think he expected me to keep going, but I knew that I couldn't leave the fans until I was ready.

Once we were inside, I was directed straight to the stage where I had performed before. The band was there waiting for me, and we quickly performed a sound check before I was ushered off to my dressing room to change into the dress.

My life was exciting!

*  *  *

Someone knocked on the door while Stephanie was finishing my makeup. One of the band members opened it, and I heard the voice of Todd Thomas shortly afterward.

"Hi, Sarah," he said happily. I struggled to keep myself from turning my head while Stephanie made a few last strokes with her brush. When she was finished, I turned toward the host of the 'Tonight Show'.

"Hi, Todd," I returned excitedly while standing up and walking over to take his outstretched hand.

"Are you nervous this time?" he asked me with a wry grin.

I laughed immediately. The last time I had been here I had only sung a song. I had told him then that I was likely to be nervous if he ever interviewed me.

"No," I replied truthfully. "I'm afraid you are too late in that department. I've done enough interviews this week alone to make me lose my nervousness."

He mock frowned at my answer, but it wasn't long before he was smiling again. "My loss, I guess," he said. "So, exciting stuff tonight. You'll be the first and last guest of the evening."

"Wait," I said confused. "I'm the FIRST guest?"

Todd looked surprised at my question, but nodded. I guess that was probably something I should have known, but I didn't remember Dad telling me that! There had been a number of things that he had either forgotten to mention to me, or that I seemed to be forgetting lately!

"But I thought that the headliners were always the first guests," I told him. He started chuckling at me, which didn't make me feel any better.

"Sarah, you ARE the headliner tonight," he told me. I just stood there, stunned! I wasn't popular enough to be the headliner!

"Anyway," Todd continued. "I just wanted to pop in and say 'Hi' quickly. I'll see you out there shortly."

"Okay," I replied, but I was still confused at how I had become the headliner.

*  *  *

"My first guest of the evening has managed to capture the hearts of America in a very short amount of time. Her first album, 'Intuition', is currently on track to go platinum within the first month of its release. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the lovely and talented, Sarah Carerra!"

I smiled at Todd's introduction while taking a step forward onto the set. I smiled even wider when I caught sight of all the people in the audience. I gave them a friendly wave while walking toward the center of the area where Todd's desk was. He shook my hand before returning behind his desk while I took a seat in the chair next to it. Once I was seated I crossed my legs and pulled on the hem of my skirt a bit to make sure it was decent.

"Welcome back to the 'Tonight Show', Sarah," Todd said once the crowd had quieted once again.

"Thank you for having me back," I replied.

"This is your first time in the chair, right?" Todd asked me.

"Yes," I replied with an excited smile. "Last time I was here, I only sang."

"Well, welcome to the show," he replied happily. "Now, backstage you told me that you weren't nervous, but you're what, 16 years old?"

"I am," I answered. "But I've done so many interviews this week that I'm not as scared anymore."

"Has any of what you've gone through this summer scared you?" he asked next.

"Oh, definitely," I said with a bit of laughter. This certainly had been a scary and exciting summer. "When I took the stage in Salt Lake City, I was scared to death. It was my first concert, but it was only the second time that I had gotten up on stage to perform for a group."

Todd looked surprised at my answer for a moment. "Only your second time on stage?"

"Yes," I replied. "And the first time was the night that I got discovered. My friends forced me up on stage that night. I wouldn't be here without them."

"So you never really sang for anyone before you became famous?" Todd asked incredulously. He had a bewildered look on his face now.

"No, I didn't," I told him. "I was always scared and ashamed of my voice. I never really thought that I was good enough to sing for others." It wasn't the entire truth, since I had been more embarrassed of my high voice than ashamed, but it got my message across. "Chloe always said that I was being stupid. I guess she was right."

There was some laughter from the crowd.

"Well," Todd said with a bit of humor. "I for one am glad that you got over that."

The crowd laughed again, and I could feel myself start to blush slightly. I still couldn't believe so many people enjoyed my singing. It boggled my mind at how popular I seemed to have become.

Todd was a good host, and we bantered back and forth like that for a while. We even took a short commercial break before talking some more. Finally, he had to wrap up the interview.

"You can find Sarah's first album, 'Intuition', in stores now," Todd said while holding up a copy of my CD for the viewers to see. Then he turned toward me once again. "Sarah, thank you for coming by."

"It was my pleasure," I said, smiling widely.

Todd turned back toward the camera again before talking to the viewers once more. "Stick around, when we come back, I'll be talking with Tommy Sinclair."

Once the recording light had been turned off, Todd turned back to me to shake my hand. We shook hands and then I moved over to the couch that I had been directed to. But the entire time, my mind was reeling. Tommy Sinclair was a fairly new actor, but he had been in a number of really large blockbuster hits the last couple of years. How on earth was I headlining this show when he was on it?

When Tommy was brought out, I stood up and after he shook Todd's hand, he gave me a quick hug which sent a thrill through my body. Tommy was in his early 20's, and he was very cute.

Sitting next to Tommy and listening to Todd talk about his recent accomplishments, my mind continued to boggle at why I was sitting where I was. Tommy had been so successful in his last three movies, yet he was appearing after me on the show! I didn't understand why!

I interacted with the two of them for a bit when they would ask me a question or when I had a comment on his excellent movies. But for the most part I sat back and let them speak together.

When Todd's interview was over and the show had broken for commercial, I stood up to prepare for the next part of the show. Both Tommy and Todd shook my hand before I walked across the stage to the area where my band was waiting for me. I smiled at each of them as I approached, and took my position behind my microphone.

Immediately, I started to feel the rush begin to tingle my bones. It had been about a week since I had performed on stage with Josh, and I was ready to perform again. We didn't have to wait long before the red light indicated the show was recording once again.

Todd introduced us. "Back to sing her latest single, 'You Can't Hurt Me' from her new album, 'Intuition', which is in stores now, please welcome Sarah Carerra!"

The band started playing immediately, and all thoughts of being on the 'Tonight Show' or of my newfound popularity were pushed out of my mind as I began to perform. Nothing else mattered other than giving the fans a good show.

But it was when I found my parents in the audience that my performance really took off. Dad had been here alone the last time I was here. He had been so proud of me. But this time he had Mom with him, and she had tears running down her face as I performed. I worried that I was on the edge of having my own tears form, but I managed to hold them back.

When the song ended, and the shrill screams that I had heard when exiting the limo started to make their way around the studio, I realized that there might actually be something to my popularity after all. The numbers all indicated that I was well liked. The fans everywhere I went seemed to be really excited to see me. But I wasn't sure.

I still didn’t believe they liked me that much.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

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.

*  *  *

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.

*  *  *

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.

*  *  *

---

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.

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.36 - My Hero

I woke up on Sunday with a smile on my face. Yesterday had been one of the best days of my life. I'd spent a lot of time with Mom over the years, but never had it been as fun as yesterday afternoon had been. I wished that there was something that I could do to tell Mom just how much she meant to me.

I was sitting in my room alone after church, listening to the countdown. I had hoped that Emily or Ethan would come over, but they had their own commitments today. Mom was in the kitchen making a cake. Dad and Austin had gone somewhere, but I didn't know where.

As I expected, 'You Can't Hurt Me' wasn't listed before the top 5. It wasn't likely it had fallen of the list entirely, so I knew it was only a matter of time until they played it. I hoped that it made it to the top.

There was a soft knock on the open door to Sarah's room while song number five was playing. I looked up to find Mom standing there.

"Can I join you?" she asked hopefully. I smiled and started to lift myself from where I was lying across the couch. She quickly made her way over to the couch and sat in the spot that I had vacated. She surprised me by pulling my head back down into her lap, where she started to stroke my hair. We sat there for a while waiting for the song to be played.

"You knew it was inevitable," the DJ said after the song that had been on top last week was over. "Every song has to fall off the countdown at some point. But there is a sense of irony in the fact that Sarah Carerra has returned to take back the spot CrayZ took from her just three weeks ago by pulling his #1 hit off the top of the charts. With people already assuming that this song is on its way to winning a number of awards, we proudly present this week's top song, Sarah Carerra's "You Can't Hurt Me'."

As the song started playing, I felt surprised at the words that the DJ had spoken. I had not realized that there had only been one song on top since 'Intuition' had fallen. I had always stopped listening after my own songs were played. I couldn't believe that I had managed to grab two number one spots nearly back-to-back!

I sat there, listening to the song with Mom. She continued to stroke my hair, and every time that I looked up at her I could see the love and appreciation that she had shown me all day yesterday shining through once again. As we listened to the song I had written, I started to feel it.

Scott wanted me to write another song for the concert tour. I had been trying to find the emotions and feelings that were always the beginning of the inspiration for a song. Staring up into my mother's eyes, I found it.

I still didn't know exactly what to write about, but I knew it was only a matter of time now. Whenever I felt like this, a song wasn't far behind.

When the song was over, my mom sat there for a few more minutes stroking my hair as I tried to find a tune, some words, anything that would let me know where this song was supposed to go. But eventually she wanted to get back to her cake, and I could see it in her eyes. I smiled up at her and raised myself up so that she could go.

"Would you like to help me get dinner ready?" she asked.

"I can't," I replied. As much as I wanted to help her in that moment, I knew that I had to find the rest of my inspiration. It was just out of reach, and I knew that it was waiting for me to find it. I had to keep looking.

Mom was disappointed, but I knew that she'd be smiling when she heard the song for the first time. I didn’t know exactly what the song was about yet, but I knew she was going to love it.

She left the room, and I sat back down on the couch, trying to figure out what to do next. I could feel the song bumbling around in my head, but it didn't want to come out. I was going to have to find a way to connect with it. A sudden thought gave me an idea.

I walked out of Sarah's room and down to the front room. On the shelf were family photo albums. I knew that I would find what I was looking for inside one of them. But they weren't there. We'd kept the family photo albums on that shelf for years, but they were gone.

I walked to the door of the kitchen where Mom was pulling the cake out of the oven.

"Where are the photo albums?" I asked her.

She looked up at me for a second, and then had to rush the hot pan to the top of the stove before she could reply. Finally, she turned toward me.

"They're in your father's office," she replied. "We moved them in there with everything else when they were cleaning the carpets the other day. Why?"

"No reason," I said. "I just wanted to look at them."

She was looking at me like she knew I was hiding something, but she didn't say anything else before turning back to the oven. I took the opportunity to head for Dad's office. There were a number of boxes stacked behind his desk, and I figured that the photo albums would be hiding there. Walking around the desk, I noticed a folder sitting in the middle that Dad had drawn a frowny face on. Curiosity got a hold of me at that point, and I lifted the cover to peer inside.

What I found changed my mood instantly. Inside were more endorsements, magazine interviews, and other requests for appearances from or information about Sarah Carerra. But these were obviously the ones that Dad had filtered out before giving the rest to me. The happiness that I had felt at discovering the new song within me started to slip with every page I turned. Some of the requests and endorsements literally started to make me feel sick. My stomach started to hurt. My eyes started to feel heavy. My breathing became labored.

"Did you find them?" broke the pit of despair that was forming in my stomach. I looked up at the door to Dad's office to find my mom standing there. She was staring at me like she knew that I was looking at something that she didn't want me to look at. She either knew what I had found, or could sense the tension and hopelessness that I had started to pour into the air around me.

"Um", I said, trying to find a rock to hold onto in my head. My mom smiled, and sunshine started to brighten the dark world I had fallen into. "No," I replied, and closed the folder. I then let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"I told your father not to leave that folder lying around the house," Mom said in a disappointed tone. She had a concerned look on her face as she crossed the room to stand next to me. When she wrapped her arms around me, I couldn't hold the tears back anymore and buried my face in her shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Sarah Carerra had, for the most part, always been a happy part of my life. But looking at some of the despicable things that those people wanted me to do, or things they thought I'd be willing to endorse, I could only find despair. How could they even ask a 16-year old girl to do some of that stuff?

Mom held me while I let it all out. I knew that there would be people out in the world who would try to take advantage of me. I knew that there were people who would try to bend my self-image to their own desires. But they simply did not have a clue! I had more than one song that talked about how they couldn't control my destiny. And 'You Can't Hurt Me' very specifically told them that I was my own person. I didn't want anything to do with the stuff that was in that folder!

"Why didn't he just shred them or burn them?!" I exasperatedly asked my mom once the tears started to die down. I couldn't understand why that file even existed!

"Your dad said that he was going to write them a strongly worded response," she replied while pulling me closer. "But I agree with you. We should have just burned them."

She held me for a few more moments, while I slowly calmed down. When I stepped back and out of her arms, I had to return the loving smile that she gave me.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked me.

"Yes," I replied and then turned toward the boxes. I wanted to get the albums and get out of there. Mom pointed to a box sitting on the floor that was labeled 'Photo Albums'. That seemed to be the likely place to start, and I grabbed the box and followed her out of the office. The more space there was between me and that horrid file, the better. She went back into the kitchen while I took the box into the front room and placed it on the coffee table.

Pushing the bad thoughts that had invaded my mind away, I closed my eyes and concentrated on that feeling that I had felt in Sarah's room. I was thankful when it started to build up within me again. I had worried that the episode in Dad's office would have crushed that feeling. But other than the fact I knew the song was about my mom, I still didn't know anything about it yet.

Pulling the cover off the box, I found the photo albums stacked neatly inside. I started to pull them out and go through each of them. I laughed a bit at some of the antics we'd had over the years, but I still couldn't find what I was looking for. It wasn't until I pulled the second to last album out that I found it.

I had never seen this photo album before. It was pink, for one thing. Most of the other albums were a dark burgundy color. Flipping the album over so that I could see the front, I gasped!

I was scared to open the album when I saw the words stitched onto the front panel, which was made of some type of cloth or soft blanket. In fact, it looked a lot like the old baby blanket I had seen in many of the pictures that I had just looked at. Running my fingers over the stitching, I couldn't help but wonder why 'Megan' was embroidered across the front.

With trepidation, I slowly lifted the cover. The first page was a dedication, but it didn't make any sense to me.

"To our loving daughter," it read. "As long as you continue to give us these memories, they'll have a place to call home within this book." Mom and Dad's signatures followed the dedication, followed by a date. But the date is what really threw me off. It was dated at six months after I had been born!

Slowly turning the page once more, my breath stuck in my throat at what I saw. Baby pictures. MY baby pictures. But it wasn't me. It wasn't the same person that I had seen in all of the other albums. It was Megan! Sure, it was the same baby, but she was dressed in pretty newborn clothes that definitely told anyone who saw her what her gender was. Pinks were prevalent all around.

And that smile...That smile was amazing. She looked so happy! None of my other baby pictures had that type of smile.

I turned the page. She was older now, perhaps three months or so. But just as feminine and still smiling. The next page was the same at six months. It continued that way, page after page, until I turned the page once more and found a five-year-old little girl in a pretty dress standing next to Mom at a park.

I nearly dropped the book. With shaky hands I had to place it on the coffee table before I retreated back to the couch, pulling my legs up to my chest and hugging them. This couldn't be happening!

I remembered that day. I remembered it clearly. That was one of the best days of my life! It had just been Mom and me that day. She took me to the park, and then we went to a movie before she took me out to eat. It was the first time I had ever spent the entire day with her alone.

But I didn't remember the dress. I didn't remember the long hair that the girl sported. I didn't remember the way Mom looked at me in those photos. It was the same look I had gotten used to seeing from her since becoming Megan. A look she had never given to me before this summer.

Or so I had thought.

"Mom?" I shakily said. I wasn't even sure if it had been loud enough for her to hear, but I couldn't speak any louder at that moment.

She heard me, though. Soon she was standing at the door to the kitchen. I was still staring at the book, but I knew she was there.

"Yes, honey?" she asked me, not aware of what I had just discovered.

"What is this?" I stammered and vaguely made a motion toward the album. She took a few steps toward me, and then I heard her own intake of breath when she saw what I was looking at. She quickly stepped around the couch and then sat down next to me. Then she did the only thing I didn't want her to do. She grabbed the book and placed it on our lap to where we could see it better. It felt like it was burning my skin where it touched.

"These are some of my favorite memories," she said. I didn't have to look at her to know that she had a large smile on her face. I could hear it in her voice.

"But where did they come from?" I asked. I wanted to push the book off my lap again, but I couldn't move my arms. All I could do was stare at the smile on that little girl.

Mom sensed my distress immediately, and she kissed me on the side of the head before leaning against me for reassurance.

"Honey, Megan has been around since the day you were born," she said. "She didn't come into being after your accident. She didn't come into being this summer. She was there from the beginning."

I started to speak, but Mom gently put her finger against my mouth.

"Don't be mad," she said. "This is what you wanted. I fought it at first. We were in a department store the first time it happened. I was buying you some new clothes, but you kept reaching toward all of the girl's stuff. You were too young to grab anything, but I could see where you were looking and reaching. Then you would cry when I'd move the cart away. On a whim, I bought one set of girl's newborn clothes for you. The day I dressed you up, you smiled like I had never seen you smile before." I looked over at her, and her face was glazed over in the happy memory.

"But..." I started to say. Yet I didn't know what I was going to tell her. I closed my mouth again and looked at the new page that Mom had turned to. I was eight. It was another of the times that I had spent the day with my mom. It was also another of my favorite memories. "How?"

"How what?" she asked, not sure what I wanted to know. "How come you don't remember?"

I nodded. I didn't remember any of this!

"After your accident, you suppressed a lot of this," she said. "You rarely dressed up as Megan when growing up, but it stopped completely after your accident. At least, it stopped until your cousin got you in that dress. Then it started all over again. Every once in a while you would dress up as Megan again, and it got harder and harder for you to take off the clothes again as you grew older. I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Megan joined us permanently. I guess it makes sense now that we know the truth about who you really are. But back then, I just wanted you to be happy."

I sat there, stunned. This didn't make any sense to me. Someone would have told me about this. "But, Emily and Ethan..."

"They didn't know, Megan," Mom said. "Nobody knew. It was always just you and me. Your father knew, but he didn't want to be involved. We made them mother/daughter days."

I didn't know what to say. As we continued to look through the album, I could only gape at myself in each picture. All of the best memories of spending time with my mother were in that book. I remembered every single one of those days, but I didn't remember being dressed up like that. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

I knew one thing for sure, though. I'd had the best days with my mother.

*  *  *

"That was your mom again," Emily said while hanging up the phone in her room. I knew it was time to go home. After seeing the photo album earlier, I did the only thing I could. I grabbed it and my guitar and made a beeline for the safety of Emily's house. I refused to return home for dinner. I knew Mom would be upset with me for running away like I had. But I couldn't do what I needed to do with her around.

"I guess I better go," I said.

"Just one more time?" Emily pleaded with me. She gave me the ‘puppy dog’ look too, and I had to smile.

"Okay," I told her, laughing at her ability to get me to play again. "But this is the last time. My mom is probably worried that I'm upset about the album. She's probably a basket case right now."

"She is," Emily agreed. Emily had just finished talking to her, so I now knew I was going to be in trouble when I returned home. But first things first.

I strummed my guitar once more before launching into the song again. Since the moment I had walked into Emily's room I had spent all of my time working on it, save for a short break for dinner with her family. Emily had sat patiently by for hours, doing nothing but listening as I pulled the tune out of my head followed by the words that told my mom just how great the days I had spent with her had been.

I knew Mom was worried about me after what had happened this afternoon, but she didn't need to be. I had been shocked to discover the album, and the photos within. But it didn't take me long to realize that the reason they had been the best days of my life was because they were the only days while growing up that I had spent as my true self. My mom had given me a gift that I could never truly repay her for.

It still felt slightly weird to try and correlate my memories with the pictures in the album, but there was no doubt in my mind that they had happened. I knew that I was going to have to have a long talk with Mary about this next Saturday, but until then there was only one thing I needed to do.

I finished playing the song for Emily. This would be one of the last times I would have a chance to play it until I could find some secret time to finish it with the band. Mom's birthday was in two weeks, on the day before my first concert. I knew it was the perfect gift to give her on that day. But that meant keeping it a secret from both of my parents, because Dad was so bad at keeping presents a secret. I had to tell him that I had a new song for the tour like Scott wanted, but I could refuse to let him hear it.

Emily sighed and leaned her head back against the headboard of her bed. I smiled at her reaction. If she liked this song that much, I could only wonder what it would do to my mom. I had awakened this morning wanting to do something special for her. Now I had given her the ultimate present I knew how to give.

As I placed my guitar back into its case, I smiled at what this song was truly about. It wasn't just about my mom. No, it was about 'My Hero'.

*  *  *