---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.01 - Back to School

"Hurry, Megan, we're going to be late!" Austin yelled from outside the door to my room. It had been a while since I'd heard him that worried.

"I'm coming!" I yelled through my closed door, as I turned away from my vanity and grabbed my bag off my bed. Then the doorbell rang, and I knew that I really was running late. I opened the door to my room and stepped into the hall to find Austin had already gone to the front room. I quickly followed.

It was odd to be going to the same school as Austin again. He was only two years younger than me, but my brother seemed too young to be starting his freshman year of high school. I vowed to do everything I could to keep him out of trouble. It wouldn't be easy. Just being the brother of Megan was going to bring him some pain this year. Dealing with all of the changes my life had taken over the last few months, both as Sarah and as Megan, was only going to be compounded by the start of my own junior year as Megan.

When I reached the front room, I saw Emily and Ethan, my two best friends, walking into the house. As I was the only one with a car, I had been designated to be the driver to and from school each day. I didn't mind. The Audi S4 that I had purchased over the summer was fun to drive, even if it was only a few blocks to the school. It would certainly beat walking like Emily, Ethan, and I had done the last two years.

"Morning guys," I greeted my friends. I was happy to see their smiling faces. We had been apart more often than not over the summer because of Emily’s job, Ethan’s floundering around, and all of my commitments to my new career. It had been a trying summer on our friendship, but we had come through it just fine. The routine feeling of attending school with them once more reinforced how much I wanted to keep them in my life.

After exchanging greetings we all trekked through the kitchen to the garage, where my baby was parked waiting for us. We were soon inside and on our way toward the school. Unfortunately, my trepidation began and started to increase the closer we got to school, and the butterflies started bouncing around inside my stomach.

There were people at this school who had expressed a desire to hurt me. Some of them even had done just that during the end of my sophomore year. Perhaps some of that was to be expected when one’s life has taken as drastic a turn as mine had. The fact that the doctors had proven that I was genetically female wouldn't mean anything to some of the people who had known me for years as the androgynous boy I appeared to be.

I pulled into the school’s parking lot and found a parking spot that would hopefully prevent any damage to my car. We lived in a fairly posh area of Los Angeles, so my expensive sports sedan wasn't totally out of place in the lot. Glancing around I saw at least four other cars that I knew had cost more than what I had paid for my own. Nevertheless, some students gave us looks as we walked toward the doors. I hoped that those looks were because of the car and not because of what I was wearing, but I knew that wasn't always the case.

I wanted to immediately establish my identity with my peers this year; that was why I was wearing a casual yellow sundress while my companions were all in jeans. I needed the school to know that I really was the sixteen-year-old girl that I appeared to be.

Of course, if I had put on one of the blonde wigs that were safely stored at home and showed up at the school, I wouldn't be having these problems. People would be screaming and going crazy with excitement if my alter-ego appeared at the school. But without the wig to hide behind, I would have to face the other students as my true self, which not all of them would believe to be who I really was.

Stepping into the halls for the first time did not have the effect I was hoping for. A hush seemed to follow us as we continued to walk toward our first classes. Whispering started up behind us. Thankfully, Austin left us early when he saw some of his friends, and I was glad that he wouldn't be seen with me by too many people. He didn't need my problems following him around all year.

Nobody said anything to us as my friends and I made our way to the homeroom we shared together this year. The looks I was receiving seemed to mirror what I got at the end of last year. Most people were curious, but not bothered by what I was wearing. Some looked at me disdainfully, but didn't seem overly worked up by my dress. A few, thankfully very few, sneered at me as I passed but I ignored them. Jared Lumbart, one of the football players, had become one of my biggest enemies at school after he attacked me at the end of the last school year and had almost done the same thing when we had seen each other at a restaurant over the summer. He had a number of friends at the school whom he had certainly influenced to dislike me, and I picked out every one of them by the looks they gave me as I continued to walk down the hall.

The safety of Ms. Carson's class caused me to sigh in relief as my friends and I found desks together and took our seats. Ms. Carson had proven to be a friend to Megan, and a fan of Sarah's, and her smile told me that nothing had changed. Principal Hall had informed me that she requested to have me in her homeroom, and he had been more than happy to oblige her request in order to create a positive environment for both me and the school.

I knew that most people didn't care about the change I had gone through. Many of my fellow students, and even some teachers, had even thought that I was a girl before the truth had come out. Many of them hadn't been surprised when I showed up at school wearing makeup. But I also knew that it only took a few to make my life miserable. I could only hope that I had enough friends to make the good times overcome the bad ones this year.

The bell rang, and a few students rushed in quickly as Ms. Carson reached for her roll. Whether I liked what would come in the future or not, school was back in session.

* * *

"Those tryouts will be on Friday," Principal Hall told us from the stage of the auditorium. After homeroom, all of the students had made their way to the auditorium for a 'Welcome Back' assembly. Like every other assembly that I'd been to on the first day, it was boring. But it did delay the start of classes for a while longer.

Mr. Hall consulted the papers he was holding for a moment before continuing. "Also, I would like to remind everyone that a zero-tolerance policy is in place at this school when it comes to discrimination," he said. "Anyone involved in a discrimination-based incident will be punished. Depending on the severity, that punishment may range from detention to suspension. Keep that in mind."

He consulted his papers once more before smiling. I felt uneasy immediately. I had a feeling that...

"Megan Campbell," the principal said. "Can you come up here please?" He started looking around the seats that he could see from the stage. However, I doubted that he could see me where we were sitting, especially because I had slumped down into my seat. "Megan?" he asked again. "I saw you this morning, so I know you are out there. Please come up onto the stage."

I sighed and stood up. I was afraid this was going to happen. Dad had warned me about it after his latest call with my principal. I had desperately hoped that I would get through this day without drawing too much attention, but that didn't appear to be a possibility any more.

"There she is," Mr. Hall said smiling when he saw me approaching the stage. Eventually I climbed up the steps and joined him in the center.

"This young woman is Megan Campbell," Principal Hall stated unnecessarily. "I know each of you will show her the respect that she deserves. Megan has gone through a lot in the past six months, and she has proven herself not only to me but to some of her father's famous clients as an outstanding young woman. Megan, would you tell them what your father does, please."

I shook my head, but his insistent look told me that I wasn't going to get out of this one. I wanted to keep Megan and Sarah as far apart as possible, and now the principal was pushing the two of them closer together! He'd already embarrassed me enough by calling me up on stage and exposing what I had gone through to anyone who didn't know. Now he wanted to bring even more attention to me, and to Sarah!

I sighed and took the microphone that the principal was holding out to me and turned to face the entire student body. There were a lot of faces staring back at me, wondering what was going on. This was nothing new to me. I had stood before much bigger crowds than this at my concerts, but I'd always had the wig to hide behind. I felt exposed standing there as myself with my peers staring at me, waiting for me to say something.

"As some of you know," I started. "My dad is Sarah Carerra's agent." There was some mumbling coming from the crowd now as those who didn't know started to speculate what this was all about.

Principal Hall took back the microphone. "So what does this mean for the school?" he asked the audience. Whispering and speculation were running rampant throughout the auditorium. He waited for a moment until everyone realized that he wasn't going to continue until the noise quieted down. I really, really wanted to get off the stage while he waited, but to no avail. Finally, he spoke again. "Megan's father has offered the school's chorus the opportunity to perform with Sarah in a Christmas concert later this year. If you haven't signed up for chorus yet and would like the chance to sing, please talk with Mr. Benson sometime this week."

Before the audience could erupt with the excitement that had started to filter throughout the auditorium, the principal continued. "But there's more," he said. "If you'll direct your attention to the screen behind me, I think you will be pleasantly surprised."

The lights on the stage dimmed, and I stepped to the side of the stage with Mr. Hall, and he thanked me before allowing me to return to my seat. As I quickly rushed down the aisle the projector at the back of the auditorium lit up and I heard myself start singing over the speakers as some of the concert footage we had taken started playing for my peers. It continued to play as I made my way back to my chair next to Emily and Ethan.

Just after I had taken a seat, the sound of the music softened and I watched the video fade from my concert footage to be replaced by a picture of me as Sarah. I had been furious yesterday when Dad asked me to film this footage. I'd wanted one last day of summer to spend with Emily and Ethan, but instead I got roped into spending more time as Sarah. It hadn't taken long before my audio/video team had what they needed and had rushed to put this video together, but I had been robbed of my last day of summer.

"Good morning, Wildcats!" my voice boomed around the auditorium. A roar echoed throughout the room, and the girl on the screen waited a few seconds for it to die down before she continued. It felt really weird to be sitting in an audience cheering for Sarah Carerra. I had never experienced anything like this before!

"As many of you are no doubt aware, my agent's daughter is a Wildcat," Sarah continued. "At both her's and her father's request, I am honored to have the opportunity to perform a concert for all of you. Enjoy the new school year and I'll see you in October!"

If I thought the roaring and screaming had been loud earlier, I was shocked, and nearly deafened, at the level at which it had raised to at the announcement that they were all invited to a free concert! I beamed at the reaction of all those people whom I had spent much of my life attending school with! I got caught up in the excitement with everyone else, and it took the amassed student body fifteen minutes to realize that the assembly was over and that we were supposed to be heading for our classes.

This was likely the only time in the history of attending this school that nobody received a tardy slip for being late.

* * *

The doldrums of the first day of school had been replaced with a fervor that I could only marvel at. Dad had told me when we decided to perform the concert that I would enjoy having the other students screaming for me, and I had to admit that I was riding a wave of excitement all day. Nearly every conversation I heard as I walked down the halls had something to do with Sarah's impending concert and talk about which of her songs she needed to perform. People were so caught up in the excitement that they forgot to hate me!

As I made my way toward my last class for the day it was with a mixture of excitement and concern. Principal Hall had asked me to join the school's Chorus when we had met with him during the summer, and despite my misgivings, and after my dad's prodding, I had relented. It was going to be a cacophony of excitement in the class today because of the earlier announcement, and it reaffirmed I had no choice but to participate.

I had been on an adrenaline high since the assembly, but it came crashing down just outside Mr. Benson's classroom. Seemingly out of nowhere something smashed into my left shoulder; I crashed into a set of lockers to my right and then fell to the ground. Stars swam around in my eyes for a few moments before I realized that it was someone, not something, who had attacked me. I slowly stood and turned toward my attacker. A wide circle had been cleared around us. The other students nearby staring on in horror at what Mark Corbin had just done.

"Ow!" I sarcastically screamed at him. The push hadn't hurt as much as it had caught me off guard. But the sneer on Mark's face hurt even more. Mark was a football player and one of Jared's friends, and he was clearly unhappy to see me.

"I don't care who you know," Mark sneered at me. "You better watch yourself or you're going to wind up dead, you freak!" Then he stormed past me and into Mr. Benson's room. Now I was looking forward to Chorus even less, especially if he was in the class.

When I gathered my wits and stepped into the classroom, Mark had already taken a seat, but he quickly shot to his feet. "NO!" he screamed. "You are NOT in this class!"

"Mr. Corbin!" Mr. Benson, the small, frail-looking chorus director said loudly and sternly. "Sit down and shut up!"

I had never been in one of Mr. Benson's classes before, but the anger he displayed seemed uncharacteristic of what I had heard about him.

"I will not tolerate that type of behavior in this classroom!" he continued. Mark actually looked mollified as he collapsed back into the chair he had been sitting in. "Continue and you will no longer be welcome here. And I think you and I both know how much you need to be here if you want to graduate. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Mark replied quietly, his head down. I had never seen him that chastised before.

"Megan," Mr. Benson said in a much softer, kinder voice while turning toward me. "I know that you were reluctant to join us, but we are glad to have you. You may take a seat over there with the girls."

The classroom had a small stage with a few tiered steps mirroring the setup we would use at a performance. The students had also been separated with the girls on the left and the boys on the right. I quickly made my way to one of the empty chairs on the second tier, trying to keep the shock of Mark's hatred for me from turning into the tears that I felt beading at my eyes. I had underestimated just how much he and the rest of Jared’s friends detested me.

But all of those negative feelings were pushed away at the shock I felt when another student rushed into the room just before the tardy bell rang. I felt my breath stick in my throat at the sight of him.

"Ethan?" I asked, unsure of what I was seeing. I doubted he had heard my shocked whisper, but he quickly glanced around, smiled while connecting his eyes with me, and then rushed to take an empty seat.

Ethan could sing. I'd known that for a long time. But he had never shown any interest about joining the chorus or doing anything else to further his talents. I knew he didn't enjoy singing in front of others the way I did, so I was even more confused about why he had joined the Chorus. Even more, I couldn't understand why he hadn't said anything about joining earlier!

"Welcome to Chorus," Mr. Benson said, interrupting my thoughts and turning our attention to the class. "This is going to be an exciting year, as you already know, and I expect that the empty chairs that you see around you will be filled by this time next week. I've already talked to a number of students who have expressed interest in joining. We may just have the largest group we've ever had at this school this year."

I sighed. Everyone who was in the room now had signed up for the Chorus before they knew Sarah would be performing with them, with the possible exception of Ethan. But by next week we would have more people who were coming only to get face time with Sarah, and I did not want to be in a class where my alter ego was idolized by my peers.

Ethan was the only one in the room who knew that I was Sarah Carerra. We had opted to not tell Mr. Benson about the secret, and I hoped that it stayed that way. There wasn't any reason for him to know. But he did know that Principal Hall had asked me to join Chorus, and he was aware that it was likely related to my relationship with Sarah.

I tried to be as inconspicuous as I could, while he passed out song booklets and talked about what would be expected of us in the class. My goals were to get through this class by drawing no attention to myself, not singing unless it was with a group, and trying to keep anyone from realizing how close my voice was to Sarah's. Singing for my extended family had proved that my voice alone was not necessarily enough for someone to recognize the secret, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

Then Mr. Benson ruined the whole thing for me just before the end of the day.

"Over the next week or two every single one of you will perform a solo for us," he said, shattering my plans. "This will help me understand where you are in your vocals and help me place you into the group. Start thinking about what you want to sing." The bell rang, and everyone reached for their things. "See you all tomorrow."

How I wished I didn’t have to come back again.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me that you were joining the Chorus?" I half asked, half accused Ethan on our way out to my car.

"You joined Chorus?!" Emily asked in surprise before he could reply.

"Yes," Ethan replied to Emily before turning toward me. "I wanted to surprise you, Megan," he told me. "I know you didn't want to join, and I thought I could make it more fun."

I didn't know how to read the smile on his face. It looked like he was serious and joking at the same time. There was also a hint of something else that I couldn't quite tell what it meant. But the fact that he had joined just so I'd have a friend in the class touched me.

I reached over and gave him a quick hug. "Thank you," I replied. He started to turn red, but he looked like he enjoyed it a lot more now than he had the first time I'd hugged him at my first concert. He wasn't going to run away to summer camp after this one!

I was so happy to have my friends back in my life. I had missed too much of them over the summer with all the travelling and other commitments I'd had as Sarah. Now, thanks to the principal's intervention, I shared every single one of my classes with either Emily or Ethan, or both of them. I knew that Principal Hall had done this to try to keep at least one of my friends with me at all times while I was at school to help limit any "incidents", but it had a decidedly better outcome since I got to hang out with one of them in every single class.

This was going to be the best school year with them ever.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
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---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.02 - Dazzle

The second day of classes was nowhere near as exciting as the first. There was still a lot of discussion about Sarah around the school, and someone had even put up some posters of Sarah with the date of the concert on it. But it was apparent that things were starting to settle down.

Nobody had tried to do anything harsh all morning either. One football player had attempted to trip me while we passed each other in the hall, but I'd seen him coming and was able to avoid him when he stretched out his legs to catch mine. I glared at him when he did, and he actually looked a bit mollified for a moment before he turned and walked away. I had yet to see Jared Lumbart, but I had heard he was still blaming me for getting kicked out of school last year and for getting thrown out of the restaurant where we had seen each other over the summer. I knew I'd have to keep an eye out for him and his "close" friends.

When I sat down between Ethan and Emily in the cafeteria at lunch, I was happy to see that they had already found other friends to fill the table around us. I hadn't seen Kathy, Jane, or Ashley since school had let out for the summer, but I knew the smile on my face reflected the ones they were giving me as I sat down.

"Hi, Megan," Jane greeted me, followed closely by the other two. "I wasn't sure who we'd see when school started up again. That dress you wore yesterday was pretty."

"Thanks," I replied. This was the first time anyone had actually talked to me about the change since school started, and I was glad to see that they were okay with it. The three of them hadn't pushed me away last year, and the summer hadn't changed their feelings toward me at all. "Megan is here to stay," I informed them.

"So you're going to have the..." Kathy started, but her words caught in her throat. "The surgery and stuff?" she finally finished. She turned red immediately, but I smiled at her curiosity.

"Sort of," I told her. "I've already had surgery to...correct things." The eyes of all three of my friends flew open in shock, so I felt I should clarify for them. "I'm actually a girl. Genetically, I mean. Let's just say that I have everything that you three have, and nothing that Ethan does. The doctors just fixed me up the way my body was supposed to be."

We sat there in silence for a moment as they digested what I had told them. It definitely wasn't what they had expected me to say, even if it was the truth. Then, to cover the awkwardness, Jane pulled out a magazine in an attempt to change the subject.

"You know Sarah, right?" she asked me before holding up the magazine so that I could see the cover. This time it was my eyes that boggled! Staring back at me was a picture of Sarah. I knew that this magazine was supposed to be on newsstands today, and that there would be a number of copies waiting for me when I got home, but this was the first time I had seen the finished product of the magazine interview that I had done over a month ago.

I was breathless as I gazed at my picture gracing the cover of Dazzle. I yearned to rip the magazine out of her hands and pore over what it said! But I also knew that I couldn't look too excited, or it might make the three of them suspicious.

"Yes," I replied. "I've known her for most of my life."

Jane put the magazine down on the table, and started flipping through the pages until she found the spread with my pictures and the interview. "Is she as cool in real life as she is in this interview?"

I looked down at the page, but I didn't know how to answer the question.

"I don't know," I told her. "I haven't had a chance to read the article yet."

She passed the magazine to me, and I quickly started to devour it. It took me a full minute before I realized everyone was looking at me, hoping I would share.

"Read it!" Emily prodded, and I nodded before turning back to the magazine.

The article started out with some information about what Sarah had been up to. It talked about the many concerts I had already performed. It talked about the songs that had reached number one. It talked about how much she liked to interact with her fans. Eventually, it settled into the interview where they actually asked me questions.

"Why do you think you've had such quick success?" I read from the magazine. "Luck," I read the response I remembered giving. "I was lucky to have friends who dragged me to a party where my studio rep noticed me and offered me a chance to make a demo. But I'm still amazed at how popular I seem to be. I'm not sure why people like my music so much. I am grateful, though."

"Awww," Emily fawned at my answer while smiling at me. "I bet she has some awesome friends."

"I'm sure she does," I replied, returning her smile and then nodding to Ethan too. I did have amazing friends.

"More," Emily said, and gestured toward the magazine I had set down to take a bite of my food. Apparently I had been nominated to provide the entertainment while we ate. I swallowed and picked up the magazine once more.

"What sets you apart from other young women who have achieved success at a young age, then have gone on to ruin it with partying and bad behavior?" the next question read. I smiled and chuckled as I remembered the way the girl conducting the interview had asked the question. It was almost like she was trying to tell me to not become a 'bad' girl.

"What did she say?" Kathy asked. Apparently I had paused too long to reminisce.

I found my response on the page and read it to them. "I've never been a party girl," I read. "I'd much rather spend time with my friends at home or at a movie or doing something than go to a party. Drinking, drugs, or anything like that does not appeal to me at all. I think what sets me apart is my attitude toward life. I like to have fun, but not that kind of fun, if you know what I mean."

"That's what I like about Sarah," Kathy said. "She's real, and she isn't into all that crappy stuff. I just hope she stays that way."

"I think she will," Ethan said. "I mean, I haven't spent much time around her, but when I have she truly didn't seem to be interested in things like that."

There were a number of nods around the table, which made me smile. I paused to take another bite of my food, which caused Emily to sigh and reach over to grab the magazine from me. I was okay with that, because I was hungry and we only had a limited amount of time before classes started again.

"Next question," Emily said. "What do you do when you sit down to write a song, but nothing comes out?" She then turned toward me for an answer, before realizing that the answer was actually in the magazine. "Oh," she started before reading. "I stand up. You can't force the songs. They will come when the time is right and not a minute before. If the song isn't there, then sitting and waiting for it to come never works. You just have to come back to it later."

"I can't imagine writing songs," Jane said. "That's something I don't think I'd ever be able to do."

"I don't know about that," I replied. "Sarah always says that all you need to do is try. Just start writing what you feel, and it comes naturally."

"Yeah, for her!" Jane retorted. I smirked. Perhaps it was easier for some people, but I still thought all Jane needed to do was try.

Emily passed the magazine across the table to Ashley, setting the precedent for how this was going to work. If everyone took a turn all of us would be able to eat while our food was still warm.

"It says," Ashley started in her quiet voice. She always was a little shy and soft-spoken. "Now we want to get to know Sarah the person better. What is your favorite color?" Then she turned to us. "Any guesses?"

"Yellow!" Emily and Ethan blurted out almost immediately, which caused me to laugh. Kathy, Jane, and Ashley just stared at us. I guess that probably was a bit out of character, but my friends knew me too well.

"Yellow," Ashley confirmed, reading from the magazine. "With pink as a close second. Kind of like you, Megan."

I tensed up immediately. Any comparisons between Sarah and me were bad, since they could lead to the secret getting out. But none of the three girls seemed to notice Ashley's observation. Instead, they all focused on Jane as she took the magazine to read the next question. I slowly let out the breath that I was holding, and caught Emily's eye. She looked as petrified as I felt, but it looked like we were going to be okay.

"What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?" Jane read. "Can anyone guess?" she asked turning toward the rest of us.

"Performing a concert," I stated. I knew it wasn't the answer that was in the magazine, but it reminded me of the preparations that were likely already underway at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the show I would be performing on Saturday. That thought was certainly exciting me right now.

"No," Jane laughed lightly. "But that's a good guess. She said that her favorite thing to do is hang out with friends. She said that it didn't matter what they did, as long as they were together."

"Awww," Emily fawned again. I fawned with her, at least until Ethan elbowed me in the ribs to remind me that he was there. I jumped and yelped at the unexpected contact, which caused everyone to burst out laughing.

"You know, if her friends are as close as the three of you, then I bet they have a lot of fun together," Jane said. The three of us nodded, and I knew that Jane felt left out somewhat. There wasn't really anything that I could do about that, though. I wasn't as close to the three of them as I was to Emily and Ethan.

Jane passed the magazine to Kathy, who continued reading. "Do you have any body insecurities?" she asked.

"Well, that's a stupid question," Emily said. "What teenage girl doesn’t?" She rolled her eyes, making me wonder what she was thinking. She knew me better than any other person on the planet, and she seemed to have something in mind. I figured that it probably had something to do with the changes I'd undergone over the summer, but I knew that wasn't mentioned in the magazine.

Kathy chuckled at Emily. "Okay, so what do you think her's is?"

Emily paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to put her thoughts into words. "Well," she started. "After that whole period fiasco where she fainted on TV, I bet it has something to do with the fact that she doesn't feel completely female all the time, since she started developing so late."

I knew that I was staring at Emily in shock when she looked at me. I had never told her that before, but she had just guessed the first thing that had come to my mind when the question had been asked of Sarah. I'd spent the majority of my life mistakenly thinking that I was male. I had felt like I was drowning, and becoming Megan had felt like a breath of fresh air as I was pulled out of the water. But sometimes my life felt so unreal that I was afraid I was going to wake up and find it was all a dream.

"Hmm," Kathy said while reading the real answer. "It says here that her biggest insecurity was her voice."

"Her voice?" Jane asked loudly. "How could she be insecure about her voice?! She's got a beautiful voice!"

Kathy continued reading. "She said she was always singing while growing up, but she was always afraid to let people hear her. When she was discovered it was the first time she had ever sung in public!"

"I don't believe that," Jane snapped. "Someone like her would never hide her voice!" Then she turned to me. "Is that true?"

I was startled a bit by the vehemence in her question. I didn’t know why Jane seemed to think that I couldn't be insecure about my voice. Before I had started living as Megan full time, and because my voice had never dropped, I had always been self-conscious about what other people would think. It wasn’t an issue for me now that my body matched my voice, but I still clearly remembered how I had felt before Emily and Ethan had dragged me to the party that led to my discovery. I almost didn't even get up on stage that night because of that insecurity.

"Yes," I replied. Jane looked upset, but didn't ask for any elaboration. Instead, Kathy handed the magazine back across the table to Ethan.

"Do you ever have a day where you want to take a step back and live a normal life?" Ethan read, trying to move on quickly.

"Does she even have time for a normal life anymore?" Emily asked. Sadly, I could hear a bit of disappointment in her voice. Like her, I too wished that I could spend more time with my friends doing "normal" stuff.

"Yes," Ethan replied before reading my answer. "Sarah said, 'I try to do as much normal stuff as I can. I've spent time with my friends at the beach. I had a spa day with my Mom. I went to my extended family's house for a barbeque on the 4th of July. But finding time to do the 'normal' stuff has been hard this summer. Between recording the album, performing the concert tour, interviews, photo shoots, etc. it has been hard. But that just makes me cherish the normal things I get to do even more.'"

"It must be hard to give all of that up for fame and fortune," Jane said wryly while rolling her eyes. "I'd give that up to be a singer like her," she added. That one sentence clued me in on why she was so upset. While I strived to keep a normal life amidst the turmoil that Sarah Carerra had brought this summer, she felt that I was demeaning what it meant to be in the public spotlight.

"I don't think you would," I told her. She glowered at me over the table. Obviously she did not agree with me. "Sarah loves singing and performing for people," I tried to explain my statement. "But that doesn't mean that she doesn't want to have a normal life. I can guarantee you that you would not want to give that up just to be famous. Don't be mad at her for wanting to hold on to what she had before becoming famous. She shouldn't have to give up her old life just because she's good at singing. Nobody should."

Jane was still glowering at me, but her lips had loosened, and I could tell that she was listening to me. I continued my spiel. "And if you want to be a singer like her then you need to do something about it! Take some singing lessons if you don't think you are good enough. Find somewhere to sing if you are good. Find an outlet. I'll even set you up with my dad and he can put you in touch with a record company if you are ready for that. Just don't be mad at Sarah for wanting to keep some semblance of a normal life!"

When I finished, Jane looked a bit mollified. The other two girls were looking at me a bit oddly because I was so defensive about the subject. Emily and Ethan were nodding their heads in agreement. I felt bad for being so direct with her, but I felt it was something Jane needed to hear.

"Sorry," I said a moment later.

"No," Jane replied. "I'm sorry. I guess you know better than I do what is involved. It just seems like half the time Sarah doesn't seem thankful for what she has! I'd kill to have a voice like hers!"

"I can guarantee you that she is very thankful for what she has," I told her.

"Sarah is the most humble person I know," Emily added before I could continue. "I've seen how much she enjoys performing. I know that she would never be able to give that up. But I've also seen how much it hurts her to be away from her friends and from her normal life. I understand why she regrets losing some of that. I would hate to lose that too."

Emily looked over at me. I was speechless at her words! She was right though. I couldn't imagine giving up performing in front of crowds now. I might have started the summer scared to get up on a stage, but now it was scary to think about the possibility that I wouldn't get a chance to do it again. And I did regret not being able to spend more time with Emily and Ethan this summer.

"Whatever," Jane replied, but she seemed to be considering what we had told her. At least she didn't look as upset as she had moments before.

Ethan handed me the magazine, and I glanced at the next question. Then I started laughing. This question had totally taken me by surprise when they had asked it.

"Are you a Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Tinkerbell fan?" I read. "Any of those?" I chuckled again before looking around our circle. "What do you guys think?"

For once both Emily and Ethan didn't have an answer. The other girls didn't appear to want to guess either.

"Tinkerbell?" Ashley said, though her uncertainty made it sound more like a question.

I turned back to the magazine. "I like the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings movies, but I've never read the books," I read. "If I had to call myself a fan of one of them, I guess it would be Tinkerbell."

I was interrupted by the ringing of a bell, which surprised me. I couldn't believe that we had been sitting there long enough for lunch to be over. There was still so much more that I wanted to read from the article about me. Immediately my friends started to gather their trays and their bags, and I reluctantly passed the magazine back to Jane. She looked like she was in a better mood, if her grin was any indication.

* * *

The rest of the school day went by slowly. I was too excited to get home and read the rest of the article to truly concentrate on my classes. There was only one class that was able to pull my attention away from thinking about the magazine interview: Chorus.

Mr. Benson started the class with three solos. He was asking for volunteers to go first, and Ethan volunteered. It had been a while since I'd heard him sing, and I had forgotten how good he was. Truthfully he wasn't likely to get a recording contract, but he certainly was better than most of the others in the class. Mr. Benson was smiling when Ethan sat back down next to me.

Mr. Benson then asked for another volunteer. Mark spoke up immediately. I hadn't expected him to volunteer, since he was only in this class to fill some kind of requirement. But he surprised us with a very good rendition of one of Josh Holliday's songs. He was nowhere near as good as Josh was, but he actually had a good voice and knew how to use it.

He sat down again and Mr. Benson once again called for a volunteer to fill the last spot for the day. Ethan nudged me with his elbow, but there was no way I was getting up there. I was still hoping to find a way out of singing alone in front of everyone to help limit the possibility that they would recognize my voice. I shook my head when Ethan looked over at me, and did my best to remain inconspicuous.

"I nominate Megan," Mark said out of the blue. When I looked over at him in surprise, he had a toothy grin on his face that let me know he was trying to embarrass me in some way. Mr. Benson looked over at me, but my almost imperceptible shake of my head was enough to let him know I wasn't ready.

"Volunteers only, Mr. Corbin," our teacher reiterated. "But remember that this is part of your grade. Each of you will need to perform a solo for the class sometime within the next couple of weeks. If you aren't ready today that is fine, but please take the time you need to prepare yourselves if you want to pass this class."

I sighed. It seemed unlikely that I was going to be able to get out of singing for them. I would have to find something to sing that sounded nothing like Sarah. It was the only chance I had to keep the secret from being exposed if anyone recognized my voice while I sang. Once again, I was unhappy that I had agreed to join Chorus.

I looked back over at Mark. He gave me another look that let me know that he wasn't finished with me. As if Chorus wasn't bad enough, I really didn't want to contend with him at the same time.

I felt much better when Anne, one of the two sopranos who were in the class, got up to sing a solo for us. I had managed to escape the inevitable, at least for one more day.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.03 - Half Day, Double Trouble

The best part of starting school had to be the fact that I didn't have as busy of a schedule as I'd had during the summer. With no engagements as Sarah until Saturday's concert I had the evenings to spend with Emily and Ethan, something we hadn't had in a number of weeks.

But Friday morning dawned with the excitement that any of my concerts brought. I would be leaving during lunch to make the trip to the airport for the flight to Denver. I was performing at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre Saturday night, and I couldn't wait to get back on stage. It had only been a week since I had performed at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, but with the start of school it felt like it had been a lot longer. I really wanted to get back in front of my fans!

I had a huge smile as I got ready for the day and ate some breakfast. When Emily and Ethan showed up I grabbed my stuff, including my gym bag, and headed for my car with them and with Austin.

Gym. The one downside to this morning was the fact that we actually needed our gym clothes for the first time since school started. The school renovated the locker rooms over the summer, and we had spent the last two days waiting for the final touches to be completed before we could actually use the facilities. Of all the classes that I was taking this semester, P.E. was definitely at the bottom of what I would consider my favorites. It was even below Chorus.

I knew that there were going to be some unhappy girls in that locker room when I followed them inside. Sitting around on the bleachers during the last two days of class doing the assignments that Coach Anderson, our P.E. teacher, had given us had shown me that. Many of them looked very apprehensive when they found out that I was in the class. I knew that even though I was legally female, I had always been considered the opposite before this year. While there weren't any girls in the class who had ever called me names or tried to hurt me, I knew that they weren't as accommodating when it came to invading what they felt was their privacy. Nobody had said anything to me yet, but I had overheard some of them talking about what they would do when we got our lockers.

All of these things were worrying me as we walked toward our homeroom. But I should have been worried about other things.

We were walking around a corner when I screamed. A fist was quickly flying at my face. I was not sure how, but it missed me and I found myself on the floor. Somehow, I had managed to drop fast enough to avoid the blow that was meant for me. But that didn't stop Jared Lumbart. Once he realized he had missed with his fist he moved to kick me with his foot. I knew there was no way I was going to avoid that, since I was awkwardly sprawled on my hands and knees.

But I was shocked because instead of feeling his foot connecting with my ribs, I watched as Jared was slammed into the ground on his back, with Ethan on top of him! The loud scream that was echoing around the hallway was, for once, not mine. I had never heard Ethan yell with such rage before! I had never seen him take on someone as big as Jared either.

Jared was surprised as he hit the ground. He obviously hadn't expected anyone to fight back. His surprise kept him from moving as Ethan's fist slammed into his right cheek. Then he looked dazed enough to prevent him from fighting back when a second fist came slamming down onto his shoulder.

"Ethan!" I screamed, and leapt to my feet. I reached over and tried to pull him off Jared, but he was too strong for me. I couldn't prevent a third punch from connecting with Jared's jaw. Then someone else was at my side helping to pull Ethan off the now bloodied football player.

Jared jumped up immediately to retaliate, but he came to a halt when he saw Ethan being held back by Coach Madsen. This was the second time the football coach had been nearby when Jared had tried to attack me.

"Lumbart!" Coach Madsen yelled. "What did I tell you?" When Jared didn't respond, the coach continued. "Get to the nurse and get that cut taken care of. Then you and I are having another talk. Mr. Knight," he said while releasing Ethan and turning him around so that they were facing each other. "You are coming with me to the principal's office."

"But he was just defending her!" a girl yelled from nearby. I didn't recognize the voice, and I couldn't tell who in the large gathered crowd had said it, but I grinned slightly that someone else was standing up for me. Not everyone in this school hated me.

Coach Madsen didn't respond, however. Instead, he turned and lightly pushed Ethan toward the office while making sure that Jared was moving in the same direction without starting anything again. I worried as they walked out of sight what would happen to Ethan. He might have been defending me, but he had also punched Jared three times. He had definitely done more than just defend me.

"He'll be okay," Emily said softly next to me. I looked over at her, and I knew she didn't believe what she had just said.

The warning bell broke the silence that the hallway had fallen into, and people started scurrying toward their classes. Reluctantly, Emily and I did the same.

* * *

Ethan entered our homeroom about five minutes before class was supposed to end. He didn't look very happy, but he forced a smile as we met his gaze. I felt myself smile in response. The fact that he was still at the school meant he had at least not been suspended. He sat down next to us with a sigh.

"How bad?" Emily asked first.

"Detention for the next week," Ethan responded. "Coach Madsen convinced the principal that I was only defending Megan, so he didn't suspend me. But he didn't like the fact that Jared had been bloodied." The smug smile on Ethan's face worried me. I was grateful that he had been there to prevent Jared from hurting me, but he had gone too far.

"Ethan," I said. The tone in my voice turned his smile into a frown, and I knew I would have to be careful with what I said. "Thank you for defending me," I started. "But you didn't have to punch him like that."

Ethan's frown turned into a grimace. I knew my words were not what he wanted to hear, but I felt he needed to hear them.

"He was going to hurt you, Megan!" Ethan said loudly, catching the attention of many of the other students in the classroom. Most had already been listening to us anyway.

"I know," I said back, keeping my voice soft. "But once he was down..."

I didn't have to finish my sentence. I saw it in Ethan's eyes. He knew that what he did had been wrong. He knew that I wouldn't approve. But he also knew that he had to do something. I saw that in his eyes. Our relationship had changed. We used to be best friends. Now, we were something different. He was trying to protect me, and that was something he hadn't needed to do before.

The bell rang, indicating the end of class. Without a word Ethan stood up and left as Emily and I were still putting our things away. I knew that he was upset. But I also knew that he wasn't upset with me. He was upset with himself at how he had reacted to Jared's assault.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" Emily asked as we approached the doors to the gym. On either side of the main doors was a separate door into the boys' and girls' locker rooms.

"No," I said, eyeing the girls who were grouped outside of the door that I would need to enter. They were nervously watching me approach. When we reached the girls, I sighed in relief when I realized that they were waiting in a line to get their locker assignments and not in a group to prevent me from entering. However, they seemed to become more defensive when they realized that I was joining the line with them.

The line continued to move forward. As Emily and I approached the door we saw Coach Anderson handing out locker assignments as the girls entered. I could also make out the heated discussion that one of the girls was having with her.

"...can't be in this class if she is!" I overheard. "It isn't right!"

"Go wait in the locker room," Coach Anderson replied. "If you feel uncomfortable you don't need to start changing. Tell any of the other girls with concerns to wait too and we'll discuss this after I have passed out the locker assignments, okay?"

Amber Hartfield, the girl who was speaking with the coach, nodded, though she remained unhappy. Then she stepped into the locker room. Emily and I continued to move forward until we were next in line.

"Good morning, Megan," Coach Anderson greeted me while searching through the slips of paper in her hands. She found what she was looking for and handed it to me. "Here is your locker assignment and the combination."

"Thank you," I said, taking the paper from her and moving to enter the locker room.

"Megan," Coach Anderson stopped me. I was worried about what was coming next, but I stopped and turned back to her. "I have talked with Principal Hall and your mother. I'm well aware of your situation, but most of the girls in the class are not. Would you be willing to explain it to them?"

I sighed. The last thing I wanted to do was share the details of what my body was doing with them. "If it will help," I told her.

"Thank you," she replied. "I've asked the girls to not start dressing yet until we've discussed this in one form or another. You can find your locker, but please don't start changing yet."

"Okay," I said. She nodded at me with a smile that reassured me that everything would be alright before she turned to Emily.

I stepped into the locker room and passed the door of Coach Anderson's office. There was a short hallway until the room opened up into several rows full of lockers. I looked down at my paper to find the number of my locker, and started walking forward until I found the right row. I ignored all of the stares and glares that I was receiving as I found my locker. I managed to get it open on the first try despite the fumbling that my anxiety about the class brought to my shaking fingers, and placed my gym bag inside. Then I turned and gave a silent prayer of ‘thank you’ when Emily appeared beside me to unlock her own locker, a grin stretched across her lips.

"Ladies," Coach Anderson yelled from down the locker room. "If all of you could come down here, please."

I tried to return the grin that Emily had, but I was worried about what was going to happen now. I closed the door to my locker and turned to follow Emily. We walked back the way we came to the first row, where the other girls in the class were sitting on the bench in the middle or leaning up against the lockers. Coach Anderson motioned me to join her, and Emily followed behind me as I approached our teacher.

"I know some of you have concerns about Megan being in this class," Coach Anderson started as she placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. The sneers and scowls that appeared on some of their faces were disheartening, but not surprising to me. I'd had plenty of trouble with this decision, and I'd had six years to contemplate it. Most of these girls only had a few days to come to terms with what had happened to me recently.

"Despite what many of you may think, Megan is female," Coach continued. "She has every right to be in this class and in this locker room. I expect you to give her the respect that you would give to any of your other classmates. If I hear of any problems, disciplinary action may be taken, okay?"

There were nods around the room, but I wasn't sure that Coach Anderson was helping my cause at all.

"Megan, would you like to explain what is going on?" she asked me. I nodded before taking a big breath.

"When I was born," I started. "The doctors thought that I was a boy. Externally, I looked like a boy." Disgust was evident on many of the girls' faces now. But I pressed on. "I thought I was a boy. But things in my life never added up. Despite how hard I tried to be a boy, it just didn't seem right. I was in a bad accident when I was ten that complicated things further. Doctors started questioning my gender, which in turn led to both my parents and me doing the same thing. I've been seeing a therapist for six years now trying to figure this out."

"But you’re a boy," Amber spouted. "You shouldn't be allowed to change with us. That's not right!"

I nodded at her. "If I was a boy then I would completely agree with you," I told her. "But I'm not a boy. I never was. Just before school ended last year I had some tests done. Those tests very conclusively informed me that I was and always had been a girl. Things started to add up quickly, and I stand before you today as the girl I was born as. I know that some of you may not believe that, but it is true."

"You’re right," Amber spoke up again. "I don't believe that. Things like this just don't happen. You are a boy or you are a girl. You don't get to change that."

"That's just it," I retorted. "I didn't change ANYTHING. I just learned the truth. I'm as female as anyone in this room. I'm a late bloomer. I had my first period just after school ended. If you don't believe me, then believe that fact!"

There were some astonished faces in the crowd now. They obviously hadn't expected me to tell them that. However, there was still disbelief on a number of them.

"Look," Emily stated. "I've known Megan since we were two. I was there as she grew up, and I can tell you that she really is a girl. She has always been a girl. She even has a scrapbook that proves it. Having the doctors confirm this fact didn't change much about her. The only thing it really changed was how other people see her. She didn't just start living as a girl. She's been living as a girl her entire life. It's just more apparent now."

It looked like a number of girls were going to speak up, but Coach Anderson stepped in first.

"I've talked with Megan's mother," she said. "I've talked to her doctor. I can confirm that Megan is female. I know some of you feel uncomfortable about this. You are welcome to try and transfer out of the class, but Megan is staying here. She has both my full support and that of the school. Her gender is not in question here. Now, get dressed and meet me in the gym in five minutes. We've got a lot to do today."

The assembled group started to dissipate, but I knew it wasn't going to be this easy. The looks I received as I walked back to my own locker only confirmed that.

When I returned to my locker I was happy to see that Emily and I shared our row with only two other girls. Those two girls had also been two of the girls who perhaps weren't happy to have me in the class but were at least indifferent about it. I had a feeling that Coach Anderson had a hand in making sure that I wasn't placed near anyone who had been vocal about this.

To say that I was scrutinized as I started to change would be an understatement. I did my best to change quickly so that I could get out of the locker room, but that still didn't stop the soft gasps from the two girls nearby as I changed. They didn't say anything else, and neither did Emily or I. When we entered the gym together there were only three other girls changed and waiting for the class to begin.

Girls continued to filter out of the locker room as we sat waiting patiently. Some of them looked relieved that they had managed to change without seeing me. Others glared at me as they caught my eye. Amber actually scowled, and I was worried about what she would try to do next.

After Coach Anderson had finished calling roll she led us through some warm-up stretches. I started to receive some new stares as we continued. Even Emily was staring at me as I managed to bend further and easier than most of the girls in the class. While some of the girls were more flexible than me, only Becky, who was a long-distance runner, seemed to be in better shape. That was an observation that wasn't lost on many of the girls. The many hours of singing and dancing on and off stage over the summer had certainly kept me in good shape, and it showed.

My conditioning was further emphasized as we spent the class going through some fitness tests that Coach Anderson said were required. Girls were dropping to their knees panting and wheezing left and right. I was winded, for sure, but I still got more of a workout while on stage at one of my concerts.

There were sighs of relief all around the gym when Coach Anderson told us to hit the showers. At least, until the other girls started to worry that I would actually shower with them. Unfortunately, I was being checked out by my dad at lunch in time for the flight to Denver, and I wouldn't get a chance to shower before we had to go to the airport. Even though I didn't want to, I knew that I was going to have to shower now.

After I returned to my locker, Emily sent the first warning signal to the other girls when she asked, "Are you going to shower?"

I saw the concern on her face, and I thought she was hoping that my answer would be no.

"Yes," I replied, and saw the concern on the faces of the two girls near us rise. "My dad is checking me out and we have to go straight to the airport. I don't want to fly all sweaty."

Emily nodded, but she still looked worried. I shared her concern completely. "Where is Sarah playing this weekend?" she asked. "Denver?"

"Red Rocks Amphitheatre," I confirmed.

"Wait," one of the girls, Liz, spoke up for the first time, disregarding the fact that I was standing half-naked in front of her. "You're going to the concert?"

"I go to all the concerts," I told her truthfully. "I'm one of Sarah's personal assistants."

She actually looked impressed as I finished undressing and wrapped a towel around me.

"You are so lucky," she replied before I could leave for the showers. "I'd give anything to meet Sarah."

"Maybe you'll get a chance when she comes to perform at the school," I told her. She nodded, but she didn't seem to believe that was a possibility. However, Dad had already told me that I could personally invite the people whom I wanted to meet with backstage. Liz hadn't exactly been friendly to me during class, but she hadn't been rude either. I mentally added her to the list, for now. Depending on what happened in the future, her wish might just become a reality.

I stepped past her and headed toward the showers. Emily was right behind me. The closer I got, however, the more the tension in the air increased.

"No!" Amber screamed as I stepped past another row of lockers. She too was wrapped in a towel and looked like she was heading toward the showers. "No!" she screamed louder. "You can't!"

She didn't have to elaborate. It was pretty obvious. However, there was no way that I was going to put on Sarah's expensive clothes without showering first. I didn't care if she had a problem with me. I was going to take a shower.

I continued walking. I knew that saying anything would only bait her, and I didn't want any problems. But it seemed like the lesser of two evils. I had almost made it to the showers, with most of the girls in the locker room staring at me as I went, when Amber screamed again. She continued to scream as she ran down the locker room to where I was, and she tugged hard on my towel!

I shrieked at my sudden nakedness and tried to cover myself up with my hands! My scream barely drowned out the audible gasp that came from the on looking girls. I didn't know what they were expecting to see when my towel was pulled away, but it apparently wasn't what I had on display. I knew I was turning red with embarrassment as I reached for and yanked my towel back from the now shocked Amber and quickly wrapped myself up again.

“Hartfield!" Coach Anderson yelled from her office. It seemed to take every effort for Amber to turn and look at the coach. "Get over here!"

I didn't wait to see what happened. I ducked into the showers. Nobody did or said anything to me after that. I washed, dried myself off, and returned to my locker without incident. Everyone was openly staring at me whenever I turned around, but their sneers and glares had been replaced with shock and disbelief. Even though Coach Anderson had specifically said that I was female, they obviously hadn't believed it.

"You know why they are shocked, right?" Emily asked me as I was working to finish up my makeup in the small mirror I had attached to my locker.

"I'm not what they expected," I replied. "Am I?"

Emily laughed lightly before shaking her head. "No, Megan," she said. "It's because you have a better body than any of us. They're jealous, just like I am," Liz was nodding her head, her eyes wide.

It was my turn to be shocked!

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.04 - Starshine

I was smiling as my plane landed in Denver. Instead of being stuck in Chorus, where I would have been if I was still in school, I was on my way to perform a concert! There were very few things in the world that could bring a smile to my face more than walking out onto the stage at the beginning of a concert. It had only been a week since I had last performed, but I was already missing the adrenaline rush that performing produced. I actually wouldn’t be on stage again until tomorrow night, but just being in Denver was enough to start the tingling in my bones.

Unlike my previous flights to concerts, I garnered a lot more attention as I walked through the airport. This was the first time I had traveled by plane as Sarah during the concert tour, and it was the first time I had flown since my face had become nationally recognizable. Besides my family I also had Amy, my personal assistant, and Mason, one of my security guards, with me. Mason was somewhat nervous as we walked through the concourse toward the train that would take us to the terminal and the baggage claim area. Usually I had two security guards with me at all times, but Cole, Mason's partner, was already working to prepare the security for the concert. I got the impression that Mason felt vulnerable without him. There were enough fans screaming when they saw me and rushed toward us, whether for an autograph, a picture, or just to say 'Hi', that I thought Mason was going to force me into the bathroom to take off the wig. I could tell that he didn't like being the only security guard travelling with me.

But unlike my fellow students at school, there were only smiles and excitement from those surrounding me. Once I put on the wig, people stopped hating me. Nobody called me names. Nobody tried to push me down or hit me. I didn't necessarily want this type of attention at school, but I still wished that people would treat me like a normal human being.

I signed a lot of autographs and took many pictures with the fans while we rode the train from our gate to the terminal, and again while waiting for my suitcase to make its way to the baggage carousel. All of the troubles and tribulations that I'd had to endure at school were gone from my mind as we stepped outside the terminal. Then things got even better when I saw my tour bus again!

The white bus was sitting in a designated area waiting for us. With my name plastered across the side of the bus it too had garnered some attention and there were a number of people standing around it taking pictures. When they saw us coming, the airport security officers who had gathered to make sure there was no disruption to the flow of traffic stepped in to help keep some order. Cole was there too, much to Mason's relief. Dad took my bag from me and followed the rest of my family boarding the bus while I took the time to once again take pictures and sign autographs for the small crowd. Then I boarded the bus for the 50 minute drive out to the amphitheatre.

Staying in Denver was definitely going to be a different experience than staying in the other cities on the tour had been. Instead of staying in a nice hotel like we had done for the first half of the tour, I would be spending the next two nights in my tour bus while it was parked at the venue. Both Dad and Amy had agreed that it would be easier to stay on the busses instead of driving back and forth from a hotel. I didn't mind. I had a large room at the back of my bus with a queen size bed. It was almost as comfortable as my room back at home. However, Austin, who only had a small bunk to sleep in, was not happy by the prospect.

"You'll have a couple of hours to get settled," Dad told me while we were travelling down I-70. "Then you have the first Starshine meeting tonight."

I nodded, but I continued to watch the city pass by outside the window of the bus. Starlight Cosmetics was one of my major endorsements and they had become a major sponsor for the second half of the tour. This sponsorship included two new "events" around the concert. The first, called Starshine, was nothing but an endorsement opportunity. Ten lucky girls would get the chance to spend some time with me and with my makeup artist, Stephanie, while we discussed what Starlight Cosmetics could do to help them shine in their lives. It sounded like a lot of fun, but I was worried that it would feel more like I was trying to push the makeup on them instead of spending time with fans.

The second event was the Star Party. Normally a star party consisted of a number of people gathering to watch the stars in the sky. Starlight Cosmetics had taken the term and applied it to the ‘meet and greet’ that I always had after one of my concerts. Starlight Cosmetics had paid to decorate the room and it was supposed to be really cool. Instead of peddling their wares, the Star Party would be just that, a party. There would be a few people who had passes to attend the party before the concert. The rest of the attendees would be composed of the fans at the concert who seemed most excited to meet me. I had a feeling that they were trying to mirror what Taylor Swift did with her T-Party, and I was worried that people would label me a copycat. I adored Taylor Swift, and I hoped that this wouldn't be a problem. In essence it wasn't anything more than commercializing the after party I always had after a concert. A few advertisements and product placements would be around the room, but nothing else would be changed.

Either way I was excited to see what 'The Observatory' looked like. The Observatory was what they had dubbed the room where the Star Party would take place. It was supposed to have a three-fold purpose. First it would provide a place where the people involved in my concerts and I could hang out before the show started. Second, it would be used as the backdrop for the Starshine meeting. And third, it would provide a memorable experience for anyone lucky enough to meet with me backstage after the show had ended during the Star Party.

Dad continued to go over my schedule as we drove, but I honestly was only paying half attention to him. Denver was the first city where I had performed on the tour that I wouldn't get to spend some time in. We were going straight to the venue, and then we would be heading straight back to the airport Sunday morning. The only thing I'd get to experience about the city was the drive between the airport and Red Rocks Amphitheatre, so I was trying to soak in what little I could.

Eventually we started making our way up into the red rocks that surrounded the amphitheatre. Just being in proximity to the venue was starting to get my heart pumping, and I felt an adrenaline rush. I knew I wouldn't be performing tonight, but that didn't mean that I couldn't be excited.

The bus continued up the small road until we reached an area where I saw the other busses and the tractor-trailers that made up my tour convoy. There was also a small group of people gathered around. Some of them were holding up signs as Eddie, my driver, pulled the bus into a prominent parking space, which indicated that they were fans waiting for me to arrive. To come out the day before the concert showed how dedicated they were to meeting me, and I was thrilled!

"Wait five minutes," Amy told me as the bus came to a stop.

"Why?" I asked. I had no idea how long these people had been waiting for me. I was just surprised to see anyone here. I didn't even know how they knew I was going to be arriving today, let alone when.

"It will help reinforce how lucky they are to meet you," she explained. I frowned. That sounded like a stupid reason to wait. When she saw my expression she continued. "Besides, Mason and Cole want to make sure it's safe."

That reason I could understand, and I nodded while I watched Mason and Cole step off the bus. Dad was right behind them, with Austin on his heels. The bus had parked with the door on the side opposite of the group, and I could hear the cheer that escaped the crowd when the three men stepped around the back. It died quickly though when the crowd realized that I wasn't with them. Dad walked toward the crowd while the others watched. My dad said something to the crowd that caused them to cheer again. He had probably informed them that I would be coming out.

"Why are they here today?" I asked, still struggling to figure that out.

It was my mom that answered. "They want to meet you, Megan," she said. "Haven't you ever wanted to meet someone famous whom you adored?"

"Yeah," I replied. "But why would they come all the way out here today?"

"They probably think this was the best chance they would get to meet you," Amy answered. "You have to admit that it is hard to get your attention on concert days. But if they are the only ones here, then you might be more willing to meet them."

"I'm always willing to meet fans," I told them truthfully. Both of them nodded.

"But you don't always have the time to," Amy replied. "Your schedule today isn't nearly as busy as it will be tomorrow."

I nodded in agreement. That was logical but I still couldn't believe that they would spend that much time waiting for a chance to meet me.

I sat impatiently, waiting for the chance to go out and meet them. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore and stood up. I saw Amy frown and knew that she thought I should wait. I looked into the mirror quickly to make sure I still looked okay, then turned and headed for the front of the bus and exited it.

I heard some of the crowd screaming my name as I walked along the side of the bus. I doubted that they could see me coming, so it was nice to see their enthusiasm to encourage me to get out of my bus. When I turned the corner, the screaming rose to another level. A shrill sound by some of the girls pierced the air. Mason and Cole looked back, surprised. I knew that they were unhappy that I had come out unannounced, but I didn't care. Then they really freaked out when some of the crowd surged forward.

It didn't take long before I was mobbed by the small group. There were only about 20 people there, but they were very enthusiastic and well-behaved. It was no different than any other time that I interacted with my fans. Some of them were happy to just touch me. Others relished in the short conversations we had. Everyone wanted a picture to commemorate the occasion.

I spent about 20 minutes with the group before a blue van pulled up nearby. It was another two minutes before my dad was able to get me inside. I loved spending time with fans, and I could have stayed there for much longer. I continued to wave as we pulled away and drove up the road toward the venue. We rode in the van because the road up to the backstage area was too steep for the bus to drive.

Once we reached the actual amphitheatre I was given a short tour of the Visitor's Center. There was a lot of history at this place, and I was honored to have the chance to perform here. As I walked through the Performers Hall of Fame, I was amazed at how many celebrities in whose footsteps I was following.

After the Visitor's Center we headed back down toward the stage, where the crew was setting up for the show. It seemed so peaceful and quiet, but I knew it would be totally different tomorrow night.

We continued down into the backstage area. I barely had enough time to get something to eat before the Starshine meeting. When I walked into the cafeteria that was located under the stage, there were already a number of crew members, staff, and dancers eating. The room was nearly full, and every one of them was employed to make my concert a night to remember for my fans. I felt overwhelmed as everyone cheered at my entrance, and as I made my way over to get my own food. I greeted nearly everyone I could by name. They all were wearing security badges that had their names and pictures on them, but I had made the effort to learn who every single one of them was. There were a few faces that were unfamiliar to me. Some would be temporary help for this concert, while others were new. I decided to make the effort to get to know each of them before the end of the weekend.

After getting my food I followed Amy to a table where a few of my favorite individuals were already starting to eat. It had been a week since I'd seen them, but I returned their large smiles as I sat down.

"Hi guys!" I greeted them happily. "How was the trip?"

"Long," Jason Olson, the lead guitarist of the band ‘Pop Fly’ replied. The other members of my band were nodding their heads in agreement. While I had left New York City to make my way back to Los Angeles for the week, the band and crew members had slowly made their way cross-country to be here tonight.

"At least we made it," Stacy Miller, drummer, added. "I just wish we didn't have to do it again."

I grimaced. While I got to fly back and forth because of school, everyone else was making two more trips cross-country before we finished the tour in the western United States.

"I'm sorry, guys," I told them. The concert tour had been put together quickly. I knew that my schedule had been determined by what dates were available, and not by determining the easiest way to move the equipment around the country.

"It's not that bad," Sophie Lund, one of my two harmony/backup singers, supplied. "I think it's kind of fun traveling around the country like this."

"Yeah," Holly, Sophie's counterpart, added.

"They're right," Connor Christiansen agreed. "I just miss my family and my gym."

Everybody laughed at his words. All three members of 'Pop Fly' were quite muscular.

"Sarah!" we were interrupted by my dad. "Eat quickly. It's almost time for Starshine."

"Okay," I replied and turned my attention to eating. Even if I wasn't as involved in the conversation that followed, I was still glad to once more be back in the company of my band.

* * *

The Observatory had been set up on the top floor of the North Tower. I was excited to see what it looked like. I heard the noise coming from the Observatory as I walked up the stairs toward it, and I smiled as I climbed. Stephanie, Amy, Sophie, and Holly were with me. I'd asked my mom if she wanted to come too, but she had declined saying that having someone as old as her there might dampen the festivities. Mom was only 36, which wasn't very old, but I secretly agreed with her a bit.

As I reached the top of the stairs and headed toward the door, I could hear that the girls were already having fun. I couldn't see inside the room, but the laughter and the excitement coming from inside was enough to let me know that this was going to be a good night.

When I stepped into the door, a wailing, screaming cacophony greeted me as the girls caught sight of me. They stopped whatever they were doing and rushed toward me. I could see tears in the eyes of some of them, and I did my best to prepare for what was to come.

I was still amazed by how excited some fans were to see me! When we actually met, it was almost like they went crazy with excitement. I had never met any of my biggest idols, so I'd never been in the position most of these girls were in now, but I still didn't understand how excited they became. But I wasn't complaining; it was a great feeling to get to spend time with fans like these. For whatever reason, they looked up to me, and I wanted to make sure that I lived up to their expectations and set an example for them.

It took about 10 minutes for them to settle down enough so that I could actually say something. I hadn't made it more than 5 feet into the room.

"Hi everyone," I greeted them. They were all still staring at me. The giddiness on their faces hadn't subsided at all, but at least most of them weren't jumping up and down anymore. "Welcome to Starshine!"

A small cheer rang throughout the assembled girls. Before I could say anything else, Amy took charge.

"Can I have everyone take a seat," she ordered. That led to a mad scramble to the soft chairs that had been arranged in a circle in the middle of the room. As I studied the arrangement, it was obvious where I was supposed to sit, leaving the chairs nearest to mine highly contested. It wasn’t cat fighting, but for a moment I did worry someone was going to be injured.

As the girls settled in, I spent a few seconds looking around the room. The room was softly lit, but I could still see everyone clearly. The walls had been covered with a number of panels or something that had turned the area from a dressing room into what felt like we were in the middle of a field at night time. The ceiling had been turned into the night sky. Stars glittered and blinked all around us. There were a few televisions around the room playing scenes from my concerts. There were also a number of other attractions like a pool table that had been keeping the girls entertained before I had arrived. I was truly impressed by how awesome the whole room was. I felt like we were sitting outside at night, even though I could still see the evening light coming in through the still opened door to the outside.

After the girls had started to settle into their seats, I made my way toward mine. The informal gathering had us sitting closely in a circle. The two girls that I sat between squealed once more, and I could see some disappointment in the others.

"Everyone will get a chance to meet with Sarah this evening," Amy explained. "Please be courteous of everyone else. I know you are all excited, but I promise you will get a chance to talk with her."

She paused for a moment to let that sink in before she continued speaking. "My name is Amy Martin. I am one of Sarah's personal assistants." She then pointed to the chairs on her left. "This is Stephanie Allen, Sarah's personal makeup artist. To her left are Sophie Lund and Holly Anderson, Sarah's harmony singers." Each of them waved and said hello before Amy pointed at me. I'd had to learn everything that I needed to know about this party over the last couple of days, so I was ready.

"The ten of you were specially selected to be here tonight," I told them. "And I'm very honored to meet all of you. Every single one of you has the power to be a star, and when you leave here tonight I hope that all of you shine as much as I try to."

I looked around the circle again. Everyone had huge smiles on their faces. "Now, to start I'd like to get to know all of you. I'll start, and then we'll go around the circle, okay?"

When they nodded their understanding, I continued. "My name is Sarah. I'm from Los Angeles. I've been a Sarah Carerra fan my entire life!" The girls started giggling at my comment. "Seriously though, I'm just a girl like the rest of you. I have the same problems that many of you are probably facing. Boys, body image, and bullies - I've had to deal with them all. I still deal with them. Those things are not going to go away in our lives. We need to learn how to overcome them. We need to learn how to let our inner light shine."

I felt bad trying to pawn my makeup off on these girls. I knew I had agreed to promote the makeup brand, and I really liked what it did for me, but trying to sell it to these girls seemed slightly wrong to me. And it didn't take much to sell them on the makeup. Anything I endorsed was probably what they wanted to use. However, I wanted them to use what worked best for them, not what worked best for me.

The next hour was spent giving each of the girls a makeover. Stephanie and I would separately move around the room to each girl, give her some advice, and move on to the next, with Sophie and Holly supporting us. We must have met with each girl at least ten times. There were plenty of product samples provided by Starlight Cosmetics for the girls to use. At the end of the night they would be able to take home over $100 worth of makeup that they had learned to use during the meeting.

I felt silly trying to give girls, who had undoubtedly been wearing makeup longer than I had, advice on how to do theirs. I left that job to Stephanie. Instead, I spent the time talking to them about what made them beautiful, and I wasn't talking about makeup. The age of the girls ranged from 12 to 17, and each of them was so unique and wonderful. I listened to each of their stories and got to know them. We took a ton of pictures that I was going to put into a new scrapbook that Mom had suggested I make. Mom and I had already decorated the cover of what we were calling 'Inner Light' and I knew that Amy had also run the idea of including a section on my website that contained the same pictures by Max, who was in charge of my marketing.

In spite of the marketing spiel that the night was all about, I knew that all of the girls were having a good time. When we had finished with makeup we moved on to some real fun. We spent the second hour working on a song together. We only ended up with one verse, but once we had the song written we recorded it together. I knew that the video of our performance would be included on the page on my website, and I knew that it would help each of these girls relive the night. It wasn't a song that Scott would ever let me put on an album or release it as a single, but involving the girls in the music process brought even bigger smiles on their faces than the free makeup had.

When I had to leave them, I almost felt as distraught as they did. I'd gotten to know each of them over the course of the evening, and I was happy that I was able to share a small glimpse of their lives. I knew that I wouldn't be able to remember them as well as I wanted to because I would be doing this at least five more times. That was a lot of girls for me to remember, but I wanted to remember each and every one of them.

They were what made everything I went through worth it.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
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Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.05 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

I was awakened on Saturday morning by a knock on the door to my room. After all the fun I'd had with the girls during the Starshine party, I had actually managed to get a really good night’s sleep on the bus. I found Dad waiting for me when I cracked the door open. He was smiling, which I was able to return this morning.

"Good morning, Princess," he greeted me. I pulled the door open further to respond.

"Morning, Daddy," I replied.

"Sound check is in an hour and a half," he told me. "A van will be here to take you up to the venue when you are ready. I'm going to take your mother and Austin up now to get some breakfast."

"Okay," I replied. I glanced at the alarm clock. It read 9:30. I didn't get to sleep in like this often, so I was grateful that Dad had let me. "I'll be out in a bit," I told him. He nodded, and I closed the door as he turned away.

Soon I was ready, and Amy and Mason were waiting for me on the couch at the front of the bus. Fortunately, nobody was waiting for me outside this morning, so we were quickly on the van and heading up the hill to the venue. I closed my eyes during the short trip and let the rush start to build.

I loved performance days! It was like a non-stop rush of adrenaline all day. I couldn't imagine doing anything else for a living anymore. Being up on stage was my drug, and I was totally ecstatic that it was legal.

When we arrived backstage Mason, Amy, and I made our way to the dining room where the crew was eating to get our own breakfast. My family was just finishing up, but stayed to talk while we ate.

The sound check then came and went without any problems, and I was able to hang out with some crew members in The Observatory for a while. Then I ate lunch with the band and with my family in the cafeteria again. After lunch, I took a van back down to my bus to take a nap, because I would be up late tonight with the concert and the after party.

A crowd had once again formed outside my bus while I slept. It was much larger than the crowd that had come out the day before, and I started to understand what Mom had meant when she said it was hard to get my attention on the day of a concert. They cheered and some even cried when I stepped off the bus. But I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I had with the group yesterday. Soon I was ushered into the van to take me back up to the backstage area.

There were still a couple of hours before 'Poptacular', the band opening for me, took the stage. I lounged in the dressing room with my band. I was a bit of an outcast from them, because I was the star and because I was several years younger than they were. Nevertheless, we were good friends, and I enjoyed any time that I got to spend with them.

"Have you seen the tunnel yet?" Stacy asked me.

"The what?" I queried back. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"The tunnel," he stated. "It goes up to a sound booth or something. But, well...come and see."

He stood up and motioned for me to follow as he moved toward the door. I stood to follow, and the rest of the band followed me. Stacy had piqued my curiosity now.

Stacy led us through a couple of hallways. I had not been in this part of the backstage area. But when he turned another corner and walked through a door into a concrete stairwell, I was stunned. Lining the walls and even some of the steps were signatures and dedications!

"Whoa," escaped my lips as I started moving up the stairs and reading some of the names. There were some BIG performers listed!

"I guess performers here have been signing their names for a while now," Stacy explained. Then I noticed his grin as he pulled out a large, permanent marker. I smiled back and took the proffered item from him.

It took us a while to find a space big enough, but after signing my name and dating it, I happily handed the marker back to Stacy so he could do the same. Seeing all five of their names signed next to mine reminded me just how lucky I was to have them in my life.

That same feeling flowed through me once again a few hours later when I squeezed the band's Carerra Bear as hard as I could while imagining us having an amazing performance. Afterward I took a deep breath and passed the bear to Sophie, who did the same thing.

When I was 10 I had been in a bad car accident. I had ended up in the hospital with some major injuries that had first led my family and me to start questioning my gender. While I was there, my dad had given me a teddy bear. Over the years I had hugged that bear any time I needed something to hug - something to take away the worries in my life. I'd had Dad make some smaller replicas of those bears with Sarah's signature on them that I could give to the fans who really touched me. But I had also had him get another one that was the same size as the original, and which had all of our signatures on it.

It was made for this purpose. Once each of the band members had held the bear they passed it back to me. I then held it out in front of me at arm's length, and each of them reached out and placed their hand on it.

"Let's get this party started!" we yelled together before once more laughing at our antics. Perhaps it was a silly pre-concert ritual, but it always brought us together and prepared us for what was to come.

* * *

The cheer of the crowd echoed throughout the amphitheatre once again as I finished singing a cover of The Corr's 'Breathless' for them. I was wearing the sophisticated little black dress that Julia, my image consultant, had picked out for the "elegant" section of the concert that I had just completed. The rush of adrenaline pumping through my body was at an all-time high again as I relished in the screaming and clapping of the crowd. I had just played two cover songs in a row, and I was about to drop into a third, yet they cheered just as hard as if the songs had been my own.

Once the crowd started to die down a bit, I turned to introducing the next song.

"We've talked a lot about the beginning of relationships this evening," I told the crowd. "But unfortunately most relationships also have an end. I thought it would only be fitting to take some time and explore the other side of a relationship. What do you think?"

A small cheer echoed throughout the venue once more. I doubted they really cared what I sang about as long as I kept singing.

"Not all relationships end in heartache," I told the crowd. "Some end with a mutual understanding. One or both people might realize that it just isn't working. But many times after those relationships there are regrets. Was it the right decision? Could it have worked?"

I paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Usually one of the people in these types of breakups doesn’t want it to end. They tell you to 'Stay', and if you don't, they secretly hope that the next time they see you, you'll reply, 'I Missed You'."

A low rumble passed through the crowd. Some of them realized what I was going to sing, but most of them didn't. However, as the soft chords coming from Jason's guitar echoed off the two large rocks to either side of the venue, the rumble grew. Those who didn't know Lisa Loeb's 'Stay (I Missed You)' were in for a treat. Those who had heard the song before seemed to enjoy it as I continued to sing the cover. This song was older than I was, but that didn't mean that I couldn't love it as much as anyone that had listened to it when it was on the radio.

When the song came to an end and I lowered the microphone, the audience agreed with me. They roared as loudly as they had for any of my own songs, and I reveled in it for a moment. I liked each of the covers that I was singing during my concert, but they still didn't hold a candle in my heart like my own music did.

As I returned to my own music after singing three covers in a row, I had an extra large smile on my face. The band had written this next song for me, and I had done my best to honor them with it. This time would be no exception.

"Sometimes relationships end badly," I told the crowd. I knew this song had been inspired by relationships that the band members had been in during their lives. I knew that it meant something to them, even if I hadn't experienced the emotions the song talked about in my own life. "People sometimes stray. Sometimes I worry about what they are doing when I'm not around. But the truth is always revealed when they look 'Into My Eyes'."

Jason and I launched into the song immediately with a fast, upbeat tempo that raised the energy in the amphitheatre immediately. I continued to sing through the first verse that talked about the guy I was with, and how I was starting to get suspicious about his activities. Then just before we ramped up into the chorus I questioned him. After looking into my eyes, I knew that he was lying to me. There was someone else.

The chorus brought with it an even faster pace, and I confronted him with the realization that I'd had. I told him how easy it was to read him, and how happy I was to be leaving this relationship. How happy I was that he no longer had a hold on me.

The song then slowed back into the second verse where he tried to explain. He tried to win me back. He did all of the things he'd been doing for months to convince me that nothing else was going on. But I'd seen it in his eyes, and I didn't believe him anymore. We ramped back up into the chorus so that I could once again show him how happy I was to be rid of him. He couldn't hurt me anymore.

To emphasize the point the song slowed once more, and with little accompaniment I sang through the chorus again, telling him that he couldn't lie to me anymore. He wasn't good enough for me. He had to go. When he refused, we ramped back up into the chorus and the power of the song pushed him out of my life.

A cheer exploded around the arena as Jason's guitar played the last chord. I smiled once again, because this song was a lot of fun. But it didn't compare to what was coming next. It was almost time for one of my favorite parts of the concert.

Dancers moved on and off the stage as they prepared for the next song. I basked in the warmth that the cheering crowd had caused to build up within me. The fire, the rush that I felt when performing, always started its rise to the climax as we went into this section of the concert. Every single one of my songs that I loved the most was still waiting to be sung. There were others intermixed with them, but the fun started now.

"Many times we don't see the relationship ending until it is over," I told the crowd when their roar started to die down. "But sometimes...sometimes we see it coming a mile away. Sometimes, our relationship is the target of someone else. How many people here have had a boyfriend or girlfriend stolen away from them?"

I raised my hand along with the majority of the crowd that was now screaming in the affirmative. Josh Holliday's heart had been stolen away from me, even if it had been in an odd, twisted sort of way. I knew the emotions that I had felt when I found out that another girl had captured him had come into play when the band and I had written this song together. I also knew that Jason had particularly felt vindictive about this after watching a girl he had really loved be swept away by who he thought was a friend. I knew what it felt like to feel helpless in getting him back. I knew what it felt like to wish there was something I could do, only to be left disappointed.

But that was not what the next song was about.

"There's only one thing to do," I told the crowd, pouring vehemence into my voice. The happy, carefree aura that had settled on the venue was now going to be singed by the blackness of hatred. With a single word I would convert all of the positive energy in the amphitheatre into a powerful force that I could direct into one of my favorite songs to perform.

Before the audience realized what I was talking about, the blare of Stacy's drums drowned the entire area in a frenzy of noise. When Jason and Connor joined him moments later it was with a speed and passion that put my previous song to shame. The dancers and I were frenetically moving around the stage to help sell the scene.

This continued for over 15 seconds before I slowed down and moved toward the center of the stage. Two of the male dancers slowed and followed me. As the volume in the stadium dropped ever so slightly they reached out and grabbed either side of my dress.

"Revenge."

The word I growled lit the amphitheatre like an explosion. Red and amber lights cast a menacing aura on the stage. The two dancers tugged and moved away from me, taking the little black dress I had been wearing with them. I was now clad only in a tight, short red dress that shimmered with every move.

A cheer reached me from the audience, but I was already preparing for the first verse. As the frenetic pace slowed, one of the male dancers started slowly dancing with me. I started singing about how happy I was with my boyfriend, until she showed up. The dancer representing the girl didn't look like much, which was why I sang about how much I had underestimated the girl who was stealing my boyfriend away. I finished the first verse with a vow that I would never forget what she had done.

Stacy's drums amped us back up for the first chorus, in which I sang some choice phrases about the type of girl whom I was dealing with as I watched the two of them dancing around the stage together. Then I took the time to remind her how good I was at exacting my revenge.

The second verse was about how happy she felt being with the guy who had taken my heart with him. He no longer gave me the time of day and she never looked at me without a smug look on her face. But I vowed once more, promising that she would never forget what she had done.

When we moved into the second chorus I could feel the energy and see the crowd moving in time with the beat. I relished in the energy and poured it into singing the song with as much menace as I could without it turning dark.

As the second chorus wound down the pace stayed high as we moved into another section of the song. In this section I sang about how unhappy she would be if she too lost the boy she had worked so hard to take from me. I ended with another promise. This time I vowed that he would never forget what she had done.

There was a short interlude where I moved closer to the two dancers who had been representing the boy and girl on stage. Then, I sang the chorus once again and as I approached the two of them, I reached between them, pushing the boy away from the girl. The girl had a confused look on her face as she looked around for the boy, who was now on the far side of the stage.

The whole scene was symbolic. The song didn't actually say what I did to exact my revenge. Only a change in the sound and demeanor indicated that something had happened.

But happened it had. As the chorus ended, the shift in sound occurred and I flat out sang to the girl, asking her if she still felt she had won. At first, it was apparent that she didn't know what I was talking about, but as the song came to a sudden, abrupt ending I smiled evilly. Her face turned to one of horror as she realized I was the cause of the missing boy. The stage lights went dark, and only the two of us were bathed in a red spotlight as she fell to the ground, motionless. A moment later, the venue went pitch black.

* * *

After I left the stage and took a shower, Mom insisted that I wear simple jeans and a tee instead of putting the wig and glam back on. Stephanie then reapplied my makeup, but it was quite different than how I normally did it. I looked nothing like Sarah when they were through with me!

Donning a backstage pass with Megan's name on it, instead of Sarah's, I was then led out of my dressing room and toward the Observatory. I didn't know what Mom was planning, but Amy obviously agreed, and as the three of us made our way up to the room I could only hear the excitement from the room grow as we approached.

There were over 20 people in the room when we stepped in, making use of the entertainment center, the ping pong table, and the other activities available. At first the burst of excitement that erupted as we entered started to overwhelm me, and I nearly forgot how I was dressed! When the fans realized I wasn't Sarah the energy immediately dropped, which was something that I wasn't used to. However, it was enough for Amy to get their attention.

"Hi, everyone," she greeted the assembled crowd. They had already been waiting for nearly 30 minutes as I showered and tried to recuperate after the show. "I want to welcome you all to the first ever Star Party." A small cheer rose before Amy could continue. "Sarah and the band will be by shortly," she managed to get out before the room erupted into mayhem.

Normally, I didn't get to see all of this giddiness when I arrived, as I was always quickly overwhelmed by the fans trying to interact with me. Watching them cheer and scream for me at a distance was quite surreal! Even the thought that I would be there in a few minutes was enough to turn many of the young girls and other fans into quivering puddles of excitement.

I looked around the room, mesmerized at how devout these people were. I hadn't done anything other than to write and perform a few songs for them. Yet they showed a devotion to me that I couldn't understand. Yes, I thought I had good music, but was it good enough for this?

Amy tried to continue speaking, but she had lost the crowd by that point. Instead, she turned to indicate that I should actually go get ready to meet them. I nodded, and Mom and I turned to make our way back down the stairs to my dressing room while Amy waited for the chance to be able to answer any of the questions the fans might have and address any other issues that might come up.

"Thank you," I told my mom after we returned to my dressing room. She nodded, and I turned toward the five other people who were sitting in the room with their mouths agape.

"What on earth have you been up to!?" Sophie asked first. I easily heard the curiosity in her voice. It wasn't often that they saw Megan walking around one of the concert venues.

I laughed at her tone, and then I smiled. "My mom took me to see what happens when you tell a bunch of fans that Sarah would be by to meet them," I told them, continuing to laugh at the fond memories I had just made. "And I thought they were insane when they met me. They go crazy just waiting for me to appear!"

The rest of my band, with whom I shared this dressing room, promptly laughed. I felt sure they had seen those reactions before, but I hadn't. It was humbling to see how popular I had become, and now I was excited to get to meet them for real.

The band waited patiently as I changed, replaced the wig, and submitted to Stephanie's administrations. I knew Amy had promised the crowd that I would be by shortly, but it took at least 15 minutes before we left the dressing room for the second time. The general feeling of excitement surrounding the entrance to the Observatory hadn't changed though.

The screams and giddiness that I had experienced earlier were multiplied tenfold when I stepped back into the room. Selfishly, perhaps, I loved the sounds and feelings that washed over me as I entered. I relished in the sheer power of the emotions that these lucky fans felt at meeting me for the first time. I knew I would do everything in my power to make sure that I could call every single one of them a friend by the end of the night.

I didn't make it two steps before I had a little girl launch herself at me. I quickly opened my arms to catch her, and found myself holding an angel who couldn't have been older than 2 or 3. I wasn't all that strong, and she was a bit heavy to carry, but I tried to hold on to her as best as I could while the initial rush surrounded me. I tried to hug, shake hands, or just smile at everyone as they all tried to catch my attention. Words were flying all around me, but I couldn't make out any of them.

It was a good ten minutes before I was able to move myself through the crowd far enough to where I could place the girl down on a couch. She stood on one of the cushions, placing her nearly at shoulder level with me. I wrapped her in a hug, and I felt her clench me tightly. Flashes started to go off, and once her grip lessened I turned to where her mother could take a picture of us. Then I sadly had to turn my attention to the others. I quickly motioned to Amy, lifting my index finger. She nodded immediately and moved to make sure that the little girl and her mother wouldn't leave before I got the chance to talk to them again.

The excitement never died down over the next hour and a half as I met with and learned about the fans who had been chosen to attend the Star Party. Many of them had been chosen because of their outrageous T-shirts or other adornments that had attracted the attention of those staff members who had been charged with finding them. Others had won tickets through radio stations or other contests. Some, like the little girl I found out later, had been hand-picked by my own mother to meet me.

When I finally made it back around to where the little girl and her mother were waiting patiently for me I started to feel my own giddiness at the chance to meet her. She was cute as a button with her long blonde hair and her cheeks face-painted with small hearts and stars. I felt my heart skip a beat just like it did when I got to hold Heather, my cousin Tracy's infant daughter.

"Hi," I said to her, and I watched as her large smile grew even wider. "I'm Sarah. What's your name?"

"Evie," she responded proudly. I laughed at how open she was. Many of the girls her age whom I met as Sarah were shy or scared to actually talk to me, but she pushed right ahead like I was already her best friend.

"Well I am honored to meet you, Evie," I replied, taking a seat next to her on the couch they were sitting on. There was a squeal from the teenage girl who was now on my other side, but I was still focused on Evie. "How old are you?"

"Two and half," she said confidently while holding up three fingers. I chuckled at her, but fell in love all over again.

I spent the next few minutes getting to know my new favorite fan. Every time she opened her mouth and spoke to me in slightly broken sentences, I beamed at her. I hoped that when I had a little girl of my own she would be just as amazing. Eventually Amy appeared, and I graciously took the item she proffered to me before turning back to Evie. Her eyes, for once, were no longer on me as she stared at the little pink bear in my hands.

I held it out to her and she quickly grabbed it and hugged it to her chest, as tightly as I ever held my own.

"Only my most special fans get a Carerra Bear," I whispered to her. I could already feel the jealousy coming from some of the other people assembled around us. "Hug it whenever you are scared or need something, and everything will turn out okay. I promise." Evie nodded. She didn't say anything, but I could see the gratitude in her eyes.

I smiled brightly at her for a moment before I once again had to turn my attention to other fans. I loved all of them, but fans like Evie were the best part of being a rock star.

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Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.06 - The New Recruits

Returning to school Monday morning was a huge letdown. I always had such a good time at the concerts that it was depressing to sit in school for most of the day, instead of singing or doing something to further my career.

Fortunately, I didn't have any problems with the other students as the morning progressed, which would have increased my desire to drop out of school to concentrate on Sarah full time. I knew that Mom and Dad would never let me drop out, so once again I was glad to have friends in every one of my classes.

The girls in P.E. pretty much ignored me when I showed up Monday morning, and that was fine with me. It was obvious that some of them still weren't happy having me in the class, but they couldn't deny what they had seen Friday morning. Nobody had transferred out of the class, but I had a feeling that it had more to do with the unavailability of replacement classes than it did with their desire to remain in class with me. Either way I promised myself that if they left me alone, I would return the favor. However, I really doubted that I had seen the last of my problems in that class.

Most of the rest of the school day wasn’t too bad either. Nobody had tried to punch me, trip me, push me into lockers, or generally try to make me look like a fool. I considered that a good day in my book. Then again, I hadn't really seen any of the people who normally tried to do those things either.

I was dreading Chorus as I walked down the hall toward my last class of the day, however. Today would be the first day that the "groupies", as Ethan had started calling them, would be in the class. Mr. Benson had already told us that there were too many applicants to fill the class, and he had actually held auditions Friday afternoon to find the most talented students to fill the maximum number of seats allowed by the school board. That at least gave me some hope that the influx of new recruits would have some talent and wouldn't be there just for the opportunity to sing with Sarah.

The noise that I heard coming from the room as I approached didn't excite me, however. It sounded like someone was having a party. When I stepped inside, that was almost what I found. Mr. Benson was not in the room. However, a band had set up their instruments in one corner of the room. They were playing for the assembled class, and many people were singing along with them. To my chagrin, they were singing and playing my songs!

"Megan!" someone greeted me excitedly. I looked over and found Jane waving me over to where she was sitting next to Ethan! I smiled immediately. Just last week I had told her that if she wanted to sing she needed to find an outlet. I hadn't considered that she should join Chorus, but it certainly would give her the chance to perform. I was very happy that she had listened to me!

"Hi Jane!" I replied as I sat down. It was a little difficult to talk over the strains of 'You Can't Hurt Me' that was now being played by the band and sung by some girl I didn't know. She wasn't bad, but she definitely didn't know some of the intricacies of the song. "I'm so glad you joined Chorus!"

"Well, you did tell me to find somewhere to sing," she explained. "This seemed like a good place, since Ethan and you are here. Besides, I wouldn't mind the chance to meet Sarah."

I smiled. I knew that she wasn't here just to sing. But I was also happy to find out that she was here for more than just Sarah.

Before I could say anything else, I was hit in the side of the head by a wadded up piece of paper. Scowling, I turned to find Mark Corbin smirking. It was obvious that he had been the one who threw the paper at me.

I glared at him for a moment before I started to turn away. That's when he spoke.

"You know, Megan," he said. "You’d better actually be able to sing or else you are just wasting a seat in this class. I know at least two girls who wanted to join this class who are likely better than you. Prove that you deserve to be here."

"I don't have to prove anything to you, Mark," I replied calmly, though my emotions were starting to boil again. I was sick of him picking on me! For the first time since this class started I actually wanted to get up and prove to him how good I was. But I knew that doing that would risk exposing my secret.

"I'm just saying," he replied with an evil grin. "There are many worthy people who auditioned to get into this class. If you are only here because you know Sarah, then you should consider giving up your seat."

"Shut up, Corbin!" Ethan shot back at him. "She's a better singer then you will ever be."

"Oh yeah," Mark said. "I've proved that I can sing. What has she done? Nothing. You're pathetic. Both of you."

"Whatever," I scowled at him before turning away.

"That's right," he continued. "Turn away. Hide from those of us who are your betters. Sooner or later the truth will come out."

I ignored him, and instead turned my attention to Mr. Benson, who had just entered the class. He was smiling as he watched the performance that the band and girl were giving us, and let them continue the song before starting the class.

While we listened, I saw one more person skulk into the classroom, embarrassment written all over his face. My own mouth dropped in shock as I saw him nervously walk toward where we were sitting and sink down into his seat.

"Paul!" I greeted him excitedly. "I didn't even know you could sing!" I then wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly for a moment. My reaction was probably out of place in a classroom, and I felt the shock that emanated from him and the others around us. But I was so proud of him once again! I had first met Paul when we had been paired together as lab partners for Biology. When I finally emerged as Megan, I had almost lost him, since he had been so afraid to talk to girls. But he had grown so much over the summer, especially when he had faced the media after my show at the OC Fair, and now he was taking another big step! This class would give him the type of attention that he always shied away from. I was still surprised that he was willing to put himself out there like that. It was so unlike him, and I was thrilled!

"It's nice to see you too, Megan," he replied, laughing as I let go of him.

There was so much I wanted to ask him, but I never got the chance as Mr. Benson called the class to order.

"Welcome, everyone," he said excitedly while rubbing his hands together. "This is going to be an amazing year, and I'm happy to have all of you in this class. For those of you who are new, I'm glad to see you are fitting in. The rest of you I hope will make them feel appreciated for their desire to join us."

Ethan started chuckling, and I knew he was thinking that most of these people were only here for the chance to meet Sarah.

"I'm also happy to have Lazy Acres here with us," Mr. Benson continued while motioning toward the band. "They have agreed to provide us with the music, and having a live band should allow us to do some fun things this year. Give it up for them."

We all gave the band a round of applause. I knew each of them, and I had been impressed with their ability. They had won a ‘Battle of the Bands’ contest that the school had held last year, so I knew they were talented.

"We start each class with a few solos," Mr. Benson continued. "Everyone is required to sing at least one solo for the class so that I can gauge your ability and range. Do I have any volunteers?"

"Megan told me she was ready," Mark spoke up immediately. I glared at him once again. I was NOT ready, and I had definitely not told him that I was.

"Oh!" Mr. Benson said in surprise. "Okay then, Megan."

"I am NOT ready," I told him, which caused him to sigh. It was apparent that he was sick of the bickering between Mark and me.

"Of course not," Mark shot back at me. "Heaven forbid the princess of pop indulges us with her talent."

My breath stuck in my throat at his comment! I was quite certain that Mark didn't know that I was Sarah Carerra, but that statement was very close to the mark. I even had a song called 'Pop Princess'. That fact was not lost on Ethan, if his expression was any indication.

"Megan will sing for us when she is ready," Mr. Benson told Mark, and I heard the warning tone in his voice. "Now, are there any volunteers?" he called again.

"I will," Jane said while raising her hand. When Mr. Benson nodded she stood up and moved to the front of the room.

"Can you play 'Ever After'?" she asked the band. At the nod of the guitarist, she turned back to us as they began playing. I had a feeling that I was going to be hearing a lot of my own music in this class in the near future.

Jane surprised me. After hearing how much she was willing to give up to be able to have a life like Sarah's, I wasn't sure how good she would be. I knew she had to have some talent to make it past the auditions, but I hadn't expected her to be as good as she was. As she sang she reminded me a lot of Holly. I could easily picture Jane up on stage with us.

It was still weird to hear someone else singing my songs. I had written and performed them myself, so it was funny to hear the different nuances that someone else applied to the music. But she did a good job of not only singing the song, but making it her own. I was one among many who applauded her when she finished.

When Mr. Benson called for another volunteer, I was shocked once again when Paul volunteered! Before today, I had never even guessed that Paul had musical talent. But he too surprised me. He wasn't the best male singer in the classroom, but he definitely wasn't bad. I clapped more enthusiastically than I ever had when he sat back down!

"Anyone else?" Mr. Benson asked again.

"All of your friends have sung for us," Mark told me. "Why won't you?"

I huffed. I was so sick of Mark’s attitude toward me! I knew that he was under the impression that I couldn't sing. I knew that he thought that getting me to sing my solo would embarrass me in front of the class. But I also knew that he was dead wrong.

"Fine," I told him. "You want to hear me sing? I will."

I glared at Mark as I stood up. I was upset, but I knew exactly what song to sing for the class. He looked shocked at my decision, as did some of the other students around him. Even though my feelings were tainted with hatred I took that frustration and hatred for him, and funneled it into what I was going to do next.

I turned toward the Lazy Acres guitarist. "Felix, can I borrow that?" I asked him while pointing at the acoustic guitar that was lying against the wall nearby. He still had his electric guitar around his neck.

"Um," Felix looked nervous immediately. I knew how protective I was with my own guitars, so I could understand his concern. Especially since I seemed to be upset.

"I promise that I will take good care of it," I smiled as I replied. He still didn't look happy about my request, but after a few seconds he nodded his head and bent down to pick up the guitar before holding it out to me carefully.

I carefully took the guitar from Felix and thanked him, proving that I would be careful with it in the process. He handed me a pick, which I took with another "thank you," before placing the strap around my neck and turning back toward the class.

There was eagerness on the faces of nearly everyone in the room. Some, like Ethan, Jane, and Paul, were eager to hear their friend sing. Others, like Mark and his cronies, were eager to hear me fail. Most of the rest of the people in the class seemed eager to see why there was so much drama around this decision. Even Mr. Benson looked intrigued to find out what I could do.

I strummed the guitar lightly to check its tune. Satisfied, I launched straight into the song.

There was some light-hearted laughter as I started singing Taylor Swift's 'Mean' for the class. But the noise died quickly as people started to listen to me sing. This song was normally played on a banjo, so it didn't sound quite as good as I had hoped on the guitar. But nevertheless I watched as Mark's expression turned from one of excitement at seeing me fail to one of shock that I could actually sing. Then he began to look upset as he listened to the words that I was singing to him.

Taylor's song was all about being put down, picked on, and criticized more than someone deserved. There is a point where it turns mean, and that was what she sang about. This song seemed almost tailor-made for my current situation. As I sang I saw that Mark knew I was singing this song for him and to him. I knew that he could tell how I was turning the situation back around on him. I was calling him out on how mean he was being to me, and now he would have to answer for it.

The band was quick to join me when they recognized the song, making it that much more impressive to the class. I also knew from experience that I had the audience spellbound. I knew that they were listening to my every word. I knew what kind of power that gave me.

My favorite part of the song occurred when I called Mark "pathetic" and a "liar". The rest of the class roared in laughter as I sang through that part of the song. I felt empowered to be able to take my talent and use it to strike back at a person who had been bullying me since the start of school. I loved being able to use Sarah to show Mark he was not the king of this class. He had a good voice, but the plaque on my wall I had received for releasing a platinum-selling album told me that I had an overwhelming advantage in that department. He was not even remotely in my league.

And like many of my own songs implied, I wasn't going to let him dictate how I was going to live my life. I wasn't going to let him continue bullying me like he was. Furthermore, I wasn't going to take it anymore.

As the song came to an end, I looked over at Mark with a smug smile. He was actually red with rage at the embarrassment I was giving him. But I also knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Everyone in the class had heard the song and knew that I didn't care if he bullied me. I had risen above his taunts and jibes. I had taken the higher road, and I wasn't going to look back. I had won.

I took the guitar from around my neck and carefully handed it back to Felix while applause filled the room. Then I quietly returned to my seat. I didn't need to say anything else. The song had said it for me.

"Okay," Mr. Benson said, trying to find the words to follow my performance. "Anyone else?"

Nobody raised their hand.

* * *

"Oh! My! Gosh! I totally can't believe you just did that!" Jane exclaimed excitedly once the bell had rung and we were outside of the classroom. "Did you see how mad he was?!"

"That was pretty cool," Ethan agreed with a bit of laughter at the excitement that was pouring from Jane.

"I mean, if you aren't good enough for a recording contract, I don't have any hope!" Jane continued.

I laughed. At the end of the last school year I had told Jane and the other girls that I had been turned down by a record company. It was all part of hiding Sarah and to mask the reason why I had become Megan. Yet this was the first time she had actually heard me sing.

"Don’t sell yourself short," I told her. "You were really good too."

"Yeah, and Sarah Carerra is my best friend," Jane retorted, causing both Ethan and me to bust out in laughter. She assumed that we were laughing with her, but in reality she had no idea how close to the truth she was.

"Unfortunately, I don't think we've heard the last from him," Ethan warned once we had managed to settle ourselves down to where we could breathe normally again. I nodded sadly. I had embarrassed Mark Corbin in front of the entire class. I knew that he would try to get back at me. I would need to be prepared for whatever happened next.

* * *

The rest of the school week went by without many issues. A couple of people tried to trip me in the halls or embarrass me in one way or another. But nobody really did anything too badly. The girls in my P.E. class seemed to be getting used to me, even though I did get some bad looks every once in a while. I ignored the evil looks because, frankly, I didn’t care what they thought.

Mark Corbin hadn't retaliated either. He hadn't even talked to me since I finished singing my solo for the class. The song had worked even better than I hoped it would in getting him off my back. I knew that he'd eventually try to retaliate, because he was that kind of person. However, I felt that I could handle anything that he threw my way.

I still would have preferred doing something in the Sarah world rather than sitting in class at school. But so far this school year was turning out better than I hoped. People were accepting of me for the most part. Nobody other than Jared had actually attempted to hurt me, and he had been suspended for two weeks for his attempt. He, too, would be a problem when he came back to school, but I was building a good support network that would be able to help protect me if he tried anything.

When I arrived home Thursday afternoon, I was surprised that there were a group of people waiting for me. Mom, Dad, Amy, Mason, and even Stephanie and Julia were there. I knew that I didn't have any appointments for Sarah this evening, so I was confused by their presence.

"Hurry and get ready," Dad told me when I asked what was going on. "We need to go down to the studio for a while this evening." He was beaming as he spoke, so I knew he was keeping something important from me.

He then turned to Emily and Ethan. "If you two want to come with us, you need to hurry home and get ready as Chloe and Xander. We'll be leaving in about 15 minutes."

They were only able to give me a quick goodbye before they rushed to get themselves ready. I turned to doing the same by heading down the hall to Sarah's room. Julia and Stephanie followed me, and soon I was getting the full treatment. They were usually only involved during public appearances, which left me wondering what was going on.

I was still at a complete loss when we pulled into the parking lot of Olympic Records later that evening. I was then ushered into one of the auditoriums where there were already a number of people seated in the rows of the dimly lit theater. My friends, family, and I were led to the first row amidst the soft clapping and cheering that my presence garnered from those already seated. I didn't know most of the people in the auditorium, but many of them looked familiar. It was a large room, and there were a lot of people there. I believed most of them worked for the studio, so I was shocked when the band walked in a short while after we had taken our seats!

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked while greeting each of them with a hug. Something big must have happened to fly them cross-country to be here for this! They should have been in Pennsylvania getting ready for Saturday's concert.

"We don't know," Sophie replied as they took their seats in the front row with me. "We were told to get on a plane this morning, and here we are."

I laughed when I realized that they were just as in the dark as I was. We sat impatiently, looking for some answers. I could hear chatter of ‘awards’ and ‘sales’ coming from the assembled mass of people, but I couldn't fully comprehend what they were talking about. Had I won something that I didn't know about?

The lights dimmed a few minutes later, and the screen at the back of the small stage lit up. I was surprised to see bits and pieces of my music video played amidst facts and information. The small video presentation talked about some of the accomplishments that I had achieved in the short months since Sarah had been created. It talked about the album. It talked about the concert tour. It displayed a picture of the plaque that had been awarded to me when the album had gone platinum. It talked about how sales were starting to take off in Europe, Asia, and Australia. It even mentioned the fact that 'You Can't Hurt Me' had been at the top of the charts for six weeks straight.

I was awed at how much I had been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time! I never imagined that I would become as popular as I had. I couldn't believe that so many people liked my music. I didn't fully understand why I had been so successful.

There was some enthusiastic clapping and cheering when the video came to an end and the lights came back on. Scott stepped out onto the stage at that point.

"Sarah, can you come up here?" he said while motioning for me to join him on the stage. I handed my purse to Emily and stood up before making my way to the stairs and over to where he was standing. The crowd continued to cheer as I walked.

When I reached Scott, he was beaming at me, and he gave me a quick, friendly nod of appreciation.

"Sarah," he said to me. "Everyone in this room has had a hand in helping you release your album. Some of them work in marketing. Some of them are in charge of sales or development of the album or a myriad of other details. Each one of them has put their own touch on your career."

I looked out at the seats. There had to be at least 100 people or more sitting in the theater. I knew that there were a lot more of them in Allentown, Pennsylvania preparing for the concert I would be performing there in two days. I was mesmerized at how many people it had taken to get me to where I was today. I was breathless as I tried to figure out how to thank them.

"These people are here to celebrate with us," Scott continued. "As you know, you and the album have been nominated for five awards at the Video Music Awards coming up next month. We all expect that you'll be nominated for many more awards before the end of the year. Today your manager received a call asking you to perform at the VMAs this year. We are happy to hear you have accepted."

I was shocked! I hadn't heard about the offer, let alone accepted it! But Dad and I had talked about it earlier and agreed to accept the opportunity if we were asked.

"But we have something even more amazing to celebrate," Scott went on. He took a step over to a table and picked something up, holding it outside of my view. When he turned to show it to me, I gasped.

Earlier this week Mark Corbin had been under the impression that I couldn't sing. It hadn't taken much to prove to him that he was wrong. I had also managed to enthrall the rest of the class in the process. I knew that I could sing. I had used that ability to fight back against his bullying.

But as I gazed on the framed award that Scott was holding in his hands, I began to realize that I still didn't know how well I could sing. I had sold out eight concerts now, and ticket sales for the final five were approaching a total sell out. I had started out the summer scared to sing for anyone, and now I loved climbing up on stage and singing for thousands of fans.

And those fans had now given me a gift. As I took the award from him to get a better look I struggled slightly to hold it. The black frame was about the size of a small poster and bled into black felt that was broken only by the large, platinum record in the middle. Below the record was a copy of my CD on the left, the cover of the CD on the right, and a dedication in the middle.

I had received two of these awards from Scott previously: one when my album had gone Gold, and a second one when it had gone Platinum. But this one was different. This one wasn't from Olympic Records; this one was official! The recording industry had finally recognized my accomplishments! I was now officially a platinum-recording artist!

I stared at the award for a moment, amazed! Things had happened so fast. I wasn't supposed to be a famous singer. I had never grown up with that dream. I had never imagined myself up on stage singing. I had never even wanted it. But I would never go back. I wouldn't change a thing.

I ran my finger over the glass above the dedication as I read. The words were nearly identical to the other two dedications I'd received earlier.

"Presented to Sarah Carerra," I read quietly but aloud. "To commemorate the sale of more than..."

My breath caught in my throat. What followed was not what I expected.

"Two million?!" I yelled in astonishment, my gaze darting up for clarification from Scott. He was beaming his smile at me again. I felt the rush of adrenaline that I always felt on stage rush over me at the implications of what this meant. This meant that...

"Congratulations, Sarah!" Scott told me. "Welcome to the elite group of multi-platinum recording artists, and the VERY elite group of recording artists whose first album was multi-platinum."

Shakily, I handed the award back to Scott. My hands were starting to tremble, and I didn't want to drop it. My mind went numb. This couldn't be right! Sarah had only existed for four and a half months! How on earth could I have garnered enough of a following to sell that many records? I knew that I had a lot of fans, but this was ridiculous!

"I think she's overwhelmed," Scott said, eliciting a large laugh from the crowd. I had almost forgotten that they were there in my reverie, and I turned toward them. They were waiting for me to say something.

"Thank you," I told them sincerely. "I can't believe this is happening. I don't understand how it happened. But I know that I couldn't do it without you guys. Thank you."

It wasn't much, but it was all I was able to give them at the moment. A spontaneous standing ovation occurred immediately, followed closely by my tears. A moment later I was wrapped in a hug as Emily was excitedly there to congratulate me.

I probably could not have been able to release the album without the many people who were in the room. But there wouldn't even BE a Sarah Carerra if Emily hadn't recruited Ethan to help get me to the party that fateful day at Scott's house. As I wrapped my arms around her I couldn't thank her enough for what she had done. “Thank you so much, Emily,” I whispered.

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* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.07 - The Great Allentown Fair

A small jolt jarred me awake on Saturday morning. I rolled over and looked at my alarm clock; it was only 7:36. For a moment I wondered what was going on until I realized that the bus was moving. I sighed, and resigned myself to getting ready for the day. I would have liked to sleep longer since I never make it to bed early on concert nights, but there was no way that I would be able to fall back asleep now.

I threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. I then undressed and stepped into the shower. Showering in a moving bus had been a challenging experience the first time I had tried it, but it wasn't much of a problem anymore. Having a large water heater and plenty of water on my expensive tour bus also helped to make the experience better.

As the water poured over my body I reflected on what today would hold for me. We had flown into Allentown last night and made our way straight to the bus. I learned a lesson last night when the bus pulled into an RV park instead of a hotel parking lot later that evening. Dad and Amy had finally decided that it was a waste of money to rent hotel rooms when I had my bus with me. It had nearly as many amenities and it was very comfortable to sleep and live in, but it wasn't the same as a hotel room. I couldn't complain too much, though, because I was the only one in the caravan of busses and tractor-trailers who had my own room with a queen-size bed. Nearly everyone else slept and lived out of a bunk, and they didn’t complain.

There was a show the night before mine at the Fair, so we had to find another place to spend the night. The band and crew had been staying in the RV park for two days now, but they still seemed to be in good spirits when I arrived. My bus and the images of me that adorned the trailers were enough to have people waiting for me. I was able to spend a half hour with fans before Dad, Mason, and Cole had shooed them away. Every time I looked out the window of my bus, there were always people hanging around hoping I'd come out again. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out a second time. Instead I was stuck doing homework for most of the evening. Between everything that went into putting on the concert and the fact that I would be sleeping much of Sunday meant that I wouldn’t have any other time to finish my homework. I was able to spend some time with the band and dancers for a while, but it was much less than I would have liked.

I had awakened briefly during the middle of the night when most of the stage crew and the tractor-trailers had left when they had received permission to move into the backstage area. I knew that they were probably still working hard to get the stage set up for the concert tonight. Then they'd have to work just as tirelessly to get everything back out because there was another show at the Fair tomorrow. I didn't envy their jobs, but I was sincerely thankful for all that they did for me.

I shut off the water and reached for my towel before drying off quickly and stepping out. I already had an outfit laid out waiting for me, which Julia had picked out and Amy had placed on the dresser the night before. As I started to get dressed there was a knock on the door to my room.

"Yes?" I called out. The door cracked open, and I saw my mom standing there.

"Are you dressed?" she asked. I was decent enough so I nodded and she opened the door further. Amy was with her. She was staying in one of the bunks on my bus.

"We're on our way to the Fairgrounds," Amy said, unnecessarily. "We should be there in a few minutes. We still have a couple of hours before the sound check, though."

I nodded. That didn't mean that I didn't have obligations, however. The Starshine meeting was taking place this morning just before the sound check. Then I had most of the day free before the evening’s concert. I still hated all the waiting that was involved in being famous. I knew that Amy would try to fill it with media requests or some other such things that she always wanted me to participate in, but I just wanted to have some fun today.

"I'll be up front when you're ready," Amy said. I nodded and she closed the door as she stepped out of the room, leaving Mom and me alone. Mom still needed to shower and get ready for the day, but Amy had showered last night. When I finished getting dressed and joined her and my dad, I had a smile on my face. I loved concert days.

Even though we weren't at home, Mom had decided to make me a good breakfast. Starting a concert day with one of Mom's breakfasts wasn't something I normally received, but it was a great start to the day. I filled a plate and took a seat in the small dining booth where I could look out the window as we continued to drive. Dad was already on his phone and computer, finishing whatever work he was required to do for the day. Amy was waiting in one of the chairs, but she stood up as I sat down to join me on the opposite side of the booth. Austin was probably still asleep in his bunk.

While I ate, I split my time between listening to the details that Amy insisted she go over with me, and watching as the bus made its way into the infield area at the Fairgrounds and then into a fenced off area behind the stage. The band's and dancers' bus was already there waiting for us and would act as our dressing rooms for the day. The smaller bus used by 'Poptacular' was also in view, but my bus pulled into a prime spot right next to the stage. There was also a large tent set up nearby. I knew that it was the portable version of the Observatory, but it looked much bigger than the room we had used at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. I was excited to see what they had done with it.

The Fairgrounds had not yet opened for the day, so nobody was waiting for me to arrive. Instead I got to actually watch some TV for the next hour as I waited for the Starshine meeting to start. From where I was seated I could see the girls begin to arrive and be escorted to the tent. I knew it was only a matter of time before the day really started to get interesting.

Eventually the time came and Amy, Stephanie and I made our way over to the Observatory. The extra space in the tent meant that the room had been set up differently than it had at Red Rocks, but all of the same pieces were still there. The couches, the pool, ping pong and foosball tables were all there. More TV’s filled the walls displaying images and videos of me. Yet the entire thing was still recognizable and I immediately felt comfortable with the surroundings.

The girls who had been invited to the Starshine party were just as happy as any other fans to see me. We had a lot of fun together as I peddled the makeup I endorsed and then let them help me write another song, just like we had done in Denver. Then they were all allowed to join us for the sound check. By the time I had said goodbye to them I once again hoped that I could call each of them a friend and I had a lot more pictures to add to my Starshine scrapbook.

By the time I returned to my bus the Fairgrounds had been opened for the day and Dad and Austin had already gone off to enjoy what was being offered. But Mom was waiting for me, and she gave me one of the best presents someone could give me that day.

"Go take off the wig," she said. "I've been looking at the schedule of events for the Fair today, and I was hoping you wanted to go with me."

I hope the smile that I gave my mom was enough of an answer! If it wasn't, the speed at which I sped down to my room to change probably was. I had wanted to do something fun today, and now I was going to get that chance. Spending time with my mom always led to a good time.

When I reached my room I quickly took off the wig, changed into a pair of jeans and a nondescript tee, and swapped out Sarah's security badge for Megan's. The badge was supposed to give me access to the Fair. I adjusted my makeup to be less "flashy", and then I returned to the front of the bus where I saw Mom waiting with Cole. He looked surprised to see me without the wig, so I knew Mom hadn't told him what we were doing.

"Break time," I told Cole. "I'm going to spend some time exploring the Fair with my mom. Sarah won't need any security for most of the afternoon."

"That’s great to hear!" he said, with a large smile spread across his face. Both Cole and Mason worked way too long on concert days to help keep me safe. I was grateful for what they did for me, so it was nice to give them some time off too. "I'm going to find Mason and tell him," he said while standing up from where he had been seated on the couch. "Give us a call when you are on your way back."

"Okay," I nodded and he was out the door of the bus almost immediately. I turned toward my mom.

"He looked happy," she said, causing me to chuckle. She stood up and motioned toward the door. I took a step past her to lead the way off the bus. Once we were outside we made our way toward the gate that would lead us toward the Midway where we could continue through to the other areas of the Fair.

Mom took the lead as soon as we passed through the security checkpoint around the grandstand, and I knew that she had something in mind for us to see. But she wouldn’t say where we were going. We turned right and started walking toward the large Agri~Plex and the area where the animals were kept.

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"I have some ideas," was her cryptic response. The grin she flashed at me let me know that I wasn't going to get anything else out of her.

I sighed, but I didn't really care where we went. I reached my arm through hers and rested my head on her shoulder for a moment as we walked. It was enough to tell her how much I loved her.

Mom continued to lead me through a myriad of crowds, stalls, and smells before we appeared to be reaching our destination. She led me into a tent that smelled like animals. My nose crinkled, but my eyes lit up when I saw what was inside.

"Mom!" I said excitedly and moved to get as close as I could. There was a pen that had a small pool inside, and a number of little ducklings were paddling around in the water. There were other ducklings waddling and moving around the area. Some were eating. Some walked up the ramp out of the water, and then jumped back in and paddled around again. Others were just exploring their new world. But each of them was so cute! My heart melted as I watched them!

I didn’t know how long I stared into the pen before my mom started tugging on my arm until I was in front of a bubble that was lit by a light bulb. At first I didn't know what I was looking at until I saw the eggs scattered around inside. There were some that had little beaks sticking out, others that had a gooey, icky looking thing next to a cracked-open egg, and a few small chicks running around the rest of the area. I stared at them just as long as I had the ducklings before I heard my mom chuckle and drag me onward. I asked a volunteer how old the chicks were that were running around.

“They were probably born yesterday,” she replied. I was amazed! Like the ducklings, these chicks were yellow. But they were only one day old, and they were already running around!

We spent a lot of time in that tent. I got to pet rabbits, goats, piglets, and even a cute little lamb! I had never done anything like this before and I felt like a little girl again. I felt like I did on those days that were in my special photo album at home. The album that held pictures of the best days of my life inside. The album of the pictures of Mom and me together alone.

As we exited the tent I turned to Mom and wrapped her in a hug. I was always so caught up in preparations during concert days that I always missed the small things in my life. I missed having my mom with me. I couldn't hug her and spend time with her while wearing the wig like I could now. Sarah didn't have any family with her, and I was beginning to realize how much that hurt.

We saw another building with a sign that read “Cavies”.

“What are cavies?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” my mom smiled. “Let’s find out.”

We walked inside and found that ‘cavies’ meant ‘rabbits’, and there were hundreds of them! There were different varieties, sizes, and colors. I was surprised to see that some rabbits had ears that didn’t stand up straight; they flopped down like the dog that lived down the street from us. There were white, black, brown, and spotted rabbits. I fell in love with them just like I had the ducklings and chicks!

Mom and I continued around the Fair. We saw cows, sheep and pigs. I even saw a baby calf that was less than two weeks old! I almost threw up around the pig stalls, and Mom finally relented and led us away when she realized I wasn't going to stop dry heaving at the smell. But even so, spending time with her was worth it.

We wandered through the Agri-Plex; there must have been thousands of baked goods, flowers, crafts, and other items on display! Some of the items had even won some type of award according to the ribbons that accompanied them. We spent almost as long in there as we had at the Petting Zoo. When we finally exited we even had time to see the racing pigs before we had to start our return to the backstage area. That was a sight to see!

We detoured through the other end of the Fairgrounds on our way back to the bus, and found a tent where the musicians were playing polkas, and an older crowd was dancing to them. The music was quite different from my music, but it was lively and the crowd obviously liked dancing to the songs. The dancers reminded me of the birthday party we’d had for Gran a couple of years ago.

I wanted to spend more time with Mom, but I had to let her go as we boarded the bus and I headed back into my room to once again put Sarah on. I wanted to be Megan for a while longer and spend some more time with my mom, but that was no longer an option.

* * *

The red light that had been bathing me as I exacted my revenge once more was abruptly turned off on schedule, throwing the stage into darkness. The crowd started cheering, but I didn't get to enjoy it the way I usually did after a song because I had to rush off stage for another costume change.

When I reached the changing booth I was ushered inside and the women started working on me immediately. One of them pulled the red dress I had only worn for one song over my head. Once the dress was off I heard the crowd settle down in the darkness of the stage. The music started up immediately in the blackness. Connor was playing a low, soft melody for the waiting crowd.

Without dropping my arms a new dress was pulled on. This dress was one of my favorite dresses. It was a bit short, but it looked like a million dollars. It didn't have the shiny "glam" that most of the other dresses had, instead relying on a high-fashion, haute couture look. It wasn't the type of dress that Sarah usually wore, but it still totally fit her personality.

As Connor finished playing his intro a soft, yellowish-white spotlight illuminated Stacy as he joined Connor with a steady beat of his drums. They continued to play together; Stacy remained illuminated while Connor was in the dark for a few more seconds. Then a soft, bluish-white spotlight began to shine down on Connor as he and Stacy moved into the next section of the song that increased the pace a bit. Stephanie was now finishing up my makeup, and I hurried to get onto the stage and into place.

As I reached my designated spot on stage, I turned to see a soft, greenish-white spotlight illuminate Jason as he joined the other two band members, bringing with him the beautiful melody that made this one of my favorite songs. This song had been written for me by the band and by Sophie and Holly. It was nice to give them a bit of recognition in the spotlight, even if it was only a distraction to give me time to change and make it back to the stage without interrupting the concert.

It was nearly 15 seconds later when the soft, pinkish-white shone down upon me as I started to sing. It had been nearly a whole minute since the first notes had sprung forth from Connor's guitar.

The crowd cheered as they got a look at me and realized that I had changed once again. They always did. But I continued to sing the soft, sweet song that the girls had written. Once I had finished singing the first verse the rest of the stage was illuminated with a soft glow. The dancers could be seen now, flowing around the stage in graceful movements.

This song, 'Dreams', talked about living your dreams and had specifically been inspired by how Sophie and Holly felt when they were up on stage with me. A soft, purple-white light illuminated the girls as I did the best job I could in singing their song. It was a departure from the type of music that I wrote myself, but it was so peaceful and beautiful.

It was a large contrast from the gritty song that I had just sung for the crowd to the soft, serene piece that followed it. The song helped to bring the emotions that 'Revenge' had poured into the air down to earth again.

This time, when the song came to an end, I remained on the stage and basked in the rush as the crowd roared its approval once again.

As the crowd’s noise started to die down I turned my attention to the man who was patiently waiting for me. I smiled at Tim as I took the proffered item from him. I had gotten to know Tim pretty well, even though he was the same age as my dad. Since he was entrusted with one of my most prized possessions, I had wanted to make sure that I could trust him.

I lifted the strap up and placed it over my head before turning back to give the crowd their first glimpse of Sparkle for the evening. Sparkle was the nickname that had been given to the guitar that my dad had commissioned for me after my cousin had accidentally smashed the first one that Sarah had owned. Sparkle had been designed to match my tour bus, of all things. The top wood was a gamut of white and creamy beige with a hint of a soft yellow interspersed throughout. That was set apart, however, by the rosette, the binding around the edge, and by my logo below the bridge that glittered in pinks and whites, giving the guitar its nickname.

"How many of you have taken the time to enjoy the Fair?" I asked the crowd. Naturally there was a cheer indicating that the majority of them had. I smiled at their reaction. "I got a chance to tour the Fair today with someone very special to me. I really enjoyed spending time at the Petting Zoo. I've never been to a petting zoo before, and it made me feel like a little girl again. It reminded me of all the days I had while growing up where I got to spend time with my mom. Those were some of the best days of my life. It's because of those days that I can call my mom, 'My Hero'."

I strummed my guitar, falling easily into the nice, peaceful chord that continued throughout the entire song. Much like the soft, serene way in which the band had played 'Dreams' moments before, I did the same with Sparkle. Even so, the songs sounded quite different since one had been written by the band, and 'My Hero' was one of the most important songs that I had ever written in my life.

As I sang through the first verse that described the first day that I remembered spending time alone with my mom I could feel the emotions that created this song wash over me once again. I had found a photo album at home with my name on it. Inside were pictures of the best days I'd ever had in my life. Each one was spent with Mom and was a 'girls day’ out together. They were the only true pictures I had of me as a little girl.

I continued to sing through the other verses. Each one depicted another of the wonderful days that I'd had with my mom and thanked her for all that she had done for me. I sang about how much that album meant to me. I sang about how it epitomized my love for her.

As I reached the last verse where I got to thank her again and tell her how much those days meant to me, I turned and looked off stage. Mom was standing in the small, cordoned off area where the sound and video techs had set up the equipment they needed to run the concert. It was from there that Mom, Amy and a few others were in charge of finding people to invite to the Star Party.

But unlike Amy and the others who were still scanning the crowd, Mom had stopped and was watching carefully. She always stopped to listen when I sang this song. I always turned my attention to her as I sang this verse. Many of my songs had emotional ties that made them great. But no other song was imbued with emotions like this song was.

I finished professing my love to her through the song and after I had strummed my guitar for the last time I formed a heart with my hands, placed it against my chest, and then pointed directly at her. From this distance I couldn't make out her expression, but I could see her repeat my motions, pointing back at me.

The crowd started cheering again, and mixed in with the rush that sound always brought to my heart was an extra serving of love from my mom. Tears beaded at my eyes, just like they did at every concert, but I did my best to hold them back. I succeeded for the most part, but after the events of earlier today it was much harder this time then it normally was.

I had to wipe a tear away.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.08 - Ever After

We had a small celebration at my house after we arrived home from the airport. It was just Mom, Dad, Emily and I celebrating the fact that 'You Can't Hurt Me' had topped the charts for eight weeks straight!

It hadn't even been four months since Sarah had been created, and over half of that time she’d had a song sitting at #1 on the charts. If I included the three weeks that 'Intuition' had spent at the top, then I was even more amazed at the reception that my music had made with my fans.

Every single day that I put on the wig I tried to figure out why I was so popular. I didn't understand how a nobody like me could have such a following. I really liked my music, but I could not figure out why everyone else did. I had never asked to be famous. I had never imagined myself growing up to be a star. I didn't know how to deal with this attention.

But I knew from the bottom of my heart that I didn't want it to ever end. I didn't want to leave the stage. I didn't want to ever stop singing.

* * *

When I opened the door to let Emily into my house Monday morning, she looked at me oddly. I couldn't blame her - I had a goofy grin on my face, and she knew immediately that something was up. It was Labor Day, which meant that we didn’t have any school, but I had invited both her and Ethan to join me for the shooting of a new music video taking place today and for the following three nights. Ethan was spending time with his family today, but Emily’s acceptance left the door open for what I intended to do next.

"Morning, Emily," I greeted her.

"Morning, um, Sarah," she replied warily. She wanted to know what was going on.

"Follow me," I told her in response. I started walking toward the hall, and my Dad's office. She followed, but she was still looking at me strangely. I grinned back before chuckling to myself.

Dad was waiting for us in his office. He was doing something on his computer, but as I led her in he stopped and grinned himself. Then he stood up and handed an envelope to me. Then I turned toward Emily.

"Emily," I said which caused her eyes to widen a bit. "I can't thank you enough for being my friend. I can't thank you enough for dragging me to that party and making me get up on stage. I can't put a price on what that means to me. But this is a good start."

I handed the envelope to her. She took it from me and stared at it for a moment. Her name, or more accurately Chloe's, was printed across the front with her address underneath. The return address listed Olympic Records as the sender, but the lack of a stamp showed that it had not been mailed.

With curiosity in her eyes she turned the envelope over and slid her finger under the lip, tearing it open. She didn't say anything as she pulled out the piece of paper inside. Her head tilted to the side a moment later as her face took on a look of puzzlement. Then her eyes flew wide open in shock. I couldn't remember the last time she had been so wide-eyed! I didn't blame her because there were more zeros than she was used to seeing on a check.

"No, Megan!" she said immediately. "I can't accept this!"

"Yes, you can," I told her. "You've earned it."

"No, Megan," she said again. "I'm not taking your money!"

"It isn't my money," I told her. "This is your first royalty check for the songs we wrote together."

Her mouth widened to match her eyes as she realized what this meant. I knew that she had been happy when I told her I wanted her to receive her share of the royalties. But she never really took it seriously until now. Now, it was real.

She was speechless for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. She didn't have to say anything, though. I could see it in her eyes. I could see how happy she was. She wrapped me in a hug, and I squeezed her back for a long time. It wasn't until we let go that she was able to speak again.

"Ethan is going to be so jealous," she said. I laughed immediately. It was true.

"The rest of the checks will be mailed to your home," my dad interrupted us. "And they should be bigger."

"Bigger?" she questioned, uncomprehendingly. I laughed again.

"We are releasing 'Ever After' as my third single in a couple of weeks," I told her. "Plus we are filming the music video for it over the next four days. Between the two, sales of the song should jump, along with your paycheck."

She was speechless again. I just laughed and led her toward my dad’s car. I had a feeling she was going to enjoy the filming of the music video a whole lot more now.

* * *

"No way," I said as we pulled through the gate and onto the grounds where we would be filming the music video for 'Ever After' an hour later. "No way!"

I couldn't believe it! Someone had actually found a castle to film the music video at! Right here in the hills above Santa Monica! Well okay, it wasn't a real castle, but somebody had apparently spent a lot of money building a house that looked like one.

When Dad stopped his car, Emily and I were out immediately. People around us who were preparing for the shoot stopped what they were doing, but I couldn't keep my eyes off the house. It was amazing! I would love to live in a place like this, but just being able to use it for the music video was going to be awesome.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" someone said from next to me. I turned to see an older guy whom I had never met before smiling at me. He seemed genuinely happy to see me.

"Totally!" I replied, trying to figure out who he was.

"I'm Darrin Scofield," the man replied. "I own the house."

My eyes lit up in surprise. Looking at Darrin, I never would have guessed that the house was his. I had this image of someone who looked very regal and dressed in fine clothing, but he dressed a lot like Grandaddy did. He was wearing expensive looking slacks and a button up shirt, but it definitely didn't make him look like someone who lived in a castle.

"Not what you expected, huh?" he said, guessing my reaction.

"No," I replied with more than a little humor in my voice. He smiled, and I was glad to see that he wasn't offended by my laugh.

"I built it for my daughter," he told me. "She really wanted to be a princess while she was growing up, and I had the money to make it happen. She's grown up and married now, but she still enjoys staying here when she comes to visit." There was a hint of sadness in his eyes that told me she hadn't visited in a while. I was curious why, but it wasn't my place to ask.

"Anyway," he continued, shaking his head slightly. "The house is yours to film as you please. My wife and I will try to stay out of your way."

"Oh," I said. I hadn't thought about someone actually living here. "I hope we aren't intruding."

"It's okay, Sarah," he replied, smiling again. "I want to do this. I want you to use the house in your video. It deserves to be shared with all of the princesses out there."

He had that look of longing in his eyes once more, and I knew he was thinking about his daughter again.

"Is she a fan?" I asked.

He smiled broadly now. "Yes," he replied. "She lives in Connecticut with her husband. He's trying to make partner at his law firm, and they don't get to travel very much right now. My wife and I have visited them a few times, but she hasn't been able to come out here for a few years now. I miss seeing her light up when she sees the house, and I would love to see what their two little girls think about the place."

He paused, smiling as he looked into the clouds. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a wallet. He opened the wallet and held it out to me. I took it to find a picture of a woman in her late twenties. With her in the picture were a handsome looking man and three children, two girls and a boy.

"She's my baby," he said as I looked at the picture. "The only girl in a family of five boys."

I handed the wallet back to him, and he gazed lovingly at the picture before returning the wallet to his pocket.

"Anyway," he said again to break his train of thought once more. "Would you like a tour?"

"Definitely!" I replied.

Darrin led us on a tour of the house. It looked just as regal on the inside as it did on the outside. I didn't know what Darrin did for a living, but it certainly paid well, if the opulence was any indication. The house had a very medieval feel to it in each of the rooms. There were also a lot of Gothic-style details in a few of the rooms that gave it an amazing flair. My favorite part of the house was the bridge that led from the house over to the tower! I already had been told that the bridge and the tower itself were going to be featured pieces in the music video. Most of the interior would not be used, according to my dad, who had spent a lot of time with the director.

We finished the tour in the great room where I was introduced to Theresa, Darrin's wife. I'd had glimpses of the great room as we toured, but this was the first time I'd stepped foot inside. It was gorgeous, and spacious!

"Theresa," Darrin said as he led us into the large room. She looked up from where she was sitting on the couch, reading a book. "I'd like you to meet Sarah Carerra."

Theresa stood up, and she looked me over for a moment without any recognition. It was obvious that she didn't know who I was. "It's nice to meet you," she replied. At least she smiled. "I'm still not sure why you would want to film at this old house, but you're welcome here. Just don't crush my chrysanthemums."

For a second I thought she was joking, but her serious look told me she wasn't.

"I won't let anything happen to them," I promised her. "And thank you for the welcome. We'll try not to be a burden on you or your husband."

She smiled slightly, and I guessed that she wasn't happy that her husband had rented out their house.

"Come on, Sarah," Dad said when he realized that we may have overstayed our welcome with her. "Let's go get you ready for shooting."

I nodded and Dad and I followed as Darrin led us back out the door. I was led over to a trailer where I saw a familiar face waiting for me.

"Hello, Sarah," Jonothon Smith greeted me warmly. Jonothon had been the director of my first music video. We had originally been scheduled to film a music video for 'Ever After' until I had written 'You Can't Hurt Me' and requested to make it my second single. Now Jonothon would be able to fulfill the vision he had worked on for quite a while earlier in the summer.

"Hi, Jonothon!" I replied. "Congratulations on the VMA nomination," I told him. The music video for 'You Can't Hurt Me' had received 5 nominations, and one of them was for Best Direction in a Video. That nomination was credited to Jonothon.

"Thank you," he said with an even larger smile gracing his face.

Jonothon then walked me through the video. He showed me where we would be shooting specific scenes and asked my opinion on how to best transform the song into each scene in the music video.

This interaction with Jonothon was completely different than the last music video we had made together. For 'You Can't Hurt Me' I had pretty much showed up and did what I was told to do. This time I had more say in how the video would turn out. I really admired the way that Jonothon was willing to include me in the process. I could tell that he was impressed with what I had accomplished already, and he knew that I could bring something special to the video.

After the walkthrough of the video I was turned over to Julia and Stephanie, who would get me ready for shooting. They had set up shop in my tour bus, which I was surprised to see had been driven across the country for the purpose. After filming finished on Thursday Eddie, my driver, would be driving it up to Montana for the concert this weekend. In my enamored state I had failed to see the bus parked out on the street.

Once I was on the bus, I lost my breath again. In the front living area Julia had set up a mannequin that was wearing one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen! The white dress had a very small hint of a yellow undertone to it. From the simple, scoop neck, through the empire waistline and to the bottom of the full, flowing skirt it radiated an essence that screamed 'fairy tale'. It seemed to be a mix between a dress that I would expect to find a beautiful girl wearing in a fairytale and the type of dress that I imagined Juliet of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ would have worn.

"Julia!" I fawned excitedly. I briefly turned my gaze on her for a moment before my eyes were dragged back to the dress. She had lit up at my reaction. Julia always seemed to be able to find the perfect clothes for me to wear for any given event. But she had outdone herself this time! I was going to need to do something special to thank her.

"Are you ready to try it on?" she asked me. I nodded. I was actually nervous to put the dress on. It seemed so feminine and ethereal from anything that I normally wore.

Once I had the dress on, I felt like I was floating. It captured the feelings and the essence of 'Ever After' so well. Just like the castle manor I had toured earlier, it felt like the dress had come straight from the song.

Walking was somewhat difficult in the dress. The skirt was longer than I was tall, which meant that the hem dragged along the ground as I moved. I had to be careful not to trip on the dress as I took a step forward, and I had to actually lift the skirt up and carry it when we weren't filming to prevent it from getting dirty.

Over the course of the following four days we filmed all of the scenes required for the music video. The first day consisted of the first verse, where the song introduced the young princess that the song was about, and a few other shots that would be used throughout the video. After school the second evening the band was there to film a few scenes where they were featured on the balcony above the library, which made them look like they were playing on the top of part of the castle. The third night consisted of filming scenes covering most of the second verse where the princess pined and yearned for her prince to show up to rescue her. The fourth night involved filming scenes with a group of people that had been hired to play the princess' parents and boyfriend.

Andrew, the actor who had been hired to play the boyfriend, was perfect. His dark hair and dark eyes matched part of what had enamored me in Josh Holliday and some of the other boys who had caught my eye. He was also very nice, and after an initial awkward phase where he was giddy to meet me, we started to really get along. I especially liked the scene where I got to jump into his arms and kiss him. We were able to practice that scene a lot before Jonothon was happy with what we had given him.

"That's a wrap!" Jonothon called late Thursday evening. The light was starting to wane, but we had accomplished everything that he had set out to film. I couldn't wait to see how the video turned out.

"Bye, Andrew," I said with a wave as I climbed into Dad's car 45 minutes later. He was still staring at me and I hoped that this would not be the last time that I saw him.

* * *

"Hello?" the girl on the phone asked after the call had connected.

"Hello, Maddie," I greeted her calmly.

"Sarah!" she screamed excitedly. I hadn't expected her to call me by that name, but it didn't surprise me. A moment later I heard a click and I knew that I was on speakerphone because I could hear a couple of other girls start screaming, and it wasn't in the background. I had to wait a minute or two before I was able to say anything more.

"They sound excited," I mentioned to my cousin Madison. She was the only female cousin I had on Dad's side of the family.

"They are," she replied. I heard one of them scream again and the other was saying something about her disbelief that I was actually on the phone.

"They didn't believe you, did they?" I asked next, chuckling at their reactions.

"No," Madison replied with a chuckle of her own. "They didn't."

"What are their names?" I asked. It sounded like they were trying to settle down, but I could still picture them jumping around in excitement. I had seen how excited fans get when they meet me, and these two had just found out that the offer I had extended to Madison was real.

"The one still screaming is Tori, and the one who is still dancing around in excitement is Rachel," Maddie replied.

"It's nice to meet you Tori and Rachel," I said, which caused both of them to scream again. They were so loud that I had to actually move the phone away from my ear. When I returned the phone to my ear they were still screaming, but it was tolerable. I knew that Madison had taken me off of speakerphone.

"Sorry," she said, and I guessed she had probably been overwhelmed with the volume on her end of the call like I had on my own. "I've never seen them so excited before. I can't imagine how bad it's going to be when you actually get here."

I chuckled again. "I can," I told her truthfully. "This is actually normal."

"Are you serious?" she replied, amazed.

I nodded, before I realized that she couldn't see me. "Yes," I replied. "It's really cool when I meet new fans. I've never heard people scream and lose control like they do when they meet me. I still can't understand why, but I'm not complaining."

"This is going to be a fun weekend then," she said. I had to agree with her. Sarah Carerra was playing Missoula, Montana this weekend, which is where Madison lived. The entire tour stop was planned only because we had family there. Dad always jumped at a chance to see his brother, and I was more than willing to perform a concert for Madison and her friends, and the more than 5,700 other fans who would be there. Madison had helped me co-write a song, which made it only fitting that we perform in her city.

"The party bus is on the way," I told her.

"Oh," Madison said in surprise. "You mean it isn't already down at the Adams Center? There are like tons of busses and trailers with your picture all over them there already."

"No, my bus isn't there yet," I told her. "We finished filming the music video for 'Ever After' earlier this evening, and Eddie, my driver, said that he would be driving up tonight. I've been using it as a dressing room while I was on set. You’re going to love it. The bus is amazing!"

"Well now that Tori and Rachel know the truth I'm going to have four excited girls waiting for the chance to spend the night on it," she replied. I smiled. I had never done anything like this before, but I had offered Madison the chance to bring four of her friends with her to have a slumber party on my bus. Then the next day they would all have an exclusive behind the scenes experience where they would get to hang out with me all day. Originally I had only wanted to include Madison, but Amy had gotten her clutches into my plan and had expanded it. I wasn't upset at all, since I'd still get to spend all day with one of my favorite cousins.

"Well, I better not stay on the phone too long," I told her. "I still have a bunch of homework to finish if I'm going to have the weekend free. I hate to think what my dad would do if I didn't finish it."

Madison giggled at the thought of my dad cancelling a concert because I hadn't done my homework. I wasn't sure it would come to that, but I didn't want to find out what would happen if my grades started to slip. Sarah was too important to me to risk losing her like that.

"Okay," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow then. What time do you get in?"

"There aren't any direct flights from Los Angeles, so we won't get in until about 5 o'clock," I replied. "But we'll be coming straight over to your house when we get there."

"We'll be waiting for you," Madison said. "Some of us with baited breath."

I laughed as I imagined her looking over at her two friends who, while no longer screaming, were chattering loudly in the background.

"Goodbye, Madison," I said.

"Goodbye, Sarah," she replied. I heard the click that indicated she had hung up, and I did the same before turning back to my math book.

She might have hung up, but that didn't stop my excitement at the prospect of seeing her again. However, that excitement was going to make finishing my homework hard.

It was a small price to pay.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.09 - Party like a Rock Star

The plane rumbled as the landing gear touched down in Missoula. A smile spread across my lips. I'd been waiting all day for this!

Even though school had only lasted until just before lunch for me, it had been one of the longest school days of my life. The excitement I felt at seeing Madison again was big, and now it was only going to be a few more minutes before we would be pulling up to her house.

The trip from the airport took about 20 minutes. Most of it was on the Interstate, but after exiting we ended up driving through some residential areas as we made our way toward my cousin's house. It was fun to watch the people who were outside stop and stare as Eddie maneuvered the bus down the road. Some even enthusiastically started waving, and I wondered if they'd be at the concert tomorrow.

Eventually we reached the turn that I knew led to Madison's house, and I could feel the giddiness that I had been holding back all day break through. I watched impatiently as Eddie pulled the bus down the short road and through the small entryway that led onto their large lot. I got up from the couch and rushed toward the entrance to the bus.

"I'll let you out here and then back into the RV hookups," Eddie told me. I nodded, but I didn’t really hear him. I just wanted him to open the door. The bus finally came to a stop, and Eddie finally opened the door.

There was a small crowd of family members waiting for us outside the bus, but I ignored all of them as I focused on Madison.

"Maddie!" I screamed excitedly as I quickly disembarked from the bus and rushed toward her, wrapping her in a friendly hug. It had only been three months since Madison and her family had come down to visit us, but it felt like it had been much longer. I was happy to finally have some time to spend with one of my favorite cousins.

"Sarah!" she screamed back and embraced me. Then we started jumping up and down in excitement. This was going to be an awesome weekend!

Eventually we were able to calm down enough for me to look around at everyone else who was assembled. I had to greet Aunt Olivia with a hug. She wouldn't have it any other way, but I was able to get away with a verbal greeting to Uncle Kevin, Madison's older brother James, and her younger brother Logan. There were a number of people gawking from the edge of Uncle Kevin's property, which meant I couldn't do more. This would definitely be a different kind of vacation, since I was going to be wearing the wig the whole time. But it was still nice to see them.

"Come inside while Kevin and your driver get the bus hooked up," Aunt Olivia said. I nodded and we followed her inside. Uncle Kevin stayed behind to help Eddie back the bus into the RV parking spot that he had installed near the house years earlier.

It was nice to sit back and relax with my family over the next hour. It was the only time I was going to get all weekend where they would be able to treat me as Megan. With the girls arriving for the slumber party soon, I'd be full time Sarah until we flew out Sunday afternoon.

When the girls started arriving for the party I resigned myself to my fate for the weekend and decided that I should go out and meet them. A quick glance out the window in the front room of my Aunt and Uncle's house proved that I would need to do something about the crowd that had formed at the edge of their property too. News about where I was staying had apparently traveled fast.

When I walked out the front door a roar filled the air. I smiled. I had spent enough time here with my family that I was able to recognize some of Madison's neighbors, but they had never been this excited to see me before. Even here, at the home of extended family, I couldn't escape the rush of adrenaline that a crowd chanting my name invoked within me.

The first person who met me turned out to be Tori. When I approached the car that she was unloading her overnight bag from, she nearly screamed in excitement when she saw me. She dropped her bag on the ground and enveloped me in her arms like she couldn't believe I was there. When I had called Madison the night before, this tall blonde had been one of the two girls who was screaming in the background. It appeared that her excitement hadn't abated at all.

"It's nice to meet you, Tori," I said once she had managed to pry herself away from me and Madison introduced us.

"I can't believe this is happening!" she screamed back, and I thought she was going to hug me again, but she settled for dancing around in place for a moment. She would certainly make the evening fun, if her excitement was any indication.

Before I could do anything else I was interrupted by Amy. She, along with Cole and Mason, had insisted on flying with us and staying the night at Uncle Kevin's. I had a feeling it was for a moment like this. She steered me over to the crowd and I spent the next twenty minutes signing autographs and taking pictures. Every once in a while I caught sight of Madison greeting the other girls as they arrived, while I was moving through the crowd. She looked surprised at how the people I was interacting with were acting. I had told her that people often lost their minds around me, but she hadn't believed it. I loved seeing fans get this excited when they had the opportunity to meet me. It was one of the benefits of Sarah Carerra that I loved most.

Eventually I was able to extract myself from the crowd and I found Madison waiting with Tori and three other girls outside of the bus. I recognized the black haired girl’s screams of excitement before Madison introduced her to me as Rachel. The other two were just as excited. The brunette girl who looked like a model turned out to be Charlotte, and the petite redhead was Lily.

"Come on in," I told them after they started to settle down. "I'll give you the tour."

I stepped up and into the bus, and each of the girls picked up their overnight bags before they joined me. I motioned for them to leave their bags on the couch before I said anything else.

"This is the main room," I told them unnecessarily. "The couch pulls out into a bed, which two of you will have to sleep on. Sorry about sharing, but there isn't a whole lot of room in here."

There were a few giggles at that. I was certain they didn’t care where they slept as long as they were here.

"The TV is hard to miss," I said, garnering a few more chuckles as they looked at the large screen hanging on the wall opposite the couch. "There's a blu-ray player and other electronics in that small cabinet." I pointed, but the girls still seemed to be looking around the bus. They seemed impressed, and I knew that the dark brown hardwood flooring and the lighter whiteish beigey yellow wood paneling that made up the walls looked amazing. The expensive looking accoutrements were enough to bring wide-eyed gazes to those that visited. Some of the girls were staring at the display case that was between the TV and kitchen.

"What is that?" Tori asked, pointing at the centerpiece of the display.

"That is the band's Carerra bear," I explained. "It is an important part of our pre-concert ritual." The girls nodded. I got the impression they knew it was more important than that, but nobody asked for more clarification. They would learn more about it tomorrow anyway.

I continued the tour further into the bus. "You're welcome to anything in the fridge," I told them, pointing at the full-size stainless-steel fridge that had been stocked for the party. "If you guys want to order a pizza or something we can do that too."

I led them further back. "On the right is the bathroom. To the left here are three bunks for sleeping. The top one is off-limits and belongs to my driver, though he won't be using it this evening. You guys can argue over who gets to sleep in the other two if you want."

I continued further until we reached the highlight of the bus. As the hardwood floor gave way to a plush carpet nearly the same color I heard some intakes of breath from the girls behind me. I thought that the rest of the bus was incredible, but it couldn't hold a candle to my bedroom. The interior designer whom Dad had hired to decorate the bus had spared no expense with the room.

"There is a shower in here," I told the girls. "We probably can't all shower in the morning, unless you want to go into the house, so if any of you would prefer to shower tonight that might help." Rachel and Tori were nodding their heads, which relieved me because it wasn't going to take forever to get ready in the morning.

"There is a second bathroom in here if needed," I continued familiarizing my guests with their accommodations for the evening. "Madison and I will be sleeping in here tonight," I told them. "But you're welcome to look around all you want. This wall is one of my favorite things on the bus."

All of the girl's eyes turned to the display case I was pointing at, which made up the majority of the back wall of the bus. It was covered in photos. Soon, unbeknownst to them, their own pictures would be displayed among the other photos that depicted each of the girls that had attended a Starshine party. There were other pictures of fans and friends and family, and I loved being able to take all of them with me as I traveled around the country.

"Wow," Lily said. "Who are all of these people?"

"Family and friends," I told her truthfully. "Some I met on tour. Some I've known my whole life." I took a moment to search through the pictures. "There's Madison," I said while pointing at a picture of her with her family. "And that's Megan, Maddie's cousin," I continued, pointing to a picture of me. "The three of us were good friends when Maddie still lived in Los Angeles."

A chuckle escaped Madison at the recollection. I could see the happy smile spread across her lips. Madison, Emily, and I had been good friends when we were younger. Maddie hadn't lived close enough to Emily and me to get together every day, but we saw each other often enough.

"Anyway," I said, pulling their gaze away from the case. "What do you guys want to do first?"

* * *

"He looks scared," Charlotte said, peering out the window. The poor boy seemed to be struggling between following the instructions that were taped to the items he was carrying and his own insecurity about approaching the door to the bus.

"Do you think he'll knock?" Rachel asked.

"If he wants to get paid he will," Tori chortled.

"Let's give him a break," I suggested, staring out the window with them. The young man standing at the door couldn't see us through the dark tint that covered all of the windows on the bus.

They were having too much fun at his expense. A groan of disappointment echoed from the girls as I stood up and walked to the doorway leading into the driver's area of the bus. From there I opened the outside door and took the two steps needed to reach the bottom.

"Hi," I said to the boy. His eyes were now bulging at the sight of me. "Did you bring our pizzas?"

I visibly watched him gulp before he was able to muster the courage to answer me.

"I, um," he stuttered. "Ye--Yes," he managed a moment later. "They're right here," he said unnecessarily while lifting up the pizza bag he was carrying. He took that opportunity to look away from me, fiddling with the flap that he eventually opened to reveal the two pizza boxes inside. Once he did, he seemed to relax, at least until he glanced back up at me.

I heard the giggling coming from the bus as he went all doe-eyed on me again. I smiled, and he almost dropped the pizzas as he pulled them out of his bag.

"S...Sorry!" he exclaimed as he scrambled to keep them from falling.

"It's okay," I said calmly, waiting for him to gather his bearings once more and actually hand me the pizzas. It took him a moment to realize that was what he needed to do next.

"Oh!" he exclaimed again and finally handed the two large boxes to me.

"Thank you," I said sweetly, taking the boxes from him. I reached out with my other hand and passed him two bills. He looked at them for a moment before looking at me once again, his eyes almost as large as the first time he had seen me. I heard the girls giggle again, and I had to struggle to do the same. "Keep the change."

He nodded, and turned toward his car. He only made it two steps before he looked back in amazement again. It was a large tip, but I knew he didn’t realize how much fun the girls were having at his expense. I didn't want him to feel used, and he deserved the tip.

I waved slowly and then turned and entered the bus.

"You are so bad!" Madison laughed as I joined them back in the living area. "That poor boy!"

I laughed with her for a moment. "Yeah, well, he just got an $18 tip, so don't feel too bad for him," I told her, causing her to laugh even louder, even if her eyes opened a bit wider in surprise.

I placed the boxes down on the kitchen table. "Let's eat!"

They didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

"Never?" Lily asked me.

"Never," I replied.

"But..." Tori said. "Are you serious?"

"I'm serious," I told her.

"Wow!" Rachel looked shocked.

"You've never kissed a boy?" Charlotte asked. All of the girls were stunned except Maddie, who was just sitting in the corner laughing her head off. I wanted to throw a pillow at her, but I didn't have one handy.

"Well, not for real," I replied truthfully. "I had to kiss the guy we cast as my boyfriend for the 'Ever After' music video this week, but he has a girlfriend. I also kissed one of my best friends on the cheek once, after my first concert. Then he ran away to summer camp to hide from me."

Maddie nearly shrieked in laughter at that statement, and even the other girls started laughing. I had a feeling that Maddie knew I was talking about Ethan, and she was starting to turn red from the lack of oxygen because she was laughing so hard. I couldn't help but laugh along with them, or at her expense - I wasn't sure which.

"How come?" Lily was eventually able to ask. I just grinned at her before wagging a finger at her.

"I already answered my question," I admonished. "Maddie, truth or dare?"

"Dare," she replied quickly. Almost too quickly. I wondered what she was worried that someone would ask if she had said ‘truth’.

"I dare you to take off your shirt and go knock on James' window," I said. The horror that filled her face at the idea of letting her brother see her in a bra was huge! The rest of the girls and I started laughing.

"No!" she practically screamed. "Are you crazy?"

"You did say ‘dare’," Tori piped up. "You can't go back now."

"I'm sick of this game," Madison told us. "Can't we just watch the movie now?"

"No!" Rachel replied.

"Chicken!" Charlotte included.

"Fine!" Maddie said, pulling her top over her head. She was wearing a fairly plain white bra, but even so she had already started to turn red in embarrassment before she was even able to get out the door of the bus. She crept over to her older brother's window. It was only 9:00, but his window was dark. She knocked quickly and ran back to the bus. The light in his room came on and a shadow appeared at the window, but Maddie was already back inside the door.

Groans of disappointment echoed from all of us as she reached for her top and pulled it back over her head. She was breathing heavily, and it wasn’t because of her short run.

"Fine," Lily said. "Let's start the movie."

The disappointment we all felt at how easily Madison was able to get out of her embarrassment led us all to agree with her.

* * *

"Good night," I called once again before closing and locking the door to my bedroom. Tori and Rachel had managed to claim the couch bed, and Lily and Charlotte seemed to be okay with sleeping in the bunks. Madison was already in my bedroom, though she looked nervous as I turned toward her.

"Locking me in?" she asked lightly, but it was apparent that she was still worried about staying in the room with me all night.

"No," I chortled back. "I'm not sleeping in this," I told her and reached up and pulled a pin from the wig. "And I don't want the others coming in while I'm not wearing it."

Madison nodded, but she still hadn't moved to start changing for bed. Maddie had been there the day I collapsed on the stage of the 'Wake Up!' show. Logically she knew that I was a girl through and through, but emotionally it was still a new concept to her. I had talked to her many times since then, but we'd had less than a day together after I'd been released from the hospital before her family had left to return to Montana. We had spent very little time together.

To help alleviate her worry, I finished unpinning the wig quickly and set it down on the dresser before taking off my top. She felt a bit more comfortable after I had started undressing first, and by the time I had changed into my pajamas and stowed the wig in the small, locked armoire that matched the one we had at home, she too was ready for bed.

"Have a preference?" I asked her, pointing to the bed.

"The outside?" she replied, though unsure of her answer. I understood that she wanted me to decide. I nodded and climbed into the bed. She did likewise, though she left a lot of room between us and faced away from me. She was so far away that she had to be barely on the bed. I thumbed the light switch that was built into the area next to the bed, plunging us into darkness.

"You don't have to sleep in here if you feel uncomfortable," I told her. "I understand. I just thought you might want to. There's a sleeping bag out by the couch if you would prefer to sleep somewhere else."

"No, this is okay," she replied quickly. "It's just...weird."

"I know," I told her.

"Don't get me wrong, Megan," she said, able to call me by my name for the first time all evening. "I know you are a girl. I'm just not used to it."

"I know," I said again. "I understand."

We laid there in silence for a few minutes. It was still early to end a slumber party, only 11:30. But I had a big day tomorrow and I knew I needed to get a good night's sleep. I had offered the other girls the chance to continue having fun until they were tired, but they had all started getting ready for bed when I did. None of them wanted to be responsible for keeping me up and making me tired for the concert.

Just when I thought Maddie must have fallen asleep, she turned to face me.

"Thank you, Megan," she said. "You're the best. Tonight was so fun, and I'm sure my friends won't be able to stop talking about it for weeks."

"You're welcome, Maddie," I told her. "It's the least I could do for my favorite cousin.”

Even in the dark I could see her smile.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.10 - Adams Center Arena

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I hate that jerk," she told me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
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---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.11 - Big Treble in Little Chorus

I groaned loudly at the knock on the door to my bedroom. I knew who was there, and I knew what she wanted. But I wanted to sleep longer. A moment later the door opened. I knew I should have locked the door last night.

"Megan, you promised me," she said, playing to the weaker side of my heart. I groaned again, but slowly threw back the covers. Even though the concert had started early last night I still didn't get to bed until 3:00 AM. I needed more sleep.

"I hate you," I told her while I half-blindly started to pull off my pajamas.

"No you don't," my mom replied. The silly grin she was giving me didn't help my mood as I opened the door to the shower and stepped inside. The warm water, however, did brighten my mood.

When I walked into the kitchen of my aunt and uncle's house, I was much more awake. I knew I'd probably be napping on the flight home, but for now I had to go to church.

It was odd to be wearing the wig with the yellow dress mom had insisted I pack for church. Sarah's clothes usually had much more glam, for one thing. But the fact that Sarah Carerra had never stepped foot into a church really made me feel odd. I wasn't sure how the congregation was going to react to my presence, and all I really wanted to do was go to the services and get out of there so I could go back to sleep.

The ride to church was uncomfortable, since we had crammed into Uncle Kevin's minivan. Thankfully Amy opted to stay behind, since she wasn't a member of our religion, and I convinced Cole and Mason, also non-members, to stay with her. They were wary about leaving me unprotected in such a crowded place, but I knew church would be a place where I would be safe.

Many people stared at me as we walked across the parking lot and into the building. I received many more stares when I followed my family to an empty pew in the chapel. It was obvious that the majority of the people there hadn't expected someone like me to enter this morning. But thankfully, they left me alone. I signed autographs for some of the younger people when we stepped back outside after the services were over, but it didn’t last long because we had a flight to catch. Less than two hours later I leaned back in my seat as the plane lifted off the ground and I closed my eyes.

---

I was somewhat more rested when I woke up for school Monday morning, though I was much more depressed. After getting home from the airport I was met with news that caused my heart to ache.

After eight weeks on top, 'You Can't Hurt Me' had dropped to number two in yesterday's Top 40. I knew the day had to come eventually, and I was more than grateful for the lengthy time that the song had spent at number one. But that didn't make its fall any easier. I hoped that it would reclaim the top spot next Sunday, but I wasn't holding my breath. I had a feeling that people were ready to move on. Luckily, 'Ever After' would soon make its debut on the radio soon.

My friends tried to comfort me as we drove to school, but it didn't really work. I smiled and laughed with them as I told them all about the antics of the weekend, but deep down inside I was hurting. I also had a nagging suspicion that hurt was going to be a precursor to my day. Jared Lumbart was supposed to return from school today after his two week suspension. I didn't know if he was going to be even more upset with me now, or if he had finally come to his senses. I hoped I wouldn't meet him in the halls to find out.

Most of the morning was uneventful. The pop quiz in first period and the note-taking in second helped keep my mind off the fall of my all-time greatest hit from the top of the charts. Everyone around went about their business unaware that such a momentous feat in my life had ended.

My classmates left me alone in my fugue. Time went by, but I didn't remember much. I wasn't fully aware of anything until I stepped into the locker room for P.E. and heard someone yell my name.

"That's Megan!" someone yelled in an accusing tone as I walked down the short hall toward the lockers. Of what, I was unsure. I stopped in mid-step and looked into Coach Anderson's office.

Amber Hartfield was standing there with a woman who almost looked like an older version of her. I assumed that it was her mother. Amber's mom tilted her head sideways, giving me a curious look. The hatred that was streaming from her daughter did not appear to be reflected in her own gaze.

"This is the boy in your P.E. class?" Amber's mom asked her daughter incredulously.

"Yes!" Amber actually screamed in reply. It had been two weeks since the incident I'd had with her in the locker room, and she hadn't done anything else. I thought that we had come to an understanding, or at least an uneasy truce. Apparently, I was wrong. Not only was she still livid about me being in this class, she had gone so far as to get her mother involved!

"I can assure you, Mrs. Hartfield, that Megan Campbell has always been female," Coach Anderson said. I felt as though I had just walked in on a discussion I did not want to be involved in.

I was about to say something when I caught the look Coach Anderson was giving me. It was part apology and part pleading that I not get involved. I nodded imperceptibly back at her and turned to continue down the hallway. I was saddened that Amber still seemed to have a vendetta against me. Most of the other girls in the class had come around after Amber had stripped me of my towel. The last two weeks together had been enough for them to get to know me, and most of the girls realized that I wasn't any different than them.

I didn't hear anything else while getting ready, and when Amber finally joined us in the gymnasium where we were doing our opening stretches, she looked furious. Whatever happened, it probably wasn't what Amber was hoping for. She didn't try anything else during class or back in the locker room, and I was grateful to get out of there safely once again. I was going to have to keep my eye on Amber though, because I just knew she wasn't through tormenting me.

I was able to concentrate a bit better during the rest of the school day. I would have preferred to be up on stage, but I knew we don't always get what we want. Instead I had to get my homework assignments for tomorrow, because I was going to be flying to Salt Lake City in the morning for the only weekday concert left on my tour schedule. I knew that if I came back on Wednesday without having my homework done Dad was going to kill me.

It was with a relief, for once, that I walked into Chorus for my last period of the day. While I wasn't too keen on singing in front of my classmates, it was certainly a nice break from the normal school work that our teachers gave us. I always enjoyed singing, even if it was with a group of other people.

But the bad luck that had been following me since I arrived back in Los Angeles reared its ugly head once again in Chorus.

Mr. Benson had an excited gleam in his eyes when I sat down, and when he was excited, it usually meant doing something I didn't want to do. Last time I'd had to get up and sing my solo for the class.

"Welcome, welcome," Mr. Benson greeted us once the bell had rung. "It's going to be an exciting day!"

I looked over at Ethan, who was sitting beside me, with raised eyebrows. He almost broke out in laughter.

"Today we’ll determine who the top two singers in the class are," our teacher continued. My shoulders sagged at the realization that I would likely be singing again. "Now that everyone has had a chance to sing their solo, I have narrowed it down to four individuals. When we perform with Sarah, these individuals will likely get some special performance time, and will also lead in many of our performances throughout the year."

I lifted my head quickly and gazed at him in shock, much like the rest of the class. While the other class members seemed to be buzzing with excitement now, I was trying to figure out how Mr. Benson could promise something like that! I didn't even know the details of what the Christmas performance would entail yet! There was no way he should be promising anybody in the class anything when it came to the performance!

"Will the following individuals please stand," he continued while looking at a piece of paper. I had a feeling he had the names memorized though. "Mark Corbin, Jane Morrison, Ethan Knight, and Megan Campbell."

I stood up to join the two individuals on either side of me. I was happy to hear that two of my best friends in the class were also two of the students that Mr. Benson felt had the most potential, though perhaps a bit surprised. However, the inclusion of Mark Corbin in the group of names left a sour taste in my mouth. He was a good singer, but he had big issues. I could guarantee that if he managed to "win" this little contest, he would not be getting any stage time with Sarah Carerra. My friends however...only time would tell.

"These are your top two boys and top two girls," Mr. Benson said while handing each of us some sheet music. I looked down and recognized it as a duet that was currently fairly popular on the radio. "They will be singing together so that you can hear both of them at once. After each song we will vote as a class on which of them will be lead boy and lead girl this year. The two other students will be secondary leads at our performances."

There was some groaning and complaining from the other students in the class as they realized that they had not been chosen to be featured singers in any of the songs we would be singing together. I could understand why. The rush that I got when I was the center of attention on a stage was addictive, and I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to feel it over and over again. I knew, however, that I wouldn't be leading any of our performances. That was one way that would make it easy for people to guess my secret, and that was totally unacceptable!

Jane and I spent the next ten minutes learning the song while the boys worked on their own song, and the rest of the class did another exercise with Mr. Benson. Jane seemed to be in awe that she had been chosen with me. She still seemed to think that I was the best singer that she had ever heard, even though I didn't have a record contract (that she knew about). I, on the other hand, was pleased to see that she was gaining some confidence in her voice. I didn't know if she would be able to get a record contract, but I sincerely hoped that she tried to get one. Better yet, I started to wonder if I should set up a meeting between Scott and her.

Once we both felt we were about as familiar as we were going to be with the duet we would be singing together, we signaled for Mr. Benson. After conferring with the boys he called the class, which had quickly fallen to chatting between each other, back to order.

Jane and I went first. We sang through the song we had been quietly practicing together. I was torn between trying to throw the competition and living up to the professional standard that I had started to set for myself. On one hand I wanted to do everything that I could to keep myself from gaining any recognition in the class. But on the other hand I couldn't deny my love of singing and my desire to give the best performance that I could any time I was in front of an audience.

I had a hard time trying to reign myself in. I felt bad when I watched the faces of the crowd and learned that even when trying to dampen my abilities they seemed to prefer my singing to Jane's. I knew before we had even stopped singing that I was going to get the majority of the votes from the class. It was iffy in Mark's circle of friends, but the rest of the class had already made up their minds. I had stood in front of enough crowds while singing to understand what was happening. I had won them over, and I hadn't wanted to.

"You should win," I whispered to Jane as we finished and the class started to cheer.

"No way!" she shot back at me. I sighed, seeing the same look in her eyes that I had seen from most of the class. Even after singing a duet with her, Jane was going to vote for me.

Mr. Benson had us vote by raising our hands. I voted for Jane, and I was happy to see Ethan do the same. Mark and some of his friends also voted for her, but it was nowhere near a majority.

I had never regretted my ability to sing until that moment, when the majority of the hands were raised to vote for me. I turned to Jane, who had her hand enthusiastically raised. But I could see the disappointment in her eyes too. I knew that she was one of Sarah's biggest fans, but I also knew that she hoped to gain some recognition herself. She deserved to lead the class in our performances, not me. I was going to have to talk to Mr. Benson about the results. There was no way that I was spearheading any of our performances, except for the one that would have Sarah's name plastered all over it!

Ethan and Mark were up next. Their competition appeared to be much closer. Sitting in the crowd, I couldn't accurately tell who had more of the vote. Ethan obviously had my vote, but even I had to admit that Mark could sing.

When it came time to vote Mr. Benson had to actually count the hands. I sat and watched in despair as Mark won with two votes more than Ethan. Ethan looked very despondent when he took his seat next to me, and I wrapped my arms around him to comfort him. He stiffened for a moment, before letting the hug seep into his bones. He knew it didn't mean more than a friendly, supportive hug, but it was something he needed at the time even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Alright," Mr. Benson interrupted us. "Mark and Megan, please step up here for a moment."

I grimaced, but stood up and walked forward until I was at the teacher's side. Mark was standing on the other side of Mr. Benson.

"These two are your leading male and female for the year," Mr. Benson told the class excitedly. "That doesn't mean that the rest of you won't get your chance to shine, but I want you to watch these two and try to learn everything you can from them. Both of them have had some training, and they have a lot to teach."

My eyes narrowed for a moment! I had never had any real training before, but I didn't argue with him. If he assumed that, instead of how my experiences over the course of the last few months had shaped my ability, then all the better.

"But," Mr. Benson continued. "This wouldn't be a proper contest if we didn't crown an ultimate winner."

My heart started pounding as he picked up two more bundles of paper and handed one to Mark and me! I looked down, and gasped. It was another duet, but...

"You have 15 minutes," Mr. Benson told us. "Then we'll truly find out which of you is the better singer." He had an amused smile on his face that neither Mark nor I shared.

Mr. Benson directed us to the corner where the boys had been practicing earlier, and I reluctantly followed Mark.

"You better not show me up, or else!" was the first thing that escaped Mark's mouth once we were out of hearing range of the class, who had already started in on some more vocal exercises.

I sighed. "Let's just get through this," I told him, not in the mood to fight. "Once one of us wins I can talk to Mr. Benson and get him to make Jane the lead girl. I don't want it."

Mark's eyes actually widened in surprise at my declaration. He had never considered the fact that I didn't want this type of recognition. It was obvious that he was reveling in the attention he was getting, but nothing I received in this class compared to what I got when I was on stage at one of my concerts. More importantly, any recognition I received here would only bring the truth closer to being revealed, and that was something that I could NOT let happen!

"Whatever," he responded, and I could tell he was unsure of how to take my request. But he turned to the sheet music, which is what I was hoping for.

An uneasy truce existed between us as we practiced together. This was the last song I wanted to sing with him, and I knew the feeling was mutual from him. But there was no way we were getting out of it, so we would have to make the best of the situation.

All too soon we were back in front of the class singing 'I've Had the Time of My Life' for them. Mark was the last person I wanted to sing a love song with. I knew I could get through it, but more importantly, I knew I could outshine him as we sang. Unlike earlier in the day when I had held back to give Jane a better chance at winning, I did the opposite while singing with Mark. I poured everything I had into that song to ensure that Mark wouldn't have the chance to even mount an attempt to come close to me. And as I watched the crowd, I once again knew that I was succeeding. Unlike Mark, who had obviously never spent much time on stage, I knew how to work a crowd. I pulled out all of the stops that I'd learned in my short performing career.

The cheering as we finished was the loudest I had ever heard from the class. It even looked like a few of the girls had tears in their eyes at our rendition of the song.

When the clapping and cheering started to die down I took a bow for the crowd, before smiling at Mark's quick attempt to do the same. He looked a bit clumsy out of the corner of my eye, but I knew from much practice that my bow had been very fluid. It was the same bow I used at the end of each concert, which I hoped nobody noticed.

"Alright," Mr. Benson called the students to order once again. "Those in favor of Megan, raise your hand."

The smile that was still on my lips spread even wider as I watched the majority of the hands in the classroom start to rise. There was an awestruck quality to the faces of those that the hands were attached to, and I inwardly chuckled at how easy it was to manipulate a crowd. I still didn't know what exactly made so many people like my music, but I was starting to learn how to give them the best show that I could.

I heard a choking noise from beside me, and I glanced over to see the confounded expression that graced Mark's face. But he was staring at someone in particular, and I looked back at the crowd to see whom. What I saw caused my own expression to become one of surprise. Andrea Cooper, who adored Mark and secretly harbored hope that he would one day ask her out, had her hand raised. She was excitedly staring at me, avoiding the glance that might just ostracize her from her group of friends. Not only had I resoundingly beat Mark, but I had won over one of his own friends.

I smiled wider.

---

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Mr. Benson?" I asked as the rest of the class was exiting the room. The bell had rung to indicate the end of school, and they were quick to leave the establishment. I, on the other hand, had business to take care of.

Mr. Benson sighed. It was obvious he knew what I was going to say.

"Yes, Megan," he said. "But I don't want to hear it. You are by far the best singer in this chorus, and I would be remiss if I didn't use your talents. I know that you don't want to be a lead, but I urge you to reconsider. You can do a lot for this class. They look up to you."

I paused, unsure of how to respond to that. He had made it sound like not taking the lead would be akin to me letting the whole class down. I didn’t think it was that dire.

"But I--" I started. I was interrupted before I could say anything else.

"Look, Megan," my teacher said, gently but more forcefully. "I'm honored to have someone like you in my class. I've never had someone with your experience and charisma in my class before. There is a lot that I can learn from you. The way you can control and entice a crowd while up on stage is amazing! I can't wait to see what we can put together for the Christmas concert. But until then, please consider leading this class for me. With you as a role model we can bring these other students up to a new level of excellence together."

I choked, unable to find words to respond with! Despite all of my hopes and wishes, Mr. Benson knew who I really was! He knew that Sarah Carerra was in his classroom, and he wanted her to help teach his class! The look he gave me told me how much he hoped I would be able to offer the class. I knew that Dad wouldn't have told him the truth, and Principal Hall had promised not to tell him, but Mr. Benson had found out anyway! And now he was putting me on the spot!

"I know why you are trying to keep this a secret," he said. "I promise you that it is not my intention to expose you. I will do my best to find ways that you can help the class without bringing attention to yourself. If I can do that will you at least think about helping me?"

I was still struck speechless, and the only thing I could do was nod.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.12 - Utah State Fair

A thump followed by a rattle awoke me early Tuesday morning. For a brief moment I was confused, before I realized that the plane was landing in Salt Lake City. It was only 7:00 in the morning local time, reminding me that it was going to be a long day. At least I didn't have to go to school today. Performing a concert was always a much better way to spend the day.

The concert at the Utah State Fair was the only concert that would occur on a school day, other than the one that I would be performing at school, of course. But that didn't mean that I was going to miss much school. My father had already told me that I would be going to school tomorrow. I needed to attend every day that I could so that I could take the days off I needed to throughout the school year. Since I rarely got to bed before 3:00 in the morning on concert nights, I knew that school was going to be horrible tomorrow.

It was definitely a different experience as the small jet rolled down the runway. Because of the odd schedule I had today, and the need to fly home late tonight, Dad had actually chartered a luxurious private jet for me!

But the private jet was only the beginning of the new experiences that I would be having today. In the cabin with me were only three other people, instead of the six who usually travelled with me. Mom, Dad, and Austin remained in Los Angeles. This would be the first concert I would perform without my family around. I was already depressed that they weren't with me, but I knew that they wouldn't be able to attend all of the performances I'd have in my life. Having them at so many of the concerts this year had already been an amazing experience.

When the plane came to a stop I grabbed my purse and my guitar, the only baggage I had today, and followed Amy, Mason, and Cole off the plane and to a waiting limo. It looked like I was living in luxury today. The limo ride to the Fairpark was less than 10 minutes, and soon I was on my bus in the backstage area. I wanted to go back to sleep, but instead I spent the next hour doing radio interviews. Then there were a few more press-related events before the sound check. After the sound check I ate some lunch before I had to attend the Starshine party.

It was nearly 3:00 in the afternoon by the time I was able to return to my bus. I had four hours before I had to start getting ready for the concert, and I planned to get as much sleep as I could to make up for what I would miss tonight.

As I crawled into the bed in my bus, I smiled at the thought of all the fun things that were going to be happening tonight. I might not have my family with me, but that didn't mean that I didn't have any friends here.

* * *

A knock on the door awoke me some time later. I glanced over at my alarm clock to see that it was approaching 7:00 in the evening.

"I'm up!" I yelled at the door. I could visualize Amy nodding from the other side before turning away from the door. I climbed into the shower to help wake me up fully before getting dressed and opening the door to my room. What I found as I entered the main room of the bus brought a smile to my face.

"Josh," I said warmly. Josh Holliday had been reading a magazine. He placed it down and stood up before smiling at me. I hadn't seen or talked to Josh since I had left the stage in tears at his concert at the Staples Center two months earlier. It took time, but I had managed to overcome the hurt and pain that he had caused me that day, and I knew that I could get through this night without the same thing happening. My feelings had changed for Josh.

But it was immediately apparent that Josh had changed too. He was staring at me in much the same way that I had been looking at him that night. Whatever had kept Josh from getting close to me seemed to be gone, and before he even spoke I knew that he was hoping to rekindle the fire that I had put out that night.

He was going to be disappointed.

"Hi, Sarah," he replied. "It's been too long."

I laughed lightly. I still thought that I could have gone years without seeing him again. But we had agreed to sing the duets at one of his concerts and at one of mine. Here in his hometown was the perfect place to sing them, so I had no real choice in the matter. Many of my fan sites even speculated that he would be on the stage at some point this evening, and I wasn't going to let my feelings disappoint them. I was still upset at how Josh had treated me, but I wasn't going to do the same thing to him.

"Thanks for letting me join you this evening," Josh continued, his smile broadening even further as he thought about the love songs we would be singing with each other this evening. I smiled back, but I didn't feel remotely the same way he obviously did.

"It's the least I could do," I told him. "I mean, it isn't the Staples Center, but it's the best I've got."

He laughed at my joke, thankfully. I was half-worried that he would feel slighted for performing in front of a crowd of 5,000 instead of the 20,000 that had been there the night of his concert. My concert tour had been finalized before I had really become popular, and both Dad and Scott were still upset that I wasn't performing in bigger venues. They both thought that I could fill arenas like the Staples Center, but I only had two venues on my tour that came close to those numbers.

"I'd go anywhere to perform with you," he flattered me, proving that he had changed in the way he thought about me.

"We have to go, Sarah," Amy interrupted us, rescuing me from responding to his statement. I nodded at her. We had a ‘meet and greet’ scheduled for 7:15, and I had to leave if I was going to make it on time.

"I'll see you on stage," I told him before turning and following Amy off the bus. The relief I felt as soon as I was out of his presence surprised me.

* * *

The crowd roared as I finished singing 'Friends Forever' for them. I smiled, and looked down upon the friend who I had sitting in the front row just off stage. She looked like she was having an amazing time, and it was about to get even better.

"Speaking of friends," I told the crowd, with a slight bit of déjá  vu from the Missoula concert. "I have two friends I'd like to introduce you to tonight. Is that all right with you?"

The affirmative response was resounding, so I walked over to the stairs leading down from the stage and took the few steps to reach the ground. Then I walked over to where she was sitting.

"In the audience tonight is a very special girl," I said and reached my hand out to her. With an excited gleam in her eye the nine-year old took my hand and I led her back onto the stage. "I met this little girl in an airport earlier this year," I told the crowd as we stepped back up and onto the stage. I noticed that Amy had come out and was holding the box I would need.

I led the girl to center stage where everybody could see her before turning to Amy and taking the box from her. I had never done this on stage before, but this little girl deserved it.

"I'd like to introduce all of you to Megan," I said. A short cheer rose up, coloring her cheeks in embarrassment. Her face disappeared behind her blonde mane for a moment as she struggled to handle the rush of emotions that a cheering crowd evoked inside of her. I stepped back for a moment and let her bask in the full force of the cheers. When they started to die down, I stepped forward once more and wrapped my right arm around her shoulders.

"Megan is my #1 fan," I told the audience. "And I mean that literally. Megan was the first person to recognize me in public and want to meet me. She also received the first autograph that I ever gave. And tonight I have something special for her.”

I lifted the cover off of the box and pulled out its contents. Megan's eyes lit up as I pulled a small pink teddy bear out of the box. I wanted to give it to her immediately, but I couldn't. Instead I held it up for the cameraman who was standing next to me now. I knew that it was being displayed on the large video screen behind me.

"This is a Carerra Bear," I said, causing a small ripple of laughter from the crowd at the name. I had a feeling that most of my fans didn't know that these things existed. "For those of you who don't know the history behind these, let me give you the brief version. I was in a bad car accident when I was 10 that left me in the hospital for a while. My dad gave me a teddy bear to help keep me company. Since then it has been one of my best friends. It is always there for me when I need someone to hug or to talk to."

I turned to Megan once more. "Megan," I said. "This friend is for you. If you ever need anything in your life, this bear can help give it to you. Hug it when you need a friend. Talk to it when you need someone to listen. I still do that with the one my dad gave me, and now you have your own."

I held the bear out to her and she took it immediately and hugged it to her chest. The crowd cheered once again, but I was pretty sure Megan didn’t hear them as she squeezed the bear. I was slightly saddened as I walked her back to her seat, but I knew I'd get to talk with her more after the concert.

When I returned to the stage once more I smiled once again.

"I told you I had two friends I wanted you to meet tonight," I said into the microphone, and I could feel the baited breath as the crowd started to wonder who I was going to pull up on stage now.

I stepped to the side of the stage, and turned as the music started.

Jason started strumming the intro to 'Lucky' and Josh stepped onto the stage as the crowd roared its approval at this new development to the concert.

After he finished singing his part, I returned the favor by singing my piece of the song. We fell into the minimal choreography that we had used when we sang this song at his concert, and slowly weaved ourselves around the stage as we got closer and closer to one another.

When the second verse started we were within touching distance, but we continued to circle each other. Unlike the last time I had sung this song with him, my heart wasn't aching. The feelings that I had felt for Josh back then no longer existed. I could admire his good looks and presence, but the yearning I had felt on the stage at the Staples Center was gone.

But as the song wound to its conclusion, I once again saw something that intrigued me. It was the same flicker I had seen in his eyes that night just over two months ago.

There was hope in his eyes once more as he stared into mine. But our fates had been reversed. I could see him searching for anything that showed the love I had felt for him. Yet I knew that it wasn't there. I felt myself pulling away as he had that fateful night he'd broken my heart.

"Josh Holliday!" I said and the crowd erupted into applause and screaming. Even though it had pretty much been leaked that he would be joining me on the stage tonight, there still seemed to be surprise coming from the crowd. If nothing else, they seemed to be happy to have their hometown singer on stage with me.

When I was able to speak over the roaring of the crowd once again, I went on. "I had the opportunity to sing three songs with Josh at one of his concerts earlier this year," I told the audience. "And he agreed to join me tonight to sing them again. I'm very honored to have you here, Josh."

"I'm happy to be here," he replied, and the smile on his face told me that it was true. "Are you ready?" he asked me again and I nodded.

A loud, quick beat rang throughout the grandstands as we moved into singing the version of 'Does Your Mother Know' that we had come up with. The fairgrounds were awash in electricity as the energy of the song poured out of us. There was a lot of fun and humor in this song, and we played it up as best we could. The crowd erupted into laughter and applause as we finished. The song helped break up the intensity that the next song would bring.

"You let me introduce the next song last time," I told Josh as we looked into each other's eyes once more. He nodded, and I continued. "Would you like to do the honors this time?"

"A while ago I had the opportunity to sing a duet with someone I thought I could call a friend," Josh told the crowd. "But that turned out not to be the case. But now I have found someone who makes this whole song worthwhile." He stared into my eyes, and I became worried about what he would say next.

"Sarah," Josh continued. "'I Need You'."

Another cheer erupted from the crowd, but once again my attention was focused on Josh's face. Those three words had meant a lot when I had spoken them to him. They held the same meaning now as he repeated them to me. But as the song started to reverberate around us I watched as his face once more turned to pain. I couldn't take it anymore so I turned away.

When the first, distinctive note broke the silence the arena had settled into as they waited for the song to start, I knew things had changed. The first time I had sung this song on stage with Josh I had tears in my eyes nearly the whole time. I'd felt like my heart was breaking as we sung a love song together. I felt like my life was crumbling down around me.

But today was different. I still felt the hurt and pain that I'd experienced at the Staples Center, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was only a memory. That hurt probably would never leave me, but I no longer felt the same way about Josh. Instead, I was able to channel those feelings and emotions into the song, and I poured my soul into the song.

I began to worry as we sang, though. During the instrumental section of the song just after the second verse, Josh and I locked our eyes together. What I found as we gazed at each other shook me to my core. The hurt, the heartache, the overwhelming desire I'd had to run off the stage came rushing back to me immediately. But they weren't my emotions.

As I stared into Josh's eyes I could see all of the things that I had felt that fateful night at his concert burning within him. Our roles had been reversed. Now I was the one who wasn't returning those feelings to him. The passion and desire lit his face so distinctively that I knew for certain he had gotten over whatever kept him from getting close to me over the summer. Yet I also knew that I could no longer return those feelings for him. Josh had hurt me deeply, and I had learned to move on.

The melancholy tone that had overcome the song before returned as we performed it again. It was a surreal experience to be on the opposite side of what was happening on stage for a second time. I started to feel an ache inside my chest because of the way I was making Josh feel. I had been where he was. I had felt what he was feeling. I wouldn't wish that on anybody, but there wasn't anything I could do to alleviate that pain. I couldn't open myself to him anymore. I didn't feel the love that I'd had for him.

As the song came to a close once more I felt a tear run down my cheek. I hadn't meant to hurt Josh. I wished there was something I could do.

"Josh Holliday, everyone," I said softly into my microphone. I turned to Josh, who was bowing to the crowd. Once he was finished he looked over at me, and I knew that he had been crying too. I almost lost my composure immediately, and I took a step toward him.

But being near me seemed to be the last thing Josh wanted. "Thank you," he told the crowd quietly before turning and walking off the stage. I watched silently for a few moments, trying to compose myself. I still had to continue the concert, and bursting into tears would not help me accomplish that goal.

Eventually, I was able to steel myself against the emotions that were swirling around within me and turned back to the crowd.

The show had to go on.

* * *

I sighed once more before stepping off my bus. I didn't want to do this. I understood now why Josh had never come to my dressing room after our concert at the Staples Center. But I also knew that I wasn't going to do that to Josh. I had been in agony that night, and I didn't want Josh to go through that.

It took me a few minutes to make the short walk from my bus to Josh's, where it was hidden out of sight from anyone who would have been able to look backstage. It had been parked there to try and keep his presence at my concert a secret, but now it felt like he had been shoved to the side to keep him as far away from me as possible.

The door to the bus was opened, and after signaling Amy to wait outside, I stepped in.

"Josh?" I called out, not wanting to intrude if he didn't want to talk to me.

Silence greeted me, and I began to worry that the bus was empty, even though the lights were still on. Perhaps he had already left and gone home. Just when I was ready to turn around and take the step that would return me to the ground, he appeared at the door that led into the living area of the bus.

I felt myself take a deep breath. He didn't look very good. In the short time that I had known Josh Holliday, I had never seen him appear anything other than spectacular. But now, on his own tour bus, I caught a glimpse of the fragile little boy that still existed inside of him.

"Sarah," he said. I was worried that he would be mad to see me, but he wasn't. However, it wasn't the type of greeting I was used to from him. He was hurting, and I knew it was because of me.

"I'm sorry," fell out of my mouth before I realized I was speaking again. Tears followed almost immediately.

"Hey," Josh said kindly, and before I knew it his arms were wrapped around me. "It's okay," he continued. "It will be okay."

"No!" I said, pulling back. "No! You aren't supposed to be comforting me, Josh! I came here to comfort you!"

I could hear him chuckling as he let go and allowed me to move away from him.

"You are amazing," he told me with a large smile on his face. I didn't understand what was going on! I knew that he was distraught, but he almost looked happy. I was having a hard time determining if it was real or fake. I was leaning toward ‘fake’, but he tilted his head ever so slightly and the scale shifted to ‘real’.

"But..." I started before trailing off. I didn't know what to say.

"It's okay," he reiterated. "I'm okay," he added. "I had my chance, Sarah, and I blew it. I never should have let you go, and now I need to live with those consequences."

I started once more. "Josh--"

"Sarah," he interrupted gently. "Please, don't feel badly about this. I should have seen it coming. I should have known that you had moved on. I should have been prepared for tonight. I wasn't, but that isn't your fault. None of this is your fault. Okay?"

I sighed. This was not working out the way I intended. I had come to apologize to Josh, yet it almost sounded like he was apologizing to me!

I opened my mouth to speak once more, even though I wasn't sure what I was going to say. I never got to find out though, because Josh placed a finger over my lips.

"I hope we can still be friends," he said. I nodded, and his smile grew. "But I think you should go for now," he continued. "It would be best for both of us."

I nodded, and with a short look back turned and stepped off his bus.

* * *

"Hi Megan!" I greeted my #1 fan 20 minutes later as I sat down next to her in the Observatory. I had been late to the Star Party because I'd had to go back to my bus and get Stephanie to fix my makeup again. But I knew I had other people that I needed to meet with after the concert, and I really wanted to spend some time with this beautiful little girl.

"Sarah!" she nearly screamed in excitement once again. She was still clutching her Carerra bear tightly to her chest.

"Thank you for coming," I told her, and then looked up at her mother who was sitting on the opposite side of her. I nodded to let her know I was thanking her too.

"Thank you for the bear!" she replied excitedly, eliciting a chuckle from me.

"You're very welcome," I told her. "The one I have at home has really been a help to me, and I hope this one will be your friend for a long time to come."

She smiled back at me, and I hugged her tightly. I had highlighted Josh's visit while we were on stage, but this girl, and all the others like her, deserved the recognition more.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.13 - Carerra Business

Wednesday was a blur.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I love you, Daddy," I said.

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.14 - L.A. County Fair

I had mixed feelings when I awakened on Saturday morning. On one hand, it was a concert day and I always enjoyed performing for a crowd. But on the other hand the concert marked the penultimate stop on my debut tour. It felt like the tour had just started, and I didn't want it to end.

I knew that Dad and Scott wanted me to perform another concert tour at the beginning of next year, but I wasn't sure how likely that was to happen now that I was in charge of everything. I wanted to perform another concert tour, but trying to balance it with school was difficult, especially if it involved performing on school nights. Tuesday's concert had taught me how awful that idea was.

I tried to push all of those feelings out of my mind while I got ready for the day. I spent much of the morning doing phone interviews with radio stations in the greater Los Angeles area. When I finished those I had some time to eat breakfast before it was time to head down to the Fairplex.

When the door rang before we left, I smiled. I had no extended family or friends coming to this concert, because they had all come to the OC Fair to see me perform. Emily and Ethan were going to come as Chloe and Xander. And today was the first time that I would see the new look that Ethan had decided on for Xander.

I opened the door as Sarah, for the first time in my life. My tour bus was parked on the road in front of our house waiting for us to board, so the whole neighborhood knew that Sarah was here. If it was someone other than Emily and Ethan, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

I was stunned when I opened the door, because my cousin was on my doorstep!

"Tracy!" I screamed happily. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled in response. "Don invited me to ride with you guys," she said.

"You're coming to the concert?" I asked.

"Of course," she replied as if I had just said something stupid. "I wouldn't miss one of your concerts if I had the chance to attend. You're my favorite singer."

I laughed lightly, and stood back to let her in. Tracy stepped inside and then held out the squirming bundle of joy who was reaching out for me. I gladly took the little infant from her.

"Hi Heather!" I said excitedly and her face lit up immediately. I started to push the door closed when I saw Emily and Ethan, dressed as themselves, hurrying up the walk. I held the door in one hand and Heather in the other while waiting for them to come in.

"Sorry!" Emily said, almost out of breath as she flew past me and down the hall. Ethan did the same thing.

"What's up with them?" Tracy asked as she walked over to the couch in the front room and took a seat. I followed her and took my own seat.

"They're running late and they still need to change," I replied.

"Change?" she asked, confused.

"You didn't think I had two other best friends, did you?" I said, and her eyes opened wide as she realized who Chloe and Xander really were. I thought it was pretty obvious to those who knew Sarah's real identity, but apparently not.

I sat there and played with Heather while I waited for my friends to get dressed. Mom, Dad, and Austin were at one of his soccer games, so they'd be coming to the venue later.

Eventually I heard the door to Sarah's room open, and I watched as Chloe came out and walked down the hall.

"Are you ready?" she asked me excitedly. I nodded and turned my attention to the hallway.

When Xander appeared, I started laughing! That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting, so he became nervous that he had made a mistake before I could say anything.

"Sorry," I told him. "It just isn't what I expected. But you look great!"

He nodded gratefully in understanding. Xander did look great. In fact, he was dressed just like Ethan did every day with the exception of the blonde wig that covered up his normal brown locks. The clothes were more expensive, however. I had given them some extra cash to build his new wardrobe, and he had used it well.

But best of all, he looked happy. Ethan had hated the preppy look we had forced him into the first time around, and it was now apparent that I should have let him have a larger say in how he looked.

"Let's go to a concert," I said, and they smiled before following me out to the bus.

It was about a 45 minute drive to the Fairplex, but it flew by as I played with Heather nearly the whole time. I let Tracy and Heather sit in on the Starshine meeting, but it was having Chloe by my side as I talked to each of the girls that made the meeting really special.

It was nice to have friends and family with me at a concert again. Mom and Dad had usually been there, but having Emily and Ethan with me made this day so much better. Tracy and Heather were just icing on the cake.

* * *

The strum of Jason's guitar signaled the beginning of the next song. The happy notes filled the venue and led us in to the last cover song of the concert. As I sang through 'Torn', I couldn't help but think about how torn I was about the end of the concert tour. After tonight there would only be two more performances, one in Washington and the other at my school. After that, I might not even be performing until the Christmas special that the Chorus would be performing with me.

But when the song came to an end, the fans didn't care that the tour was almost over. Any lingering doubts or feelings that I'd had about the tour ending were washed away in the roar of applause that erupted around the venue. I basked in it for a brief moment before the lights went out and I was rushing for another costume change.

As the simple, glamorous dress was pulled over my head and the shoes were replaced on my feet I smiled at what was coming next. I could hear the video playing on the screen behind the stage as I talked about Chloe and how we had come up with the next songs, and I was so excited to take it a step further.

The dress that they shoved me into next looked like a fairytale. Unlike the dress that Julia had picked out for the music video of ‘Ever After’, this dress had a more voluminous skirt. It was a mix between a soft yellow/tan and gold which really caught the lights pointing at the stage well to make it look even more spectacular.

After I was finished changing I rushed as quickly as I could to find Tim waiting for me holding Sparkle. I smiled again at the sight of my guitar and took it lovingly from its caretaker before pulling the strap over my head. Then I continued my way onto the stage and over to where my microphone had been put back into its stand. Then I had to wait for the video to end. Somewhere out on the first row Chloe was staring up at that screen, and I hoped that she wasn't crying...yet.

The video came to an end, and I felt the anticipation build as the entire venue was bathed in darkness for a few moments. Then, a soft glow encircled me as I stood in front of my microphone, strumming my guitar softly to begin 'Enchanted Forest'.

The atmosphere was surreal as I softly played and sang through the first part of the song that Emily and I had written together earlier this year. Both of us agreed that 'Ever After' was the better song, but in reality it didn't win the contest by much. The two songs were very different, and the soft melody and soothing words that began this song really set a light, happy mood to the concert. It was also one of the longest songs I had ever written.

'Enchanted Forest' was an urban fairytale. As I sang I introduced the audience to a fairytale forest filled with large steel buildings rising above the walkways and streets that crisscrossed through it. It sang about the glimpse that the heroine had of a knight in shining armor as she walked down one of those streets. A second glimpse another day as their two carriages stopped next to each other at a traffic light. Then a third glimpse as they stood in line at a shop. But the knight never saw her. She saw him nearly everywhere, unable to approach him and unable to even learn his name.

After a full minute of the peaceful, serene melody Jason joined me with a nice melody of his own as I sang about how the heroine was pining once again for her knight, wondering how she could meet him. Then, with an increasing beat from Stacy's drums the song started to become louder until a loud crash of his cymbals lit the stage with color as we moved into the chorus. Dancers were moving around fervently behind me as the heroine walked around the corner of a building and straight into the knight. Sparks flew and her emotions were nearly overwhelmed as he apologized, helped her pick up the bag she had dropped, before he smiled and turned to walk away.

It was a fleeting, brief moment that tugged at her heart as she desperately tried to find the words to make him stop. She tried in vain to find a way to make him turn back around. But she was speechless, and eventually she turned and walked the other way just before he turned and glanced back over his shoulder.

The song fell back into a more peaceful melody again, but the addition of Stacy's drums and Connor's bass gave it the fervor that was still roiling around in her heart as she tried to figure out what to do next. Her feelings hadn't changed, but she had been unable to catch his eye. She had been unable to even speak to him. She battled with her emotions until she realized there was nothing she could do. She still didn't even know his name.

Another day she found herself approaching the very same corner, remembering her earlier encounter. As she turned the corner once more, lost in thought, she walked right into the knight once again. Another crash of Stacy's cymbals moved us into the chorus and a burst of light around the stage showed that the sparks were still there. No words were spoken as they stared into each other’s eyes. Then, the knight apologized once more with a wry smile on his face before turning to leave once again.

As the chorus came to a close the song moved into a fast paced, frantic piece where she once more tried to bring herself to say something. She tried once more to get his attention and to keep him from leaving. She tried to push herself to do anything to get his attention. Then the song calmed into a serene melody once more as things became clear to her. A smile spread across her lips as she called out to him with her name. The knight stopped instantly, slowly turning around. A smile formed on his face moments before he replied with his own name.

The song burst into the final chorus as he took his first step back toward her.

Later, as the chorus ended and the song came to a close I looked down at the front row to where Emily was sitting, and even from the stage I could see the tear streak down her cheek. I struggled to keep one of my own from doing the same thing. Emily was my best friend in the world, and the two songs that we had written together would forever bind us throughout our lives. Any time I performed or heard one of these two songs, I would think of Emily. She was likely doing the same thing.

"Thank you," I told the crowd when the noise dropped to a level where they could hear me again. I then took Sparkle off and handed it back to Tim, and then I started moving toward the edge of the stage, continuing to talk to the crowd as I went. "That song and the next one I'm going to sing for you have a special place in my heart. I got to write them with my best friend in the whole world."

I took the first step off the stage, causing the first few rows to scramble to get into a position where they could touch me, get near me, or even speak to me. I tried to shake their hands and acknowledge them as much as I could as I made my way down the row until I was directly in front of Emily. She was cowering in her chair now because she seemed to have some idea of what I was planning.

I grabbed her arm, and tried to pull her up. She was resisting, but I successfully pulled her to her feet, and then led her down the row back toward the stairs. Many of those around us were scrambling to understand what was happening. Many of them were screaming at me to pick them instead. But I only smiled back at them as I led Emily back up onto the stage and over to a stool that had been brought out while I was in the crowd. Emily's face was now being broadcast on the big video screen behind the stage, and she was taking on the complexion of a tomato. I knew she wouldn't want to be up here on stage, but I wanted to give her the experience so that she knew what I faced all of the time. I had her sit down on the stool before I turned back to the crowd.

"Anybody know who this lovely young woman is?" I asked the crowd. There were a number of people yelling back names. Others seemed confused. But some recognized her.

"This is my best friend in the world," I told the audience. "Chloe, say hello to the L.A. County Fair. Fair, say hello to Chloe."

Emily nearly yelped in embarrassment when the whole audience replied with "Hi Chloe!”

I held the microphone up to her, and after a moment she realized what it was for.

"Hello," she told them meekly before clamming up once more. I knew we weren't going to get much more out of her, sadly.

"Earlier this year Chloe and I sat down to write a couple of songs about fairytales," I told the crowd. "You just heard one of them. But both of us are also very proud of this next one."

I paused for a moment to take Sparkle back from Tim then I looked at Emily again. She was more of a baby pink now as she was starting to get over her initial embarrassment. She likely wouldn’t be back to her normal color until sometime after the concert ended.

"Chloe," I told her, and her eyes met mine. "You're going to be my best friend for 'Ever After'."

I started playing the happy song that would be debuted as my next single within the next week with as much emotion as I could. I wanted this to be one of my best performances of the song as I shared the stage with the wonderful young woman who had helped to make it such an amazing song. I wanted it to be perfect for the young woman whom I owed my entire career to.

As I performed I could see two things happen to Emily. Initially, she tensed up every time I approached her. She was afraid I would make her sing, but I would never do that to her. The second thing I noticed, however, was that she was starting to enjoy herself. Her embarrassment seemed to be fading as I sang and she started to enjoy being on the stage with me. I knew she would thank me later for the experience.

All too soon the song came to a conclusion, and as the crowd roared its approval I turned to Emily and we wrapped each other in a long hug.

"Thank you for everything, Emily," I whispered into her ear just as the lights dimmed until it was completely dark, and the two of us were alone in the world.

* * *

"Don't ever do that to me again!" Emily screamed as she entered my dressing room later that night. She sounded irate, but the smile she was trying to hide told a different story.

I smiled back. "You loved it," I told her, laughing. She soon joined me, and even Ethan and Tracy were laughing too.

"That was amazing," she said once we were able to calm down. "I never realized how exciting it could be to stand in front of a crowd like that. Don't get me wrong - once was enough, but wow!"

I laughed again at her description.

"It certainly gets your adrenaline pumping, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Five minutes!" Amy called into the dressing room, preventing a response as I started to gather everything I would need for the Star Party.

"Oh," Tracy said as something popped into her mind while we were leaving the dressing room. "You're still doing Katy's party on Wednesday, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I told her with a smile. My cousin Katy's birthday was on Wednesday, and Tracy and I had a huge surprise planned for her. When Sarah Carerra showed up to sing some songs she was going to freak out!

I could hear Tracy giggling as she thought about what it would do to Katy, but I continued down the hall to the Observatory, arm in arm with Emily.

A short time later I was taking pictures with the fans who had been invited to the party. I was happy to have the opportunity to give Emily the chance to be a part of the action once more. Ethan appeared to be jealous while he sat on the couch next to Tracy and Heather. However, Emily was showing a lot more composure than she had on stage as she talked with each of my fans while they waited their turn to get their picture taken with me.

Right now she was talking to a beautiful girl who had dirty blonde hair. I watched as the girl seemed to light up at meeting Chloe, who talked to her for a bit before she was able to come over to me.

"Hi," I said and watched the elation in this girl that Chloe had started grow into a near frenzy.

"Hi!" the girl replied excitedly before jumping up and down for a moment and giving me a hug. She appeared to be about 12, and it was apparent that she had already had a hard life. I didn't know what had happened to her, but I hoped that I could take away some of that pain for a moment or two.

"What's your name?" I asked her.

"Annie," she replied, and she looked like she couldn't believe she was actually talking to me. "Annabelle," she corrected a moment later. "But all of my friends call me Annie."

"It's nice to meet you then, Annie," I said, and she lit up again as she realized that I was calling her a friend.

"I can't believe this is happening!" she said, and she had a faraway look in her eyes for a moment before she refocused on me. "This is the best night of my life!"

I chuckled slightly at her exuberance, but unlike many other fans who had said the same thing, I believed that she was actually telling me the truth. I had a feeling that something had changed her life tonight, and if I had been the cause then I hoped it was for the better.

We posed for a couple of pictures to be taken, one from my official photographer and another from a man whom I assumed was her father, though they didn't look related. But once he had the picture he turned toward the woman whom I had no doubt was Annie's mother. He had tears in his eyes. I didn't know what was going on, but it looked like it was a good thing.

"Thanks for coming tonight," I told Annie as we separated after the flashes had stopped.

She paused and looked up at me for a moment.

"Thank you," she said, and I watched as a tear fell from her eye. "You don't know what tonight means to me. This wouldn't have happened without you." She paused once again, unsure what to say. "Thank you," she eventually repeated again.

"I'm glad I could help," I told her truthfully before wrapping my arms around her once more, and giving her a longer hug this time. "If you ever need a place to get away from your family or anything, let me know, okay?" Annie nodded as I let go of her once more, but she had wide eyes that proved my guess about her problems had been accurate. Amy was there immediately with one of her business cards and I took it from her and handed it to Annie. "Call this number if you need anything, okay?"

Annie stared at the card. Even if she never called, I knew that just having that number was enough to lift a heavy burden off her shoulders.

This wasn't the first time that meeting me had seemed to touch a fan like this, but something told me that this girl was special. She needed to know that there was someone else out there willing to help her. If giving her a phone number that she could contact me with could give her hope, then it was the least I could do.

Annie stepped away from me with a dazed look and into the arms of the man who had taken her picture. She looked up at him and smiled before wrapping her arms around him and I was forced to turn toward the next fan.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.15 - The Princess of the Castle

Sunday afternoon brought me down from the high of the concert when I listened to the Countdown. 'You Can't Hurt Me' fell in the rankings once again, this time to #3. Even though it was still in the Top 10, in my heart I again believed that it had reached the end of its time on top of the charts. It had a great run, and with the release of 'Ever After' occurring on Tuesday, I knew that I'd still have a reason to listen to the countdown.

But that was only the beginning of my funk when I awoke Monday morning. Despite the fact that I was releasing a new single on Tuesday and singing at Katy's birthday party on Wednesday, I still had to face the reality that my concert tour was coming to a close on Saturday. It had only been two months since the concert tour started, but I already couldn't imagine my weekends without a concert to perform.

There would still be plenty of performances. I would be performing at the VMA's in a couple of weeks, I still had the concert at school, and it wouldn't be long before we started to put a big effort into narrowing down what we were going to do for the Christmas concert with the Chorus.

I moped through the day waiting for it to end. I had to dodge through Chorus once again, trying to keep anyone from finding out my secret. Mr. Benson had kept his word and hadn't put me in a position where people would be able to recognize me yet, but I didn't know how long it would be because we hadn’t spoken since last week.

After school I went to my new office for a staff meeting. It was nice to have such good people backing me up off the stage, and soon we finished what we needed to do. Most of the meeting was spent making sure that we were ready for the release of 'Ever After' and for the conclusion of the concert tour. We would meet again later in the week to talk about what we would be doing at the VMA performance.

Tuesday was somewhat better. I was surprised to find that there was a small fervor among some of my fellow students about the release of my single. Apparently, I had a sizable fan following at the school, and I smiled and chuckled to myself as they tried to guess what song it would be. We had been keeping the song a secret and the debut of the music video this evening was supposed to be a big event. I had only seen a rough cut of the video, so it would be my first time to see the final product tonight when it debuted.

"What do you think it will be?" I heard one of the girls sitting near me in Chorus ask her friends.

"I think it will be a brand new song," her friend replied.

"No," one of the guys sitting near them said. "I don't think she'd be releasing a brand new song so early. She's still promoting her first album.”

"What about you, Megan?" the first girl, Allison I thought her name was, turned and asked me.

"Oh!" I said, slightly surprised at my inclusion in the conversation. But I already had an answer. "I think that whatever it is, it will be a great song."

Allison rolled her eyes at me.

"You can't ask Megan," Jane piped up a moment later. "She already knows the answer and she won't tell."

"You know the answer?" Allison shot back at me, surprised! I must have had a guilty look pass across my face because her eyes opened wide as she continued. "You DO know! What is it?"

"I can't tell," I replied calmly and slowly shook my head. There was a reason we were keeping it a secret, and I wasn't going to break that just because she wanted to know now.

She growled in frustration for a minute before she realized that she wasn't going to get the answer out of me. I smiled back, and she turned back to her friends.

* * *

The hiss of the airbrakes announced that we had arrived at our destination. With a large smile, I looked out the window of my tour bus at the busy walkway outside of LAX.

"How long until they land?" I asked Amy, who was also looking out the window. Ethan and Emily, dressed as Xander and Chloe, were also watching the people walk by. Our other two passengers were already stepping off the bus and making their way into the terminal. Both of them were in charge of meeting the people we were waiting for, and both were glowing at the thought of what was going to happen next. Mason was following them and Cole was already working to stem the crowd that was already starting to form.

"They should be landing any minute," Amy finally answered after looking something up on her smart phone.

I sat and looked out the window for a few minutes. The longer we waited, the trickier this was going to be. My tour bus couldn't go anywhere without garnering attention and this time attention was not what I was looking for. We were at the airport for a specific purpose, and I didn't want to interact with the crowd if it took my attention away from the individuals whom we were waiting for.

"Darrin just texted me," Amy said, breaking the silence. "They're at the baggage claim and have almost all of their bags."

"Okay," I replied and stood up. Amy did the same, and then she stepped down and out of the bus to tell Cole we were ready. I waited out of sight until Cole gave me the signal, and then I too stepped down and off of the bus.

The small crowd that had formed started to cheer like they always did and I waved back at them, but I wasn't going to get the chance to interact with them. Instead I hurried over to the area that Cole had cordoned off. Amy was right behind me with the props we would need. Then, it became a waiting game again.

It was another five minutes before I saw Darrin Scofield walk out of the airport. The others with him were excitedly talking with one another until they saw my bus. The two young girls broke out into screams of excitement at seeing it and started chattering immediately. It wasn't until the younger girl turned and looked at her mother that she caught a glimpse of me at their side. That was when she really started to scream.

And jump around and start to hyperventilate.

I really had to smile at their reactions. I had been told that they were big fans, and the younger girl was only confirming that fact. The other girl turned, saw me, and joined her sister. Their mother also seemed to be quite shocked, though she wasn't screaming like her daughters. The little boy, however, looked bored.

"Hi!" I greeted them excitedly, though I wasn’t sure the girls were able to hear me. They were still having what appeared to be panic attacks, and I hoped that they would be okay.

Darrin Scofield was laughing at his family's reaction, but he stepped toward me to bridge the gap. Darrin was the owner of the castle house where I had filmed the 'Ever After' video.

"Sarah," Darrin said to me before motioning to the girls' mother. "This is my princess, Marion."

I reached my hand out, and Marion shook it. She still seemed a little rattled to meet me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I told her. "Darrin has told me so much about you, and I'm honored to meet the Princess of the Castle."

She choked for a moment, probably at the realization that I was on a first name basis with her father. It was obvious that she had been unaware of what was waiting for her and her family once they got off the plane.

"I'm sorry," Marion was able to say. "I wasn't expecting this. My girls are really big fans."

"I know," I told her. "I'd like to meet your two princesses and your prince."

She turned to her two daughters, who were starting to settle down, though they still had a lot of energy. While she did, I took the item that Amy was holding out for me.

"My oldest is Kimberly," Marion told me. "She's ten."

"Hi Princess Kimberly," I greeted her and then held the item out so she could see it. She smiled and I stepped forward and placed the tiara on her head. Then I gave her a hug.

"I can't believe you are really here!" Kimberly screamed, but squeezed me back tight.

"Well, I had to meet all of the fair princesses who were flying into Los Angeles today," I told her, like it was a common thing that I did.

"I'm Ariel!" the other girl interrupted, obviously wanting her own time with me.

"It's nice to meet you, Princess Ariel," I said while taking another tiara from Amy and placing it on the eight-year-old's head. "I feel so special to be in the presence of two such beautiful princesses."

She giggled, but she didn't waste any time in hugging me like her sister had. I turned back to Amy and took the last item from her before turning to the young boy who was hiding behind his mother's legs.

"And you must be Prince David," I said while shaking the crown toward him to entice him to come out. He looked up at his mom for a moment, and when she nodded he rushed around her legs and over to me. I placed the crown on his head and then kissed him on the cheek. He started wiping at it immediately like it was disgusting to get kissed, but he continued to smile.

"Well," I told them while gesturing to my bus. "I brought your carriage, if you would like to join me for a ride to the castle."

Their excitement grew when they realized this wasn't a chance meeting, and that we were going to be spending at least the 30 minute drive together.

We started toward the bus. "Wave to your loyal subjects," I told the 'Royalty' and started waving to show them how. All three of the kids started to wave excitedly at all the people who had gathered, and a small cheer ran through the crowd as they started to wave back.

Soon we climbed aboard my bus and it wasn't much longer afterward that we were rolling down the highway toward our destination. On the way I got to know Marion and her kids fairly well. Marion's husband was still back east working, but her children seemed very excited for the vacation that I had helped pay for. I had asked Darrin to invite them to come out for tonight, and I was glad that they had accepted, even if they hadn't known why.

When the bus turned onto the road where Darrin's castle was, I saw a light start shining in his daughter's eyes. Darrin had confessed to me that it had been a while since she had come out to visit her childhood home, but I now knew that she had missed it. I completely understood - I would have loved to grow up in a castle like she had.

When the bus came to a stop outside of the castle, I had a smile as big as each of the kids. I was directed off the bus first where I was intercepted by Elisa Sanchez, who was a correspondent for the music video channel where the 'Ever After' video was going to premiere. I had to talk with her for a while, and then I introduced her to my royal entourage. I knew that part of this was going to be edited into the presentation that would run on TV later this evening, but the children still loved being introduced. Eventually we made our way inside the home and to the great room that had been transformed into a mini theater; it had a number of couches facing a very large television. Waiting for us were the band, the two actors who had been playing my parents in the video, and even Andrew, with whom I had shared my first on-screen kiss when he came to rescue me.

After everyone had found a seat, with Elisa and me in the middle, I was interviewed for about 10 minutes about the making of the video. Eventually I noticed that some of the guests, especially the children, were becoming bored, but fortunately it was time for the debut.

With great anticipation the lights in the room dimmed, and we all turned our attention to the TV. Then, when I felt I couldn't wait any longer, the soft notes from my guitar wafted throughout the room as the scene on the TV faded in to an aerial shot of the castle, focusing ever closer to the sad looking young princess who was standing on top of the large tower. She looked radiant in the white dress with a scoop neck, empire waist, and a full, flowing skirt. I had fallen in love with that dress when Julia had shown it to me for the first time, and seeing myself wearing it on screen almost took my breath away.

The princess sang softly about how unfair her life was. About how unfair her father was being because he kept her from attending her prom. Intermixed were scenes of her in a very ornate room arguing with a king who was sitting on a throne. Eventually, as Jason's guitar added a second mix and more tempo into the first chorus, the video returned to her as she stared off into the distance, hoping to see her prince coming to rescue her.

The song dropped back into the simple melody that started the song, as the young princess turned her eyes away from the road that approached the castle. The scene faded into her bedroom where she was holding an invitation to the prom. A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued to sing about how she was going to be saved by her knight in shining armor.

Just before the second verse she looked out the window of her room high in the tower, searching for the knight once more. He was nowhere to be seen, but her smile told everyone that she knew he was coming.

The song fell back into the simple melody a third time as she turned away from the window. But a sound caught her attention. The roar of an engine could be heard as she ran back to the window, seeing dust coming up the driveway. Her face lit up at the sight and she took off toward the door to her room, exiting onto an archway connecting the tower to the main castle.

There she watched, continuing to sing, as a white Ford Mustang came roaring up the drive and stopping at the staircase leading up to the front door of the castle.

She watched, nearly breathless, as the door opened, and her knight stepped out in full armor. Immediately the door to the castle flew open and a foul beast came barreling out toward the advancing prince. He drew his sword, and with a deft move deflected the foul beast to the side with his shield. Before the black beast could correct its course the knight continued up the stairs toward the king and queen, who had appeared in the doorway.

He lunged for the king with his sword, the tip just missing the king as it headed straight for the heart of the queen. Then a flash of light spread across the screen, and as it dissipated the entire scene had changed. The queen was unharmed as she took the single white rose that the knight, now smiling and wearing a stylish tuxedo, was handing to her, and she lifted the rose to her nose. No longer wearing the regal gown of the queen, she turned to her husband. Gone was the evil king, replaced instead by a caring man wearing a nice polo shirt and slacks. He smiled and nodded as a black Labrador barreled back up the steps wanting attention from the visitor to the house.

The song ramped up once more as the prince turned his eye to the arch, smiling at the young princess, still attired in her beautiful dress. Immediately she turned and started running for the stairs, and the camera cut back and forth between the two of them as she ran down the stairs and into his arms. They embraced for a moment before the prince pulled back, looking deep into the young woman’s eyes. Then my heart started pounding in my chest as I watched the princess lose her breath when the prince leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

The camera cut once more to the princess’s face, my face, as the two separated and the pure happiness found there was the last thing the audience saw as the song came to a close and the screen faded to black.

* * *

After the filming of the music video debut, I spent several hours with the family playing songs for them and even just playing games before we watched the actual debut together. The kids loved seeing themselves on the TV as I met them at the airport and introduced them to the country here in the comfort of their grandfather's home. Marion and her family were wonderful, and even Theresa, who hadn't been very happy with us filming in her home, had been grateful to me for flying her daughter out to visit.

I waved back at the children as the bus started to pull away. Even though I was leaving, they still had large smiles on their faces, and I knew I was going to have to do something else for them in the future.

As the castle slipped from view I smiled at how the evening had turned out. Earlier today I thought that the highlight of this evening was going to be the video debut, but in reality spending time with Kimberly, Ariel, and Davie had been the best part. They were so full of energy and excitement that they managed to spread it to everyone else around them.

I chuckled once more as I walked to my bedroom at the back of the bus and straight to the big board full of pictures. As I pinned a picture of the kids and me, all wearing crowns, to the board, I felt a tear streak down my face, surprising me.

I knew that I really enjoyed performing for people, but I normally didn't get to spend any time with them. My new royal court would forever be in my mind.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.16 - Best. Birthday. Ever.

'Where are you?!!' the text message said. A large smile spread across my face. Even though I knew I was going to miss most of Katy's birthday party, it would be worthwhile.

'Stuck in traffic. On my way.' I texted back, as I followed Mason out the front door of my house and down the walk to the waiting limo. Mason opened the door for me and I slipped inside with my guitar case. He closed the door and got into the front seat next to the driver.

'Hurry!' came the quick response as we were driving. It wasn't very far to Aunt Judy's house. I knew Katy would be shocked and excited to see Sarah, while I hoped that she wouldn’t be upset that Megan wasn't there. But there wasn't much I could do about that. Megan would make an appearance later, but she was going to miss all of the "fun".

Dad was not happy with what I was going to do this evening, but he no longer had any say in Sarah's affairs. I knew why he was worried. I knew many of the girls who would be at Katy's party. I WAS invited to the party as Megan, after all. It had been Tracy's idea to surprise Katy, but I hadn't needed any convincing.

The party had already been going for a half hour by the time the limo pulled up to the curb in front of my cousin's house. I did my best to keep from drawing attention to myself as I exited the limo and started up the walk to the front door. I wasn't entirely successful, though. There were quite a few people outside staring at me as I walked, but Mason's intimidating presence and his stern-looking face kept them from approaching me. I was glad for that because I wanted to keep my presence quiet until the door was opened. Aunt Judy was in on the surprise, and she had told me that she would make sure that Katy answered the door.

Once we reached the front door I placed my guitar case on the ground, pulled out Sparkle, then closed the case and handed it to Mason. Then I knocked.

It seemed like an eternity before I heard noise on the other side. I prepared immediately, but even then it was a few more seconds before the door opened.

Katy's eyes opened wide immediately, and no sound came out of her mouth. That silence was all I needed to start strumming my guitar while singing 'Happy Birthday' to her. The other girls heard me start singing and came to the door to investigate. They had similar reactions to Katy as they stood staring and listening behind her. But I focused most of my attention on Katy. She'd had the chance to spend some time with Sarah earlier this summer, so she hadn't immediately turned into a screaming teen, but as I finished singing the other girls filled in the silence for her.

"Happy birthday, Katy," I told her while shifting Sparkle into a position that would let me give her a hug. After we embraced she finally seemed to find her voice again.

"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly. It was quite obvious that this was the last thing that she expected to have happen on her birthday.

I smiled. "Tracy convinced me that you would like it if I showed up for a little while this afternoon. Is that okay?"

"Of course!" she screamed back! "Come on in!"

I nodded and stepped into her house. The other girls were still going crazy, and I gave them a wave as we spread out in the front room a bit. As usual I didn't have much room around me as the girls crowded in, but they left me more room than I normally got when I walked into a Star Party, for instance.

"Hi everyone," I told the girls. "I'm Sarah."

There were some chuckles from the girls at my words. It was obvious that they all knew who I was. Katy took the hint, however, and started introducing each of her friends. I smiled and shook each of their hands. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aunt Judy watching the antics and smiling the entire time. She knew who Sarah really was, and she seemed to be enjoying the girls' reactions as much as I was.

"Unfortunately I can't stay for very long," I told them, causing a few of the girls to frown. "But I thought I could sing you a few songs before I go. Is that okay?"

The assent from around the room seemed to indicate that was a good plan. People started scrambling for seats on the couches as I took a seat in the soft chair near the door.

I spent the next 45 minutes serenading the girls with my songs. Each of the girls got to choose a song and I was more than happy to oblige them. I knew from the look on Katy's face that she had just become one of the coolest friends that these girls knew. She was the only person who could say she'd had Sarah Carerra perform at her birthday party.

But eventually I had to wind the fun down. I still wanted to come back to the party as Megan, and if I spent too much time performing I wouldn't get the chance. Fortunately, Katy in her excitement had forgotten that Megan wasn't here, and I hoped it stayed that way.

"Let's get a picture," I stated as I placed Sparkle back into its case. When I looked up all of the girls were starting to line up. I watched as Mason pulled out a camera and Aunt Judy rushed to grab her own. Then I joined the girls as they took a few pictures. Then I gave each of the girls a hug. The mood in the room had changed as the realization that I was leaving started to set in, but it was still high.

"Thank you, Sarah," Katy called as we headed for the front door. "You made this the best birthday party ever."

"It was my pleasure, Katy," I replied. "And it was nice meeting all of you," I added to the other girls. Mason opened the door for me and I stepped out onto the front porch.

"Don't go!" I heard one of the girls say which broke most of us into laughter. I knew that they didn't want me to leave, but it was time that I did. However, there was one more thing that I had to do.

"I have a birthday present for you, Katy," I said, which caused her to perk up immediately. "It's in the car, though. Follow me and I'll give it to you."

"Okay," she said, smiling but also very curious. Nevertheless she followed me down the walk toward the limo. The other girls were watching from the door as I stepped into the limo and set Sparkle down in an out of the way location as Katy climbed into the limo behind me.

"Shut the door," I told her. I wanted privacy for this. Katy pulled the door shut and then slid across the seat until we were facing each other. I had slipped into the middle of the limo and sat on the bench that faced the back of the car.

Katy was looking around nervously as she tried to understand why I wanted the car door closed. But instead of saying anything, I reached up and started pulling pins out of the wig. I had waited a long time for this moment, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I worked to free it from my head. Katy kept looking at me in wonder. I knew she hadn’t realized what I was doing because she seemed to be confused.

"Remember what I wrote on your CD?" I asked her while continuing to pull pins out.

"Yes," she replied with a smile. "’You're the best friend I never knew I had’," she stated what I had written on the CD cover I had signed for her.

"Do you believe that?" I asked her. She tilted her head to the side for a moment as she tried to come up with an answer, but the look in her eyes told me that she didn't believe me. Katy was puzzled. I had been very friendly with her in the few times that we'd met in the past - unusually friendly for someone whom she shouldn't know.

"I don't know," she finally answered.

"Well, it was true," I told her while reaching up and pulling the wig from my head. I kept my eyes on hers. I was rewarded with an even larger look of surprise than she had given me at the door earlier. She even gasped this time. Then she was screaming in excitement, much like I would expect from the screaming teen fans.

"Megan!" she yelled. "You're Sarah Carerra?!"

"Surprise!" I said happily and watched her slump back in her seat in amazement. She didn't stay there long though, before she leaned forward again.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" I laughed this time.

"I wanted to," I told her. "I wanted to tell you so many times. But keeping this a secret is extremely important to me, and my dad didn't want me to tell you. But your birthday seemed like a good time to let you in on the truth."

She scrambled inside the car so she could wrap her arms around me in a long hug.

"I can't believe that my cousin is Sarah Carerra!" she screamed into my ear. But any pain I felt was drowned out with the happiness and excitement that she was radiating. I hugged her back and we just held each other for a while longer.

"I need to go change if Megan is going to make an appearance at your party," I told her shortly after we had finally let go.

She nodded before speaking. "Okay," she said. "I guess I know why you were late now."

I giggled along with her for a moment. Then she started scooting towards the door.

"I'll be back in 15 minutes," I told her as she reached for the handle.

"Okay," she replied, the smile still plastered across her face. "And thank you, Megan. I thought that Sarah had made this the best birthday party ever. But you just topped that. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Katy," I told her. She nodded once more before opening the door and climbing out.

She was giddily skipping toward her house as the limo started moving away.

* * *

It was closer to 20 minutes later that I pulled my car into Aunt Judy's driveway. I felt, and looked, completely different as I walked up to the front door this time; when the door opened, the girls didn't start screaming. But Katy did. She screamed and launched herself at me before wrapping me in another hug. She didn't say anything, but I knew that she was still excited about what I had told her.

"You missed all of the fun!" she was still screaming as she let me go. "Sarah Carerra was here!"

"What?" I asked back. "What was she doing here?"

"She came and sang us a few songs before leaving. I wish you could have made it," she replied.

"I'm sorry I missed it," I added, though I couldn't keep from smiling.

We moved into the house to where the birthday party was still in full swing. But the discussion quickly turned back to Sarah's visit and I was rewarded with a secondhand version of the events that had happened earlier in the evening. It was interesting to hear how the other girls at the party remembered what had happened. They definitely had a skewed memory about what I actually did. Apparently I had connected with each of the girls, and many of them felt that Sarah Carerra was now their best friend.

We were eating birthday cake when Jackie, one of Katy's friends, told me, "Tonight was not a good night to be late. Now you'll never get to meet Sarah!"

I swallowed the bite I had just taken before responding. "I don't know about that," I told her slyly. "I've met Sarah a few times."

The girl's eyes went wide for a moment, and Katy burst into laughter. She was laughing so hard that I was worried she would give something away. When she finally calmed down enough she had to wipe tears from her eyes. All of the girls were looking at her like she was nuts.

"Megan and Sarah have known each other since they were little," Katy finally explained. "Megan, don't you even work with her?"

"Yes," I replied. "I'm one of her personal assistants."

"That is so cool!" one of the other girls screamed. "Can you get me a job?"

This time it was my turn to laugh. I hadn't expected to have any conversations like this when I came back, but Katy seemed to be having fun so I let it continue.

"Probably not," I told the girl, which caused her to frown. "But maybe I can get you guys tickets to a concert sometime or something."

All of the girls started screaming about that possibility! I just smiled at them as the discussion then turned to how cool a night out at a Sarah Carerra concert would be. I caught Katy's eye for a moment and she smiled at me. Katy didn’t seem to mind that I was dominating much of the attention at her birthday party.

Eventually we settled down into a more normal party atmosphere. We played a few games and laughed a lot together. Presents were opened and thanks were expressed. When Katy thanked me for the signed poster of Sarah I gave her she was quite appreciative, and I knew it wasn't just for the poster.

By the time I returned home later that evening, I was exhausted by the amount of energy it had taken; not only to perform for the girls but also at how active and excited they were the rest of the night. Katy's party had lasted a lot longer than any Star Party ever had. Even though Sarah had left the party hours earlier, the energy had never fully died down.

Katy had become one of my best friends when my life had taken its abrupt turn earlier this year. But tonight solidified our relationship into something that we would have for the rest of our lives.

* * *

The rest of the week was fairly dull, and the depression that had lifted at Katy's party started to reappear as the days counted down to my last concert of the tour. I knew that this wasn't going to be my last performance, but not even the thought of performing at my school was enough to lift my spirits. That concert would only be an addendum to the tour, so it didn't give me the same feeling of anticipation.

The only thing that really kept me plodding forward during school was the meeting we had scheduled for Thursday afternoon to talk about the performance I would be giving at the VMAs in a little over a week. It was awesome to be involved in the discussion to determine how we would be performing 'You Can't Hurt Me'.

But it wasn't until Friday afternoon that I started to feel good again. When I stepped on the plane for the flight to Seattle there was only one thing on my mind:

I couldn't wait to finish my tour with a bang.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.17 - Gorge Amphitheatre

The bright, sunny sky belied everything I had heard about Seattle as we stepped out of the airport and onto my tour bus Friday evening for the last time during this concert tour. Even the trip I had made over the summer to film my makeup commercial had seen an overcast day. This time I smiled because of the beautiful day, as I settled in for the nearly three hour drive out to the Gorge Amphitheatre.

The week had been a mix of emotions as I went from the highs of Katy's party and the 'Ever After' premiere to the lows that came with thinking about the end of the concert tour. I knew this wouldn't be the last time that I would appear on stage, but it was a conclusion to one of the most amazing things that had ever happened to me.

I had been telling myself all week that there were already other concerts in the works. The performance at my school would mirror the performances of this tour. We had met yesterday to discuss my VMA appearance in two weeks, and we had even scheduled a meeting for the week after the school concert to start discussing the Christmas performance. Sarah Carerra still had a lot to look forward to.

But my heart was still heavy at what tomorrow's concert represented. Never again would there be an 'Intuition Tour' performance. It was the end of an era as far as my career was concerned. The next time I took the stage in front of a paying crowd it would be in a completely different concert tour, and that was a hard concept to grasp.

My family tried to keep my spirits up as we drove, but even they felt somewhat sad at what this trip meant.

It was dark when the bus pulled into the venue, and it was much later before I climbed into my bed. The more sleep I got tonight the better off I would be for the concert.

Saturday morning turned out to be an even nicer day than Friday. The sun lit a bright, blue sky that instantly lifted my mood. It also illuminated one of the most spectacular sights I had ever seen at a concert venue as I looked out over the Columbia River gorge. It was breathtaking to have such a background to look at as I ate breakfast, let alone to have behind me as I performed the last concert on my tour.

"Can we join you?" interrupted my thoughts, and I looked up to find the band.

"Sure!" I replied happily and moved to give them room to sit down at the picnic table I had claimed. Smiles were returned as the girls sat down next to me and the boys claimed the other side of the table. Stacy immediately reached for one of the bags of cereal and a bowl that were on the table. The others followed suit.

"You guys don't want a good breakfast?" I asked them. I knew that somewhere there was a catering truck that was making breakfast for the crew, but this picnic table was too nice to leave to find it. Besides, the cereal, bowls, milk, and spoons that my parents had brought out from my bus showed that they had already enjoyed a casual breakfast before I woke up.

"Not really," Jason said and poured some milk over his cereal. There was plenty to go around. My bus was always well stocked with food.

"Besides," Sophie added. "I'd rather spend the time here with you."

I smiled while chewing. Once I swallowed, I replied.

"I'd like that," I told them. "I’m glad you’re here too.” I sighed. “I can't believe it's over already. It feels like we just started."

There were nods around the table as everyone chewed, but Jason seemed to finish first and spoke.

"This has certainly been an interesting summer," he told me. "I've never performed a concert tour before, but I hope this isn't the last."

"Amen to that!" Connor excitedly replied. Connor was usually the quietest member of the group, so there was a bit of chuckling at his enthusiastic response.

"Well," I told them. "It definitely won't be the last if I have any say in the matter. I can't imagine how boring life is going to be over the next few months. I'm ready to start another tour!"

The chuckling that was still continuing after Connor's response turned into laughter at my own words. I joined in with them, and I noticed by the looks on each of their faces that they felt the same way.

"You know this technically isn't the last concert in the tour," Holly stated a moment later.

"Yes," I replied. "But performing at my school won’t be the same. There will still be a lot of fans there, and there are enough students to rival some of the venues we performed at. But it just won't be the same."

The band was nodding in understanding. Performing at my school was going to be fun, but there was something special about a crowd that had sacrificed something to be at one of my concerts. Most of the people here had sacrificed their money for their tickets. The students at my school were only going to be sacrificing a few hours of their school day, and that was no sacrifice for most of them.

"Any plans for another tour?" Jason asked after we had settled into a silence for a few moments.

"Nothing certain," I told them. "We've been discussing doing something at the beginning of the year, but I don’t know how much school I can miss."

"Just drop out!" Stacy suggested, instantly eliciting laughter.

"Sometimes I wish I could," I replied. "But that doesn't feel like the right answer."

I slumped at the depression this admission garnered. The mood in the air changed noticeably.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Sarah,” Holly said as she gave me a sympathetic hug. “We are willing to work around your schedule. I for one hope to be on stage with you for many years to come."

I quickly glanced around the table, and all of them nodded in agreement. I smiled broadly.

"That’s the best thing I’ve heard you say!" I told them. "Because I want you all to be there for that long. It wouldn't be the same without you."

It was their turn to smile, and I was grateful for their support. I glanced back at the vista now partially hidden by the large men at my table.

I wouldn't change this for the world.

* * *

The lights slowly dimmed as 'Ever After' came to a close, bringing the venue into complete darkness. I felt a tug around my waist and heard the pop of the clasps that kept the fairytale skirt attached to my dress. Two more seconds and then Jason’s and Connor's guitars filled the air once again. Stacy joined in with a drum beat, and soon after the stage was awash with light once more as I began singing.

A cheer rang out from the crowd once again as they noticed the fairytale dress that I had been wearing had transformed in the dark into a more modern dress. But then some of the crowd recognized the song I was singing, and the energy in the venue transformed slightly and took on a melancholy feel. That feeling always occurred during the concert at this point, but tonight it felt like it had been compounded.

This song had been written by my band, but it perfectly described the emotions and feelings that I wanted to impart to the crowd now. 'Goodbye' was written about a girl leaving her boyfriend, but the upbeat song had a happy quality to it that helped to convey how it was a good thing.

I sang through the first verse about how hard it was going to be to not have him in my life. But it was when we ramped up into the first chorus that the rest of the crowd understood what this unreleased song actually meant. Stacy's drums came to a stop for a moment as I sang the word "Goodbye" for the first time. Immediately the crowd knew that the end of the concert was upon us.

The second verse talked about how happy I was when I was around the boy I was leaving. It talked about how much fun that we had together. But it also talked about how the relationship wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't enough to keep us together, but there wasn't anything to pull us apart. It ramped up into the chorus once more as I became the catalyst to ending the relationship, allowing both of us to move on.

The third verse was forlorn, as it talked about how hard it was to maintain the pretense of the relationship when both of us knew there was no love involved. We would always be friends, but we couldn't be more. I nearly screamed with frustration as I ended the verse and we jumped back into the chorus.

The second verse then repeated before we went through the chorus one last time, ending with a small solo from the band before I gave one last "Goodbye!"

Silence enveloped everyone as we finished for a moment. Most of the crowd didn't want to believe that it was over. But I felt even worse. Then a roar overwhelmed me as the crowd started clapping and screaming.

I looked out at the thousands of faces staring down at me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I realized that the end had finally come. My emotions were in turmoil at the happiness I felt to be able to perform and the sadness it brought to know that it was ending for the time being. I knew that there would be other performances, but this was the end of an era because it was the end of my very first tour.

"Thank you, everyone!" I told the crowd, though their roar was likely too loud for many of them to hear me. The noise softened somewhat, though, as I stepped backward, allowing the many dancers who had been on the stage throughout the night to enter. The clapping continued as the spotlight lit them, and they bowed for the crowd. Then they stepped to the side and Sophie and Holly came to center stage and took their turns bowing. The cheering continued as the spotlight shone down on Stacy as he stood up and bowed for the crowd. Then Connor. Then Jason.

Finally the light shone down upon me once more, and I too bowed for the crowd, causing the volume in the venue to increase before the lights dimmed once again while all of us waved to the crowd.

I heard the crowd continuing to clap and cheer as darkness enveloped us. I was moving quickly. I still had one more song to perform as an encore, and it required another costume change. As I reached the edge of the stage I was ushered once again into the changing room. One dress came off, another went on. My mind wandered - I hoped that I would get to do this again someday. I hoped this wasn't the last concert tour that Sarah performed. I knew it was unlikely that this would be the end, but there was always a chance that something could prevent it.

Once I was redressed I made my way back to the edge of the stage. The crowd was still cheering, hoping for more. It was pretty standard to have an encore these days and most of them knew that I had left a very important song out of my concert up until this point. It didn't take a genius to know what was coming next.

The lights came back on, bathing the stage. The roar of the crowd increased as I stepped back out onto the stage. Then it increased again as people caught sight of what I was wearing. The white, fitted dress exposed most of my shoulders, with only a thin strip of the white satiny material holding it over my shoulder. From my waist down three layers of skirts fell to the middle of my thigh. The thin, feathery layer attached to the top of each skirt was what really caught the eyes of everyone who was watching me. I knew that the fabric acted like a prism and caused a myriad of colors to dance around the skirts as I moved.

It wasn't the first time that most of my fans had seen the dress. This was the dress that I had worn during the filming of my first music video. This was the dress that confirmed to everyone in the audience that 'You Can't Hurt Me' was the last song on the schedule for the evening.

"Thank you all once again for joining me this evening," I told the crowd, after I had reached center stage and they had quieted down enough for me to continue. "This night marks the end of the Intuition tour. It marks the end of a part of my life I never could have dreamed would happen. I'm so very grateful for the opportunity that I have had to party with all of you, and I hope that you have enjoyed this evening as much as I have."

There was another roar from the crowd that was meant to tell me they were having fun too. I smiled.

"Before I leave you this evening I want to share with you something that means everything to me," I continued. "Despite all of the success that I've been privileged to have this summer, it has been a hard journey. From day one people have tried to dictate my life. They've tried to make me conform to Hollywood's idea of what a young singer should be. They've tried to make me somebody whom I am not. But I'm not going to let them. I'm not going to change who I am just to sell records. I'm not going to be someone I'm not. I hope each and every one of you will do the same thing."

I dropped my arm, letting the microphone fall to my side for a moment as I took a step backward. I didn't need to tell them which song I was singing next. 'You Can't Hurt Me' had become synonymous with Sarah Carerra. Even those individuals who couldn't stand my music knew this song. It had so thoroughly permeated the music scene in this country over the last few months that it was nearly impossible not to have heard it at least once.

The music started immediately and I was thrust deeply into the emotions that performing this song always brought out in me. The pain and the anguish of that fateful day my life was turned upside-down had produced a masterpiece — a masterpiece that I knew was likely to be the biggest hit I ever had in my career. It had certainly done a great job of giving me the confidence to put the ordeal behind me, and it made me strong enough to withstand the many pressures I had just talked about to the crowd.

As I sang, I was once again overwhelmed with the power of this song. If it wasn't for the earpiece I wore, I wouldn't be able to hear myself over the sound of the crowd singing along with me. Every single person whom I could see throughout the venue was on their feet clapping and singing their hearts out. I couldn't believe that someone like me could write and sing a song that touched so many lives.

But in the end, I knew that I was making a difference. That was all I could ask for. I was addicted to performing and singing in front of a crowd, but I had seen the effect that I had on people. I had seen how I could bring hope and happiness to the young girls who were able to meet me. I had been able to use my influence to help others, some perhaps even more than I would ever know.

And that was what made everything worthwhile. Not the singing. Not the paycheck. Not the rush I got on stage. But the looks in the eyes of those girls that told me how much just meeting me had changed their lives.

The crowd erupted into the loudest roar of the evening as the song came to a close. Tears streaked down my cheek as the last note played, signaling the end of my concert tour. It was gut-wrenching to know that I would be sitting at home in Los Angeles next weekend instead of singing in front of a crowd somewhere, but I knew the time would come again when I would feel that rush burning inside of me.

I couldn't wait.

* * *

I had just taken my first bite from a cookie I had grabbed for a late night snack when there was a knock on the door to my bedroom on the bus.

I swallowed and placed the glass of milk next to the small plate of cookies, and then I climbed out of my bed and walked to the door. I opened the door slightly, and I saw my mom standing and smiling at me. I returned her smile while opening the door further to let her in.

Her eyes alit on the cookies immediately before she turned to the TV that was softly playing a replay from one of my concerts.

"I thought it was you I heard in the kitchen," she replied wryly. "Can't sleep?"

My smile widened, and I sat down on my bed.

"I don't want to go to sleep," I told her truthfully. "If I go to sleep, then it's over. I don't want it to be over."

She nodded her head, and sat down next to me.

"Oh, Megan," she exclaimed while hugging me. "I am so proud of you! You are amazing, you know that?"

I caught myself chuckling at her reaction, but I leaned against her shoulder all the same.

"That still doesn't mean I should go to bed," I told her, which caused her to chuckle.

"This isn't the end," she replied. "This isn't even the end of your concert tour. You know that you have one more at your school."

"It's not the same, Mom," I told her. "The people at school won’t be paying to come to that concert."

"Honey," she started, but I interrupted her before she could continue.

"I'm not saying that they aren't fans," I said. "Most of them are. But there's something special about a crowd that gave something up to come and see me. My classmates aren't giving up anything. I'm sure I'll enjoy performing a concert for them as much as anywhere else, but it isn't the same."

She thought about that for a moment before nodding her head in understanding. Then she pointed at the TV.

"Which concert is this?" she asked.

"Red Rocks Amphitheatre," I told her. "It was one of the concerts they filmed for the tour highlight video."

I leaned back against the headboard, and my mom did the same.

"Do you mind if I watch with you?" she asked.

"I would love that," I replied and then leaned my head against her shoulder once again.

She leaned her head against mine and we both turned our attention back to the TV, my cookies temporarily forgotten.

My mom was right. This wasn't the end. Even if the concert tour was over there was so much more coming. We were already discussing options for an expanded tour starting early next year, and we had even discussed making it a world tour. Sales of my album were starting to take off in Europe, Asia, and Australia, and it would be wonderful to get to visit some of the countries in those areas.

No, this wasn't the end. This was just the beginning.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.18 - Practice Makes Perfect

Our flight home to Los Angeles wasn't scheduled until late in the afternoon. That meant that my family and I spent the morning lounging around watching the crew take down the stage and pack up everything for the trip back to the storage area in Los Angeles. One of the first things that I had done after becoming CEO of my own company was to approve my accountant's request to move the busses and trucks from the expensive outdoor parking lot - where I had first seen my bus - to a warehouse that we had purchased instead. In the long run owning my own storage space was supposed to save me money.

Eventually we departed and we were able to listen to the weekly countdown as we drove back toward the airport. This would be the first week that 'Ever After' would have a chance to appear on the countdown, and I was anxious to see how it would fare against my other songs. My first two singles had debuted in the top ten, but that didn't guarantee that 'Ever After' would do the same thing.

I was lying on the couch with my head in my mom's lap when 'Ever After' was introduced on the countdown for the first time. I frowned, but continued listening.

"Sarah Carerra has certainly made a name for herself since the release of her first song this past summer," the host of the show said. "She's had two singles debut in the top ten. Her latest single is getting a lot of attention too. Debuting at #12 for the first time, here is 'Ever After'."

Even debuting at #12 was no small feat, but as I listened to the song Emily and I had written before my life turned into a whirlwind, I was disappointed that it didn't have the same impact as the other two singles I had released. It was likely to rise in the coming weeks, but I had really hoped that it would mirror at least 'Intuition' for Emily's sake.

We continued to listen after 'Ever After' ended and I was pleased to see that 'You Can't Hurt Me' was still in the top ten, even if it had dropped to #5. I knew it was on its way down the charts, but it seemed to be taking its time getting there. I could live with that. I still loved the song, probably more than any other song I had written.

The flight back home was uneventful and I moped around the house for the rest of the evening. I didn't have a concert to look forward to at the end of the week to make school bearable. But with the VMA awards happening next Sunday night I had a busy schedule of practices and dress fittings to occupy my time. Josh Holliday was even going to be in town this weekend and we would be recording our duet on Saturday. When I had agreed to sing ‘I Need You’ with him at his concert it came with the agreement that we would be recording the song together. Now wasn’t exactly the best time in my life to record it with him, but I had agreed to do it.

When I finally went to sleep I knew that life as Sarah would go on. There was way too much to look forward to that I would be able to pull myself out of any funk I might have fallen into.

* * *

School the next day wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The other students had come to accept me for the most part. Every once in a while I would meet someone who didn't see eye to eye with me, but the abuse was becoming less common as the school year progressed. It seemed that people were starting to realize that I was what I actually appeared to be.

But I knew it was going to be a bad day when I walked inside and found Mr. Benson glowing. The last time I had seen him like that I was required to sing in front of the class and Mark and I had been voted as lead singers. I took my seat, unsure if I wanted to stay in the class any longer.

"It's time to start practicing for our first performance," he told us after he started the class. I slumped down in my seat, a move that wasn't lost on our teacher. I saw his smile falter for a moment before he continued. "We'll be performing a small Halloween concert for the school the Friday before Halloween. We'll mix some Halloween type songs together with some newer pieces."

There was some murmuring from the class as some of the students became excited, some were indifferent about the performance, and some of us - primarily me - wanted to transfer into any other class. I knew that Mr. Benson would try to promote me as one of the talents in the group, but I was still opposed to that idea. Especially since the concert would occur the week after I performed for the school as Sarah.

"That gives us four weeks to learn to sing as a group," Mr. Benson told us. "But we are also going to be learning some choreography to go with the performance. Learning the choreography will help us be better prepared for what Sarah Carerra is going to want us to do."

I was shocked by that statement! I knew that it was likely I would be asking for some choreography from the group when I finally got around to planning out the Christmas concert, so I was somewhat grateful that Mr. Benson was trying to prepare the class the best he could. But he still should have asked me first.

The rest of the class period was spent going over the songs he had chosen. None of them made me feel like they would give away my secret if I had to sing them for an audience, but that didn't mean that I would be safe. I knew that I was going to have to be very careful, but I thought I could get away with being the lead on one or two of the songs. I still thought that it would be helpful to get Jane to sing some of the songs, but I wasn't sure that Mr. Benson would let me.

It still didn't make me feel any better about the performance, however.

* * *

Fortunately, I had the Video Music Awards to get ready for. We had confirmed that I would perform during the show, and we were scheduled to rehearse on stage Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Then there was my final fitting for my dress on Thursday afternoon so that I would be ready for the awards show Sunday night. If I thought that the end of the concert tour had meant that Sarah's schedule wouldn't be as busy then I was mistaken! I was also recording a duet with Josh on Saturday because he was in town for the awards also.

I was surprised when I arrived at the theatre where the awards were being held Tuesday evening. There were a number of Paparazzi and fans hanging outside of the theatre to watch the celebrities come and go, but I wasn't given any time to interact with them. I was led straight past them and to the stage where my band and dancers were already waiting for me.

We began working immediately. Apparently time was a premium as they tried to get stage time for all performers to allow them to work out any issues before the big night. My performance was similar to what we had done during each of my concerts. We had to make a few adjustments to accommodate the stage in the theatre, but that wasn't anything new to my experienced crew. Kate Abernathy, my choreographer, was on hand to help us, but in reality it was just like any other concert performance. There would be a few differences in the theatrics that the show directors wanted to include, but our choreography and performance were generally unchanged.

Practice Tuesday evening was the worst sound check I'd ever had. I felt rushed the entire night because we wanted to get in as many attempts as we could on the actual stage before our time ended. There were still other performers practicing after us, so we couldn't take too much time.

Wednesday night was even worse. We had full dress rehearsals on Wednesday night. I was considered to be one of the "big" performers for the evening, which gave me some leeway as we practiced, but there was still a strict timeframe and we had no time to dally. By the end of the night, I was more tense than I'd ever been while practicing. Nevertheless, I believed that the show would be spectacular.

* * *

More singing in chorus on Thursday. Mr. Benson hadn't actually tried to pull Mark or me out of the crowd yet, so I was somewhat grateful. It probably wouldn’t be long before we started working on the songs that were supposed to spotlight us, however. But the longer we waited, the better I felt. Mark was starting to become upset, however.

When I walked into my house after school, my excitement started to grow. I was supposed to have my dress fitting with the designer whom Julia and I had chosen to make my VMA dress. Julia was really excited to be working with this designer, but I had never met Avalon Sirocco before. We had given her an idea of what we were looking for in the dress, and I couldn't wait to see what she had come up with.

"Ready to go?" I asked Emily when she showed up at our door not long after I had finished getting ready and putting on the wig. She had run home to change into Chloe.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, because she was as excited as I was. I nodded and led her out to my car, and then we headed off for Beverly Hills. Avalon's boutique was just off of Rodeo Drive.

Amazingly I was able to pull my car into a parking spot right in front of the small shop, right behind a very familiar silver Lexus. Almost immediately people started to look our way. When I stepped out of my car, I was worried about being late if I needed to sign any autographs, but the owner of the Lexus came out of the door to the shop almost immediately to usher me inside.

"Hi, Julia," I greeted her warmly while walking around my car and giving her a small hug.

"Hi, Sarah," she replied, smiling as we separated. Then she turned to Chloe. "It's nice to see you again, Chloe."

Emily's face lit up immediately at the recognition, and I saw the corner of Julia's mouth curl upward too. Julia and I had become close over the summer and I knew that I was one of her best clients. She had confessed to me that she did more work for me than any of her other clients. I started to worry for a moment before she had smiled and told me that she wouldn't have it any other way. But I was very happy that she was also willing to get to know my friends.

"Come on inside," Julia continued. "Avalon has a dress for you that I think you are going to love."

I smiled at her words, and I nodded. I followed her to the door, waving at a few fans while I did. The inside of the shop was a mix between a high end boutique and some of the clothes shops that Emily and I often shopped at. I spent a lot more on clothes now than I did at the beginning of the summer, and I thankfully had a budget that allowed me to do so. But it wasn't often that we went shopping in this area.

I was greeted immediately by a young woman who couldn't be any older than 27 or 28. Her blonde hair fell to her shoulders, and she looked more like she was ready to go to the beach than she was to attend a fashion show. She certainly didn't look like what I expected from a fashion designer.

"Sarah!" she greeted me excitedly before embracing me in a hug like we were old friends. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Her enthusiasm was so great that I knew immediately how excited she was to be dressing me for an awards show. As I looked around the shop I got the impression that she didn't do a lot of designing for celebrities. However, I already knew that some of my more famous pieces had been designed by her, most notably the amazing dress that had been featured in the music video for 'You Can't Hurt Me'.

I also knew that Julia and Avalon had been best friends growing up. Furthermore, I knew that Julia used her position as an image consultant to refer work to her best friend, but I didn't care. Avalon's designs were beautiful and I would love to be able to wear them. Besides, I knew that I was the first client whom Julia had approached Avalon to design a “red carpet look” for. And I had a feeling that it was because she felt her other clients weren't up to Avalon's standards.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Avalon," I replied as we separated. "I've worn plenty of your amazing work and I'm honored to get to meet the woman who has designed them."

"The honor is all mine," Avalon said with a smile that told me she truly believed that. I felt that I might just be the person who launched Avalon's career to the next level. I hoped that was true, because she really deserved it.

"Come on back," Avalon continued. "Based on what you and Julia decided on, I think you'll like what I've come up with."

I followed Avalon back behind her sales counter and into a fitting room. What I found there brought a huge smile to my face and proved that our decision to let Avalon create my dress was the right one.

The Video Music Awards was more laid back than most award shows. The dresses and clothes that usually hit the red carpet at the VMA's tended toward fun and flirty more than elegant. Avalon had managed to bring a good mix of the two into the dress that she had created.

The dress itself was a canary yellow that had already proven to be a complimentary color to Sarah's looks. It had spaghetti straps holding up a very fitted bodice that flowed into a skirt that fell just below my knees. Sitting on a stand next to the dress was a pair of yellow 4" sandals with a beautiful gold/yellow band across the beginning of my toes and a black strap around the ankle to hold them in place. A few other black stripes offset the yellow in the strap.

I was stunned! "It's beautiful!" fell out of my mouth immediately. We had asked Avalon to come up with a dress that made me look elegant but still left an impression of my true age. Even though I was only 16, the media constantly commented that I looked more like I was 18 or 19. This dress would fit right into place with that look.

"Oh, Avalon," Julia gushed at the sight of the dress. "It's perfect! It's exactly what we were hoping for!"

I nodded, and I had the opportunity to watch a tear fall from her eye and slip down her cheek before she caught it. Right then I knew that despite the location of her store in such a prominent fashion district, she had not been as successful as she hoped she would be. I felt that perhaps it was her relationship with Julia that was still sustaining her business. But I also knew that this dress would place her on the map. Mentally I vowed to drop her name many times Sunday night, and I hoped that she had a line outside her door Monday morning. With my fan base I wouldn't be surprised to find that thought come true.

"Come on," Avalon said while wiping the tear away. "Let's see how it fits."

* * *

Friday was a very relaxing day. It was the only "free" day that I would have from Sarah this week, because I would be recording a duet tomorrow and Sunday would be busy with all of the preparations for the awards show.

I still couldn't believe that I was going to a major awards show with the possibility of taking home an award! I still didn't understand how I had gathered such a big fan following in such a short time. I wasn't complaining, by any means. I loved the spotlight and I couldn't wait to get back up on stage once more. I couldn't wait to hear the crowd screaming my name again.

That was why hearing my name called out in my last class jarred me from my daydreaming.

"Megan," Mr. Benson said again, breaking me out of the reverie that I had been in all day.

"What?" I asked, causing a small chuckle from the class. I knew that he had asked me something, but I hadn't been paying attention.

"Are you ready to start practicing?" he repeated himself to me. "We are working on the first 'signature' piece of the performance."

I slumped my shoulders and frowned. "Not really," I grumbled, nervous about what that would mean.

"Good," he said, ignoring my response. "Everyone please turn to page 10 of your songbook."

I flipped through the pages of the "textbook" we had been given. I sighed when I saw the song that was displayed. I had been hoping that it would be something that I could tell Mr. Benson I wouldn't sing, but the truth was that it was so different from my normal music that I didn't really have an excuse. It was a show choir tune, and I knew that I could probably sing it without risking my identity too much. I would tolerate him for now, but I knew the time was approaching when I was going to have to put my foot down.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.19 - The Calm before the Storm

When I awoke Saturday morning, it was with excitement. The next two days were going to be fun, and I couldn't wait to get started.

After getting dressed and eating breakfast I drove to a familiar office that I hadn't visited in nearly two months.

I was still excited as I took a seat in the waiting room of Mary's office. Mary was my therapist and had been instrumental in helping me to recover from the horrible car accident I had been in when I was 10 and through the many changes that my life had taken this year. The concert tour had kept me from being able to visit her at our regular time, but now that it was over I was happy to pick up where we had left off.

Eventually Mary came out of her office with a boy about my age. She said goodbye to him, and turned toward me. I ignored the looks the boy was giving me as I focused my attention on Mary.

"Megan!" she said excitedly. More excitedly than I would have expected from her. It seemed like she had actually missed talking with me as much as I missed talking with her.

"Hi Mary," I replied happily and stepped into her outstretched arms for a friendly hug. When she let go, she gestured toward her office before looking over my shoulder.

"Did you need anything else, Jake?" she asked. I turned to find that the boy who had exited her office was still staring at me.

"No," he said and I was happy to see him turn a nice shade of turnip. "I'm just waiting for my ride."

"Okay," Mary replied and turned back to me and gestured toward her office once more. I walked into her office and took my regular seat while she closed the door behind us and took her own seat.

"How have you been?" she asked me excitedly, and I could see it in her eyes. Mary was one of the few people who knew about my secret. She knew that I was Sarah Carerra, and it was obvious that she really wanted to hear about all the exciting things that a pop star went through.

I smiled. "I've been great," I told her truthfully. "So much has happened since we last talked. Most of it was good. I can't complain about any of the things that Sarah has had the opportunity to do. School has been harder, but not so bad."

I caught a slight frown as I tried to steer the conversation away from Sarah and onto things that would be more helpful for me. I knew that we’d still have plenty of time to talk about Sarah at the end of our appointment.

Mary, who was the consummate professional, caught on immediately, and I finally had someone to talk to about all of the troubles I'd had in school so far. I vented about the crap the girls had given me in P.E. I got to complain about Mr. Benson's desire to try and expose my secret. I know he wasn't doing it intentionally, but I was deeply suspicious that he didn't have my best intentions at heart. We even talked about Jared Lumbart, whom I hadn't had any more problems with for several weeks.

By the time we got around to talking about Sarah I felt like a burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Talking with Mary always gave me that feeling, and I hoped that she would be there for many years to come.

* * *

After leaving Mary's office I drove to a small restaurant that served really good food. I grabbed the small bag I had brought with me off the passenger seat, climbed out of my car, and entered to find another face that was always able to make me smile.

"Hi Heather!" I greeted my cousin's little girl with that smile as I took her from Tracy. The little infant lit up immediately and I could see her own smile creep across her face. I looked up at her mother again. "Hi Tracy."

"Hi Megan," she replied, as I heard the humor in her voice. I was pretty sure Tracy still got a kick out of seeing how happy Heather could make me.

We were led back to a table, and I split my time between Heather and Tracy. The food was good. The company was better. It was exactly what I needed before I spent the afternoon in a sound booth with Josh Holliday.

As we finished and headed for our cars I finally opened the bag that I had pulled from my car.

"I have something for Heather," I told Tracy as we approached her Escalade.

Tracy looked at me quizzically for a moment before I pulled a small pink bear out of the bag. Then her eyes shot up as she recognized the Carerra Bear. She had seen them before and knew what they were about, but it was apparent she had never expected me to give one to Heather.

"Megan..." she said before trailing off. I smiled and handed the bear to her. She held it close to Heather, who reached for it immediately. The little girl wouldn't be able to hold it herself yet, but even she seemed to sense some of what the bear symbolized.

"Thank you," Tracy finally found her words again.

"You're welcome," I told her. I didn't need to tell her anything more. She knew how rarely I gave out these bears.

We said our goodbyes, but Tracy was still speechless by the time I climbed into my car and pulled away.

* * *

I felt unsettled walking into Platinum Records an hour and a half later. I had never set foot in a recording studio that wasn't owned by my own record company. But the duet that I was recording with Josh was being produced by his record company. I knew that a deal had been struck between his record company and my own, but it still felt vaguely like I was breaking some rule by being here.

"Sarah," an older man said as I walked into the lobby. The look he was giving me and the tone of his voice immediately put me on guard. His greeting was more than just simply saying ‘hello’; I knew that he was hoping to poach me away from Olympic Records. Little did he know how unlikely that was! Scott had been the catalyst for starting my career, and he had done nothing since then to make me even think about going somewhere else. I had no reason to leave.

"Hello," I replied. One of the downsides to being famous was the disadvantage it gave me when meeting people. Nearly everyone I met already knew my name, yet I didn’t know theirs. It was always an uncomfortable few moments between the time they greeted me and when they realized that they should introduce themselves. This was made even more uncomfortable by the hunger that was in his eyes as he thought about how much money I could bring to his company. Eventually I raised my eyebrows and looked at him quizzically.

"I'm Jeremy Morrison," came his eventual realization. "I'm the President of Platinum Records and I wanted to greet you personally."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I told him. Even though I knew what he was up to, I felt that it was a good idea to be nice to him. He might not be able to hurt my career if I angered him, but he could hurt Josh's.

"We're honored to have you with us today," he continued his spiel. "If you'll follow me I'll show you to the studios. I believe Josh is already here."

"Okay," I agreed and followed him as he led me down many corridors. I soon realized we were not taking a direct route. It was his way of giving me a tour of the facilities to try to tempt me away from Olympic Records. However, what I saw didn’t impress me at all. I knew that Olympic Records was a bigger company, so I wasn't sure why Jeremy thought he could lure me away.

I humored him, however. We had all afternoon to record the duet, and we had already sung 'I Need You' in front of a crowd twice. It wouldn't take us too long to get it recorded. I wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Josh again after what had happened at my concert in Utah, so the detour was a nice distraction.

But I knew it wouldn't last. Eventually we ended up outside a door that led into the studio we would be using today.

"Here we are," Jeremy said, opening the door and stepping in. I followed in behind him and found Josh sitting on a couch in the control room. Thankfully, he smiled. "I found your pretty duet partner, Josh," Jeremy said while grinning at him. He thought he was being funny, but it just sounded like more campaigning to get me to switch to his company.

I smiled and chuckled for him anyway, before turning my attention to the young man I wasn't sure how to respond to anymore. "Hi, Josh," I said, leaving it in his hands.

"Hi, Sarah," he replied. "It's nice to see you again." At least his smile seemed genuine. We had both hurt each other at our respective concerts, but I still hoped that we could be friends. This seemed to be a good first step.

"Well, I'll leave the two of you to your work," Jeremy said before walking back out of the room. I couldn't tell if Jeremy had given up on his campaign, but as long as he wasn't around I didn't have to worry about hurting his feelings by saying 'no'.

"Sarah," Josh said after the door had closed. "I'd like to introduce you to David Karlson. He'll be helping us produce the song today."

"It's a pleasure," David said grinning, while extending his hand.

I took it and we shook briefly. "It's nice to be here," I replied.

"Good," he stated with another toothy grin. "We've got a lot of work to do today. If you two are ready to get started..."

He trailed off, but Josh and I both understood what he wanted. Without another word we headed into the studio to get to work.

* * *

"It wasn't that bad!" I said, but the laughter in my voice didn't help.

"Maybe not," Josh replied through his own laugh. "But you were certainly scared to death."

"Well of course I was!" I shot back. "I'd never had that many people staring at me before!"

He broke out into laughter again before eating another mouthful of the pizza that we had ordered. David had proven to be a bigger taskmaster than Scott ever was, so we were still working on recording the duet. We stopped for dinner, and Josh and I reflected on my first foray onto a red carpet when I had accompanied him to the Tweeny Awards earlier this year.

Both of us would be on the red carpet again tomorrow, but unlike the first time we wouldn't be together. I had nixed the idea of being escorted by anyone and had happily invited Emily to be my ‘plus one’ for the evening. She was as excited as I expected her to be, and I had even employed the services of both Julia and Stephanie to make sure that she looked her best. Ethan had, of course, professed his jealousy at being left out. I knew this wouldn't be the last time that I attended an event like this, and I'd had to promise to return the favor for him so that he would stop complaining.

"You didn't show it," Josh commented, which brought a smile to my face. He was right. I had been scared to death that night. But having Josh there with me had kept me from turning and running. I don't know if I would have been able to make it without him.

"Thank you," I told him and took a bite of my own pizza. Tomorrow would be completely different. I wasn't scared to be in front of a crowd anymore. I wasn't afraid of the cameras or the questions that would be pointed my way either. I was actually looking forward to it.

We sat in silence for a moment as we ate.

"I'm sorry," he broke the silence, but he seemed unable to look at me.

"For what?" I asked warily, unsure of where he was going with this.

"For pushing you away," he said, looking up and directly into my eyes. "I never should have let you go."

I stopped, my pizza half way to my mouth. There had been many chances for the two of us to get together. But we had never been able to click. First it was me, and then it was him, now it was me again. Josh was a great guy. He was going to make some girl very lucky someday. But I couldn't see myself being that girl anymore. It just didn't seem like it was meant to be.

Josh watched me, as if he could see all of these thoughts flow through my head. But instead of turning sadly away, like he had been at the concert in Salt Lake City, he was smiling at me. That smile was full of the friendship that we had developed and had grown as we worked together today. We had proven that we could work together. We had proven that we could be friends.

No response from me was needed. No response would have conveyed the way I felt.

"Is there anyone else in your life?" I asked instead. It was apparent that he had come to terms with what had happened, and I was curious if he had started to move on yet. I hoped he had. He deserved to be happy.

"No," he replied. "Not yet."

I nodded. "What about Megan?" I asked him. He had shown an interest in my real identity earlier this summer. I had half-expected a call from him hoping to take me on a date. But nothing had materialized.

A weird expression crossed his face. It was part longing, part I don't know what. I couldn't understand exactly what he was feeling right now.

"I don't know," he said. "She was pretty cool. But I hardly know her. And honestly, she reminds me a bit too much of you."

I giggled, causing him to smile.

"Well it's true," he said. "I only met here for a short time, but you two are so alike."

"Don, her dad," I told him. "He thinks we were twins separated at birth." It was a white lie, but it did sound like something my dad would say.

"Then how come you are always with Chloe and not with Megan?" he asked. A jolt went up my spine as I realized that I had treaded into territory I didn't want to be in. I needed to separate myself from Megan, but this conversation was doing the opposite!

"Megan and I have known each other for a long time," I told him. "She's one of my best friends. But Chloe and I have been inseparable since birth."

"Oh," he said. I wasn't sure if that was a good 'oh' or a bad 'oh' but he seemed to buy it.

"What about you?" he turned the conversation around. "Is there anyone in your life?"

"No," I replied immediately. Maybe too fast. He gave me a look that made it seem like he didn't believe me.

"Nobody?" he tried to confirm.

"Well…" I said, realizing what he had seen and what I had felt. "I do have one friend who I think is interested in me, but I don't really feel the same way." Paul had pretty much come out and told me that he wanted to be my boyfriend after he had found out that I was Sarah Carerra. But I had told Josh the truth when I said that I didn't feel the same way. Paul was a great guy, but...

"I'd guess you probably have a lot of guys you could say that about," he said, as I heard the humor in his voice.

"I could say the same about you!" I shot back, and then we broke into laughter once more.

"Are you two ready?" came a voice from the door to the room we were eating in. I looked up to find David in the doorway.

"I guess so," Josh replied and I nodded before starting to clean up.

"Great!" David exclaimed. "I think we almost have it. It shouldn't take us more than another hour or two."

That wasn’t reassuring. But at least it was fun work.

* * *

"Good night, Sarah," Josh said as we exited the record studio and made our way to our cars. Platinum Records had a designated parking area for people like us, so our cars weren't too far apart.

"Good night, Josh," I replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'm sure I'll see a lot more of you," he replied with a laugh. "I mean, five nominations in your first year. I've never had that many, combined!"

I had to laugh too. I knew that Josh was jealous of how successful I'd been in such a short time. But he deserved just as much recognition.

"It's not like I'm going to win any of them," I said modestly. I really hoped I won at least one of the categories I was nominated for. But it was unlikely. I had a large fan base, but I was still confined to the 'Pop' genre. I wouldn't be able to overcome the many fans of other types of music. It was nice to get nominated, though.

Josh busted out laughing again.

"Oh, Sarah," he said in a tone that told me he thought I wasn't seeing the true picture. "I wouldn't be surprised if you won all five."

I laughed this time. That didn't even seem possible to me.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

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---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.20 - Video Music Awards

I looked over at Emily, dressed as Chloe. She was still staring out the window in awe as we approached downtown Los Angeles, where the Video Music Awards were being held this year. Emily had been to many of Sarah's events, but nothing like this. Then again this was only the second time I'd been to an event like this as Sarah.

When our limo stopped at the beginning of the red carpet, Emily’s expression suddenly changed from one of awe to one of terror as she saw all of the people and the cameras waiting for us. When she turned to me, I had to suppress my laugh.

"It'll be okay," I told her. "You don't even have to say anything if you don't want to. Just follow my lead and stay near me. Amy said there are a couple of places where they will want to take my picture, and you might have to hang back then, but I'll be at your side the rest of the time, okay?"

Emily nodded, but she still looked like a deer caught in a car’s headlights. Before I could say anything else, the door closest to me opened. I had no choice but to start exiting the car. Flashes were already hitting me from all over the place, and a roar came from a crowd that had gathered nearby to watch the celebrities being dropped off. I waved at them and then turned to make sure that Emily was getting out of the car.

She flinched a bit as the cameras started flashing faster. She wasn’t truly aware of how many pictures of her would be taken this evening. I didn't have the heart to tell her that her face was probably going to be on websites soon. But the red wig that she was wearing was offset so perfectly by the beautiful green dress that she and Julia had picked out, Avalon had made, and I had paid for. The makeup that Stephanie had applied to her face was flawless, making her very photogenic. Having her picture out in public couldn't possibly be a bad thing.

Emily took a deep breath after she was out and then we started walking down the carpet. We stopped at a number of designated places where I was to pose for pictures before we reached the interviewers.

"Sarah!" I heard someone yell. "Over here!"

I looked and found a familiar face beckoning me toward her. I smiled and led Emily over toward her. Michelle Tomlinson was a correspondent for an MTV show. She was also the first person to interview Josh and me the first time I had been on the red carpet.

"Hi, Sarah," she said as we approached. I saw the red light on the camera behind her that indicated we were already being recorded. Perhaps we were even live on TV somewhere.

"Hi, Michelle," I replied, smiling wider. "It's nice to see you again."

Michelle smiled at my recognition, and promptly began the interview. Time was a commodity on the red carpet.

"You've made quite an impression this year," she said. "You were virtually unknown when I met you on the red carpet at the Tweeny Awards. Now you've been nominated for five VMA awards. Why do you think you've garnered such a following in such a short amount of time?"

"I honestly don't know," I replied truthfully. "I've just tried to write and sing songs that have meaning to me. I never expected so many people to relate to my music the way they have."

"I understand you have two songs in the top ten on nearly every single pop chart in the country today," she continued. "Why do you think your fans feel so connected to your songs?"

I smiled. 'Ever After' had breached the top 10 on its second week, coming in at #7. 'You Can't Hurt Me' had managed to hold on to the #6 spot on the countdown.

"I think that my fans relate to my music because it touches on things in their own lives," I told Michelle and the camera. "I write about the things that have happened in my own life or that I see around me. I know that my songs have been able to get me through some of the tough times in my own life, and I think they speak to my fans in the same way."

"Who's your friend?" Michelle asked next.

I turned to Emily and smiled.

"This is Chloe Carpenter," I replied. "She is my best friend in the entire world." I reached over and hugged her closely for a moment. "I couldn't imagine bringing anyone else tonight."

"This is the Chloe who helped you write 'Ever After'?" Michelle asked.

I nodded. "One and the same," I replied.

"What do you think so far?" Michelle asked before holding the microphone out to Chloe, who took on a look of panic.

It became apparent quickly that she was incapable of speech, and Michelle turned back to me with a chuckle of her own.

"She's a little shy," I replied with a bit of laughter of my own.

"Well it was nice speaking with both of you anyway," Michelle said. "Thank you both."

I nodded, and then we were moving down the carpet again. We stopped periodically for more pictures. Sometimes I was alone. Sometimes Chloe was in the shot with me. We stopped for interviews many more times too, and eventually Emily was even able to speak in a couple of them.

It was just before we entered the theatre that we were stopped by an aide and asked to wait in a short line to be interviewed on the live red carpet show. I smiled and nodded. We still had a lot of time until the awards show started, and this was a lot more fun than sitting in our seats waiting.

It took a few minutes as Brian Lakeside, who was hosting the pre-show this evening, had made it through each of the celebrities in front of me. Emily was in awe at all the famous faces surrounding us, and we even spoke to some of them as we waited. Sadly, Emily was asked to wait at the side when it came to my interview, but she was finally having too much fun to care too much.

"Coming down the carpet now is Sarah Carerra," Brian said as I was directed to approach the small dais that he was broadcasting from.

"Welcome to the red carpet, Sarah," he greeted me.

"Hi, Brian," I replied. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, I assure you," he shot back with that amazing smile that he was known for. "Not only are you up for Best New Artist this evening but you are also in the running for Video of the Year. That's quite an accomplishment."

"Thank you," I replied. He hadn't actually asked a question, so I didn't really have anything to respond to.

"In total you have been nominated for five awards tonight," he continued. "And your video for 'You Can't Hurt Me' has already won a VMA for Best Direction. Not a bad start to your career."

I was stunned for a second.

"I hadn't heard that it won yet," I replied truthfully. Then a smile spread across my face before I continued speaking. "But if that's the case then I need to congratulate Jonothon Smith, my director."

"Well I'm sure this is just the first of many for you tonight," Brian said. "You have that spark that makes you so irresistible."

He gave me a mocking leer, which made me laugh. It was a good thing I knew he was happily married or I might have been worried. But it was quite apparent that he was joking around.

"You do look amazing tonight, though," he continued after we had finished chuckling together. "Who are you wearing?"

"Avalon Sirocco," I replied proudly. "I love her designs and I'm more than happy to show them off."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck this evening, Sarah," Brian told me. "I'm sure that we will be hearing your name a lot in the near future, and it has been a pleasure talking with you."

"Thank you," I replied with a smile before he turned back to the camera to segue into another bit. I turned and joined Emily again and gladly led her into the theatre.

* * *

"Live from Los Angeles, welcome to the Video Music Awards!" blared from the loud speakers as Allyson Sutterfield, who had won Video of the Year last year, left the stage. Each of tonight's performers had a video nominated for the top prize, but she had won the lucky opening spot to the show. "Please welcome your host, Martin Robbins!" the voice continued.

Everyone in the theatre clapped as Martin Robbins appeared on stage. Martin was the star of a number of recent action movies that had done well at the box office. He was also pretty cute, even if he was nearly the same age as my dad.

"Welcome everybody!" he greeted us a moment later. "It's great to be here tonight among such esteemed nominees. We have a lot to do this evening, so let’s get right to it. Please welcome to the stage Kristy Deltoro and Travis Edmunds."

The crowd started clapping and cheering as the two young singers walked out onto the stage and toward a microphone. There was a bit of bantering between the two of them before they got to the point of why they were here.

"We are here to present the award for Best Pop Video," Kristy said into the microphone. "The nominees are..."

She trailed off and a video presentation took over on the many screens around the theatre.

"Katie Sperry," a female voice said over the loud speakers as images from Katie's music video were displayed on the screens. "'Friday Nights'."

The video changed, showing another artist "Stella", the voice said again, introducing the new artist. "'The Deep'." The voice continued on to list the nominees: Mark Bruno for 'Flashbang' and Whitney Sears for 'The End of the World' before the screen shifted to a very familiar scene.

I watched, mesmerized, as scenes from my own music video were broadcasting. "Sarah Carerra," the voice said one last time. "'You Can't Hurt Me'."

I smiled. I was sure that it was being broadcast across the nation, but I didn't care. It wasn't likely that I was going to win anything tonight other than possibly the award for Best New Artist, but just hearing my name called was an amazing feeling!

The video presentation of the nominees ended and all focus was directed back to the stage, where Kristy and Travis were still standing.

"And the winner is..." Travis said before the two of them opened the envelope together.

"Sarah Carerra, 'You Can't Hurt Me'!" Katie screamed into the microphone over the already cheering crowd.

I felt a lump form in my throat, choking me. I turned to Emily, shocked. She was smiling and wrapped her arms around me in a hug.

"Congratulations, Megan," she whispered into my ear. "I knew you could do it!"

I nodded, or at least I thought I did, before I turned and made my way down the aisle toward the stage. The lights seemed too bright. The sounds seemed to be too loud. Time stretched on into eternity as I walked. Someone grabbed my hand and helped me up the few steps onto the stage, and then before I knew what was happening I was standing in front of a microphone with something heavy in my hands.

I looked down, shocked to find one of the award statues there. For a moment I just stared at it. I tried to understand what was happening. My mind was racing so fast that I couldn't even remember what I was supposed to say in the unlikely event that this moment happened. I knew I had prepared something, but I could no longer remember it.

"Um," I said, which was not a good start. "Wow," came next, but it didn't help any more. "This is unexpected," was third, and it caused a bit of laughter from the crowd. It was probably pretty obvious that I hadn't thought this was going to happen.

"This is more than I ever expected to have happen tonight," I said, finally finding some of the words that were jumbling around inside my brain. "I was honestly just happy to be nominated for these awards. I need to thank God for giving me this opportunity. My family for being so supportive. I miss them dearly and can't wait to see them again. I have to thank my former manager Don and his family for helping me find a start and giving me a place to stay. Scott Crawford for giving me the chance to sing. Olympic Records and all of the many wonderful people that have worked with me. My band 'Pop Fly' and Sophie and Holly. Xander and Chloe, my two best friends. None of this would have happened without them. But most of all I have to thank the fans for believing in me. I have been so amazed with how wonderful you guys have been. Thank you."

I took a deep breath, amazed that I had been able to get all of that out. Whenever we sat at home and watched these awards shows I always thought it seemed so fake when the winners started spouting off name after name, but now, after going through it, all I could think about were all of the other names that were now popping into my head that hadn't come out of my mouth earlier. I hoped they didn't hate me for not mentioning them.

Music started, and I was moving, being led somewhere. Some moments later I realized that I was backstage on a couch, trying to catch my breath.

"Are you okay?" a young woman asked from nearby.

"Yeah," I replied, breathing deeply. "I just... I didn't... Yeah. Just give me a second."

"Okay," she replied. "But don't take too long. The media is waiting for pictures and interviews before you need to get ready for your performance."

I nodded, but things still seemed so surreal. The only thing tethering me to the ground at this point was the weight of the statue in my hand. I held it tightly, trying to wrestle myself into some semblance of order.

I still didn't feel normal moments later when the young woman led me further down the hall. I didn't feel like myself as I posed for more photos and answered questions posed by a large contingent of press in an appointed area backstage. I wasn't even fully aware of what was going on as I changed into the 'You Can't Hurt Me' dress in my dressing room backstage and let Stephanie do my makeup.

It wasn't until I was up on stage performing 'You Can't Hurt Me' for the crowd that I started to feel normal again. There, surrounded by five of the people whom I had thanked during my speech, I finally found my breath again.

* * *

It was nearly 45 minutes later by the time I made it back to my seat next to Emily. After my performance I had to change back into my original dress, return the performance dress to Stephanie for safekeeping, and then I had to wait for a commercial break before I could be escorted back to my seat. Emily was happy to see me, of course, and hugged me once again. She wanted to see the award immediately, but I'd had to turn it in to someone instead of holding it in my seat throughout the night. I was still unclear if I was going to be able to take the award home later this evening or if it was going to be delivered to me later, but I no longer needed it to ground me in reality. I had Emily for that.

We watched the rest of the show in wonder. Emily readily admitted that they were a lot more fun in person than on TV. Josh was nominated for Best Male Video, but he didn't win. Eventually, they got to the next award that I had been nominated for: Best New Artist.

After winning Best Pop Video I felt really good about my chances at winning this award. Many people had commented on my meteoric rise to fame, and I thought that might give me a chance to win one more award tonight. This was likely the only other shot I had at getting back onto stage this evening.

"And the nominees are..." the actor and actress on stage said before the familiar video presentation started once more.

"Sarah Carerra," the female voice intoned my name once more. "'You Can't Hurt Me'." It then went on to name my competition: For The People for 'Kickers', Caleena for 'Wasp', Shauna for 'Last of Me', and someone named Geisha that I had never heard of for a song oddly entitled 'Coochie Coo'.

"And the winner is..." the actress said.

"For the People, 'Kickers'!" the actor said.

I immediately felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. Best New Artist had been the one award that I thought I could win this evening. It had been the one award that I wanted to win, and it hadn't happened. I kept a smile on my face as I watched the band that had won climb onto the stage. Even they seemed a little shocked that they had won. But they did make good music, and despite my disappointment, I was happy for them.

Emily grabbed my hand and squeezed.

* * *

The rest of the awards show went better. After I had resigned myself to taking home the one award I started to enjoy myself again. Emily and I enjoyed the other performances. We enjoyed the silly banter that the presenters tried to entertain us with. We even managed to enjoy listening to the ‘thank you’ speeches, something we normally joked about. But even Emily seemed to recognize how important they were after her own name had been included in one.

That was why when my name was said during the nominations for Best Female Video I sat back and enjoyed the applause I received while smiling and waving at the camera that was pointed at me.

"And the winner is..." the presenter said once again. "Stella, 'The Deep'."

I kept smiling, knowing that I was being watched. But I still had to think about how weird fan-voted awards shows were. Earlier I had won Best Pop Video over Stella's own video, but now she had turned around and won Best Female Video over me. It didn't make a whole lot of sense when anyone really thought about it. If she had the Best Female Video then it seemed to me like she would have the Best Pop Video too.

Then again, I was glad the award was fan-voted because it did give me the chance to at least win something. Jonothon had done a great job in coming up with not only a perfect idea for my video, but also in directing it to make sure that his vision came to life. I loved the video, and it seemed like my fans liked it enough to vote for it in at least one of the categories that I had been nominated for. I was also happy that Jonothon had won his own award for the video.

I applauded as hard as everyone around me. She had a great music video that deserved the award just as much as I felt mine did. I would have certainly rather heard them call my own name, but there would be other times and other awards shows. I knew Sarah Carerra wasn't going away soon if my fan base was any indication, which meant I would likely be back here at some point.

There was a bit of 'fluff' and another performance between the presentation for Best Female Video and Video of the Year. Emily sat by and watched as Travis Edmunds performed for us. We enjoyed what little time was left. Who knew when we would get to experience something like this again?

When it finally came time for the big award of the evening I smiled when Josh Holliday walked out on stage with Isabelle Frost, who was an actress not much older than us. Josh hadn't mentioned to me that he was a presenter this evening, so I sat forward in my chair to listen.

"The Video of the Year award culminates your favorite music video debuted over the last year," Josh said.

"Video of the Year has been awarded to some of the biggest names in the music industry," Isabelle told the crowd. "And this year we get to add one more name to that distinguished list. The nominees for Video of the Year are..."

The screens lit up once more showing clips from the music videos as they announced the names. "Katie Sperry," the voice we had been listening to all night started. "'4th of July'".

There was some applause before the clip on the screens changed to another video I had seen more than once during the evening. "Stella, 'The Deep'." After winning the award for Best Female Video, Stella was my guess for the winner of this award.

The next video made me smile. It was nice to be included at this point in the night. "Sarah Carerra, 'You Can't Hurt Me'." I sighed. I loved that video. It would have been nice to have it honored more throughout the night, but there were some amazing videos winning awards this year.

"Travis Edmunds, 'Make Some Noise'," the voice continued. Travis, who had presented my award, had also won the award for Best Male Artist. If anyone could give Stella a run for her money, it was Travis.

The screens changed once more and the song that had started the evening blared out into the crowd once again. "Allyson Sutterfield," the voice reminded us. "'Helpless'."

The screens went dark briefly before displaying the two people still waiting on stage. Isabelle reached for the microphone first.

"And the Video of the Year award goes to..." she said before opening the envelope with Josh.

Josh and Isabelle both smiled at the same time, but it was Josh who spoke. It was Josh who rattled my world to its core.

"Sarah Carerra!" he screamed excitedly into the microphone. "'You Can't Hurt Me'."

The deafening noise in the theatre fell to a murmur in my mind. My eyes caught Josh's, and I saw him mouth "you deserve it" much like I had said to him earlier this summer. Then I was blindsided by a little ball of energy as Emily wrapped her arms around me and squeezed tightly. By the time she let go the theatre was starting to go dark, but it wasn’t because of lack of oxygen.

Slowly I made my way down the aisle once more and up onto the stage. Not once had I ever thought that I could win the top honors this evening. Never had I believed that 'You Can't Hurt Me' was good enough to win Video of the Year. I had nothing prepared for this, and my mind was blank.

Once I reached the stage I was handed another statue. This one felt ten times heavier than the one that had been given to me earlier. For a moment, I thought that it was going to make me fall over. It was two more steps to the microphone, but I didn't make it there before Josh wrapped me in another hug.

"Congratulations, Sarah," he whispered before letting me go. I smiled back at him and did my best to try to figure out what to say to everyone watching me have a mental breakdown.

I stepped up to the microphone. There was still a lot of clapping and cheering in the theatre, but they quieted down almost immediately. I still didn't know what to say and looked down at the award once more.

"Wow," finally came out, mirroring my earlier comment. I looked back up at the crowd. "I was happy just winning the other one."

There was some laughter around the theatre now, which helped to bolster my nerves and give me an idea of what to say. I'd already pretty much thanked everyone for helping with the song already. But I had something else that I had to say instead.

"This song came from one of the lowest moments of my life," I told the crowd. "To go from there, all the way to the amazing feeling that is coursing through me right now, is something that I don't know how to describe. I wrote this song for myself, but it has grown so far beyond its original meaning." I held the award up for everyone to see. "I'd like to thank everyone who voted for self-esteem. I'd like to thank everybody who voted for learning how to live their own lives. I'd like to thank everyone for voting for the future. May this song remind us all that we are strong. We are capable. And we can make our own decisions."

I paused for a moment. I could already feel the tear streaking down my left cheek.

"Thank you for voting for a better life."

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.21 - Woe is Austin

The next week was a mix of ups and downs. On Monday I was able to miss a couple of classes when I was invited to appear on the Tonight Show again. I also made a number of after-school appearances at other events to help promote my name and my music after winning the top award at the Video Music Awards.

But I didn't have a single performance, and that made me sad. I didn't have another performance scheduled until the concert at my school in a couple of weeks. On Thursday afternoon I started to have withdrawals, as Dad called them. I had to get my guitar out and play some songs for my family, Ethan, and Emily to get them to disappear. I had no idea what I was going to do after the school concert when I didn't have a single performance scheduled until the Christmas concert two months later! I thought I would go crazy!

School went pretty well. I saw Jared Lumbart in the halls a few times but all he did was sneer. He left me alone, and I hoped that it would stay that way. My P.E. class had pretty much accepted me for who I really was, much to Amber Hartfield's chagrin. She was still intent on the notion that I was really a boy and there was nothing that I could do to convince her otherwise. I knew that she was still planning something by the way she kept glaring at me, but nothing had happened yet. I was keeping my eye on her, though.

It was the following Monday that school turned into a nightmare once again. But this time, it wasn't my nightmare. I was walking down the hall toward my class when it happened. I turned the corner just in time to see a girl punch someone in the stomach. He doubled over and I watched as the girls started laughing before turning and walking away.

Everyone who had been watching the altercation just stared at the boy. I moved toward him. Somebody needed to make sure he was alright.

"Are you okay?" I asked, dropping to my knees next to him.

The boy groaned before he looked up at me. The horror, the pain, the heartache that rushed through my body at the sight of his face almost brought tears to my eyes.

I gasped. It was Austin!

"Megan?" he asked, unsure if I was really there.

"What happened?" I asked, and then I pulled him into a hug before he could even respond. There were some gasps from some of the boys around us at my reaction, and I saw some envy in the eyes of the girls as I scanned the crowd for answers. None were forthcoming.

"I don't know," Austin croaked, and I could see that he was close to tears. I half expected him to push me away. I knew that he didn't want to look weak in front of the mostly freshman group that was watching us. "She just punched me!"

He honestly didn't seem to know, but when he looked up at me all I could see was a black eye that was already starting to form. That girl had more than punched him just once in the stomach. She had beaten him for some reason.

"Come on," I said while lifting him to his feet. "Let's get you to the nurse."

Austin sighed, but he didn't argue. He was in pain and he knew that he was going to need some type of attention. I reached back down and grabbed his bag before wrapping my arm around his waist. That got another gasp from some of the boys nearby. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them.

Austin limped for a few steps before he stopped and doubled over for a moment in pain. When it passed we started forward again. He was leaning on me heavily and I hoped that he hadn't been hurt badly. The eyes of his classmates watched us until we turned a corner, and I still couldn't figure out why they were staring.

"If nothing else I'm getting some good street cred," Austin finally joked as we continued walking. I smiled to hear some of his witty personality breaking through the pain. He was starting to walk with less assistance now, and I hoped that the worst was already over.

We walked in silence for a bit longer before he spoke again.

"All those guys are going to be jealous, you know," he said, turning to look at me for a moment.

"Why?" I asked. I couldn't understand why anyone would be jealous of someone who had just been beaten up.

"Because you were doting on me," he replied, a wry smile told me that it was funny to him. "They think you are the hottest girl in school, you know."

I choked, and stopped walking. "What?!"

Austin was laughing now, though it looked like the motion was causing him some pain. "Yeah," he said once he had calmed down. "They pretty much idolize you. I know some of them hope you'll go to a dance with them."

I couldn't understand what I was hearing, and I started laughing. "But don't they know..." I asked. I was unable to finish the sentence though.

"No," he replied. I didn't have to tell him what I was asking about. "And you have to admit, nobody would ever guess that you weren't always a girl. You're too pretty."

I laughed, partially to hide my discomfort but mostly because my brother called me pretty. He'd done it before, and some of his friends had certainly had their eyes on me. But he was telling me that there was a whole subset of students at this school who had no idea I hadn't always attended classes as Megan. That was positive news, even if it had come at the cost of his beating.

"Okay," I said. "But don't they know I'm your sister?"

"Some of them," he replied. "But I haven't told many people. I told them we knew each other and that has caused some people to like me. But most of them don't know we're related."

I laughed again. Austin was a smart kid. He was riding the Megan Campbell popularity train that seemed to be occurring in the freshman year. I was happy to hear that something positive had come out of all the turmoil the past year had brought me. If my pain and suffering had brought some good to Austin's life, then it was all worthwhile.

"Come on," I said while lightly pushing him forward. "You still need to see the nurse."

He nodded, and we moved forward again. But it was only a few steps before we were both laughing our heads off.

* * *

Austin had just been unlucky, according to the principal. The girl who had punched him had been dared to punch the next freshman boy she came across by her friends. At least, that was her story. The girl was a sophomore and didn't even know Austin's name. She had just come up, swung at his head where she connected with his eye before also punching him in the stomach, which is what I had seen when I came around the corner. She and her friends had been suspended, but Austin didn't want to press charges.

Austin seemed to be okay with the outcome. The nurse gave him a clean bill of health other than some bruising, and he had this perverse belief that he had come out on top in the ordeal because of all the attention I had given him in front of his peers. I wasn't happy with the outcome, but it wasn't my decision to press charges. It was nice to know my parents felt the same way I did, but they had left the decision up to him.

I was worried about him the next day. I checked on him a couple of times between classes and even gave him a couple of hugs and kissed him on the cheek once. That seemed to go over well with his peers, and I was always happy to show him how much I loved him.

He had been in good spirits when I left him to go to Chorus, but when he showed up at my car after school for a ride home he was sad and despondent. He told me that nothing had happened to him, but I knew he was lying. He refused to talk about it, though.

When we walked in the door at home I was going to recruit my mom to try to find out what had happened, but instead I found Mom, Dad, and Amy sitting around the kitchen table waiting for me.

"Hello," I greeted them, curious about what was going on.

"Hi, Megan!" Amy greeted me. I didn't spend very much time around her without the wig on so the novelty of seeing me without it was still something that made her smile. My parents also greeted me.

"What's going on?" I had to ask when nobody started to explain what was happening.

"The American Music Award nominees were announced today," Dad finally said.

I felt my breath catch in my throat and my heart started to race at his words! It had only been a week since I had won my first awards, and now it seemed that I might be nominated for some more!

"And?" I asked excitedly.

"You've been nominated for four awards," Dad replied excitedly. "Favorite Pop/Rock Album, Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist, New Artist of the Year, and Artist of the Year."

My eyes widened, and I found myself taking a deep breath! I could understand being nominated for New Artist of the Year. I could even possibly understand being nominated for the Pop/Rock categories. But it still seemed so unlikely that I could be nominated for Artist of the Year already. But after the events of the VMAs I had to wonder if there wasn't some possibility that I could win the big award once more.

My dad handed me a paper that showed my competition in each category, and I couldn't understand how my name could be listed with so many big names in the music industry. I knew I had some good songs. 'You Can't Hurt Me' had just topped the VMAs. But those awards were for a single song. These awards were about much more.

"Congratulations, Princess," Dad said before he hugged me. My mom was next, and then Amy. Even Austin gave me a hug, which reminded me of his attitude before we had entered the house. I could tell that he was happy for me, but I could also see something else in his eyes when we broke apart. Something sad.

"Thanks," I replied automatically. Then I opened my mouth once more to ask Austin what was wrong. But the words didn't come. He saw me though, and he subtly shook his head. Whatever it was he didn't want to talk about it.

Mom didn't miss our exchange, however. Something had clued her in, and she voiced a question that made Austin cringe.

"How did tryouts for the soccer team go, Austin?" she asked.

I was still looking into Austin's eyes as she spoke, and I almost broke into tears at the hurt that he displayed for the briefest of moments before he caught himself and turned to our parents.

"I didn't make the team," he said in a downcast tone.

I had forgotten that today was the day that Austin was trying out for the Freshman JV team at our school. I had watched enough of his games to believe that he would make the team. I couldn't comprehend how this could have happened.

"I'm sorry," I said immediately, voicing all of my frustrations as I wrapped him in a hug. He burst into tears immediately. I was sorry he hadn't made the team. I was sorry that I had just taken all of the attention from our parents when he had something like this to deal with. This was the second event in as many days that had brought him to tears, and there was nothing I could do to fix it.

I held him as long as he let me, and eventually he left me for Mom's arms where he stayed even longer. All thoughts of my nominations were forgotten as he cried.

* * *

The next two days were uneventful, except for the number of times that I caught Austin crying at home. He always stopped when I walked in the room, but I knew he hated life at the moment. I wished there was something that I could do to help, but now that the initial burst of tears was over he didn't want me to help in any way. He didn't want me to make it better. Even worse, he didn’t think I could make it better.

I kept an eye on him at school more than usual. He didn’t know I was watching, but I changed the way I walked to my classes to allow me to pass by him in the halls. He always smiled when he saw me, and I smiled back. I hoped that it was helping. It seemed to be.

I was passing him on the way to Chorus Friday afternoon when my heart burst. I found him talking to Susan, his girlfriend, and another boy in one of the halls.

He was crying.

I stopped, close enough to hear, but far enough away that he hadn't noticed me.

"I'm sorry, Austin," I heard Susan say. I sighed. I knew what she was doing now, and it was the last thing that Austin needed right now.

Austin didn't say anything, but I could tell he wanted to. I hadn't seen him this upset in a long time. Susan stood there, waiting for a response. When she realized that one wasn't coming, she sighed.

"Let's go, Sam," she eventually said. She then turned and pulled the boy down the hall away from me while leaving Austin standing there in a daze.

I watched another tear stream down his cheek before he started to look around. When his eyes landed on me he burst into tears. I was at his side immediately, my arms around him. Some of the other students were staring at us, and I knew that Austin wouldn't want them to see him like this.

"Come on," I told him and directed him toward the door that would lead us to the parking lot. He didn't resist at all and it didn't take much work to get him into the front seat of my car. A couple of minutes later we were leaving the parking lot. Chorus was the last thing on my mind.

* * *

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked him while he was chewing. He shook his head.

After leaving the school I had done the only thing I could think of to get his mind off of Susan. I had taken him to Alfredo's, his favorite restaurant. But it wasn't working. Austin hadn't said more than ten words to me since I had pulled him out of the doors of the school. I watched helplessly as he continued to replay the events in his head before sobbing once again. I wished there was something more that I could do for him.

"Sam's been trying to steal her from me since the very beginning," he finally blurted amidst more sobs. I nodded back at him while remembering a conversation we'd had in Cleveland over the summer where he had voiced that concern to me. "I loved her, Megan! How could she do this to me?"

"I don't know, Austin," I replied and placed my hand on top of his. "I don't know."

"But you're a girl!" he accused me. "Tell me how she could do this to me!"

I sighed, but looked him in the eyes. He was starting to break my own heart now.

"I honestly wish I knew, Austin," I said. "But I can't imagine ever hurting someone like she did. I don't understand how anybody could be that cruel."

Tears fell down his cheeks once more, but I saw him nod slowly. He wanted answers, yet I had none to give. My only experience with anything remotely like this was with Josh Holliday. He had hurt me deeply, but my pain had never been as great as what I could see in Austin. I knew that time would heal his pain, but that wouldn’t help him now.

We continued to eat, mostly in silence. I tried to help him as much as I could, but I was sure I wasn't doing enough.

* * *

Mom and I spent the night consoling Austin as much as we could. We watched some movies that he wanted to see. We fed him anything he wanted to eat. We did anything we could to ease his pain. Susan had only been his girlfriend for about four months, but by the way he was acting it almost felt like they had been married.

My dreams that night were tinged with the heartache and pain that I had witnessed over the last week. I woke up feeling depressed, wishing that there was something I could do to make Austin feel better.

My appointment with Mary on Saturday morning shed some light on things I could do to help him. I was willing to try anything at this point, but when I got back home Austin was gone. My dad had taken him out, and I had a feeling that Dad could help him more than I could right now. Austin had said it himself: I was a girl. I couldn't help him the way I could have if I really had been his older brother. I didn't know how to help him that way.

But I did know one thing that I could do. Something had been stirring in me since I had awakened this morning. It was something that I needed to do. It was something I couldn't do at home, where Austin might return at any moment.

I was at home only long enough to put on my wig, grab Sarah's guitar, and return to my car. Then it was only a short drive to my destination. The parking lot was mostly empty today. I knew a few people would be working, but as I pulled into my parking spot and entered Dad's office building I hoped that nobody was around.

Lucy wasn't at the reception desk, but the door into my area of the building was unlocked. When I entered I found a couple of people working at desks in the front area.

"Hi, Connie," I greeted. "Hi, Laura."

"Hi, Sarah," Connie and Laura replied. I wasn't exactly sure what either of them did for me, but I had made sure to learn the names of everyone working in these offices. "We didn't expect to see you this morning."

I lifted my guitar. "I need a quiet place to work on a song," I told them. "Will I disturb you guys if I do?"

"No," Laura told me, smiling.

"Okay," I replied. "I'll keep the door closed then to make sure."

"You don't have to," Connie said with a smile.

I smiled back and then headed down the hallway toward my office. I unlocked the door and entered the quiet room. I was about to shut the door when Connie's smile entered my head again, so I left it open. I walked over to the soft chair that looked out the window. I could see the ocean past the parking lot, and I was excited. I had purchased this chair after Dad had shown me the office for this specific reason.

I spent the next few hours in that room, lost in my own world. I poured my heart into that song. I poured my love for Austin. I poured my desire to tell him how much potential he has, how much he would be able to do in his lifetime.

He might not be enjoying life right now, but this was only a small portion of his life.

"Austin," I voiced after playing through the completed song one last time. "'Your Time Will Come.'"

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.22 - V.I.P. on Campus

The rest of the weekend was a mix of joy and sadness at the same time. I was anxious to share the song I had written with Austin, but I couldn't do that until I met with the band to help me finish it. All weekend I had to watch him mope around the house when I knew I had something that might cheer him up.

On the positive side both 'You Can't Hurt Me' and 'Ever After' were still in the top 10 songs over the weekend. 'You Can't Hurt Me' was still falling, although slowly. It was losing a spot every week and came in at #8 on the countdown. 'Ever After' had continued to rise and was now sitting at #2! I really hoped that it would make the leap to the #1 spot next week. Having it on top would definitely excite Emily. She deserved it.

On Monday morning I did have one thing I could try to cause Austin to smile once again. Initially he looked confused when I handed him a stack of backstage passes to the Sarah Carerra concert we would be performing at the school later this week.

"What are these for?" he asked me.

"These are backstage passes for the school concert," I told him. "I have 60 passes that I need to pass out today, and I want you to pass out 20 of them."

He stared at the passes for a moment as he realized what that meant. Then I was rewarded with a huge smile that I was hoping for as he looked up at me.

"Are you serious?" he asked, excitement overcoming his sadness.

"I'm serious," I replied, returning his smile. "Pick the 20 people whom you know who you want to be there or who you think most deserve it. Just make sure that you write down their names on the paper on top so we have a record of whom we gave them to, okay?"

"Okay," he said and I saw his mind start cranking away on who he wanted to invite to the party of the century as far as our schoolmates were concerned.

When we arrived at the school Austin jumped out of my car almost before I had come to a stop. I had to laugh at his enthusiasm, and I hoped that, if nothing else, it would distract him from how bad he'd been feeling all weekend.

"What's up with him?" Emily asked as she climbed out of my car.

"I gave him some backstage passes to give away," I told her. She started nodding, understanding what that meant.

"Do we get some?" Ethan asked.

"Obviously you have backstage passes," I informed them, wondering how he could even think otherwise.

"I meant do we get to pass some out?" he clarified.

"I have 40 that I need to pass out," I told him. "I figured you two could help me decide who to give them to. Any suggestions?"

"Jane, Kathy, and Ashley, obviously," Emily started.

"Obviously," I shot back and opened my bag to show her that their names were already printed on the top three passes. "Who else?"

We continued to discuss whom we thought deserved the passes as we walked to class. We started to gain a small following as people overheard us, and I knew that it wouldn't be long before the whole school knew what we were up to. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

I sighed as I collapsed onto the bench in front of my locker in the P.E. locker room. Once everyone realized that I was in charge of inviting people to the Star Party for the school concert, they had suddenly become my best friends. As if I wouldn't be able to tell what they were doing. I wasn't dumb enough to give them a backstage pass just because they suddenly were nice to me.

"That bad, huh?" Emily asked from where she was already getting ready for class.

"I always thought that people went nuts backstage when they get to meet Sarah," I replied. "But they can get downright catty when it comes to GETTING backstage passes. I've seen completely new sides to people I thought I already knew."

Emily rolled her eyes and nodded her head in understanding. She had seen how some of my fans acted when it involved a chance to meet me. This wasn't any different, except that this time I knew most of the individuals.

"So you are really in charge of handing out backstage passes?" Liz, one of the girls we shared the row of lockers with, asked.

"Yes," I told her. She had just reminded me that she was on my list. "And in fact, I have something for you. Both of you," I amended and smiled at Rebekah, the other girl. The two of them had become two of my best friends in P.E. Most of the class were still a little distant from me even though they had started to accept who I really was. But these two had taken the time to actually be nice to me while we changed and throughout the class.

The eyes of the two girls opened wide immediately and their excitement started to grow quickly as I pulled out two of the backstage passes, wrote their names on the passes before writing their names on the master list of everyone I had given a pass to. Then I handed each of them their pass.

"Sarah would love to have you join her backstage for a party after the concert," I told each of them, causing them to shriek excitedly. I immediately closed my bag and shoved it in my locker. Seconds later other girls from the class started to come down to our row, and I knew they would be looking for similar treatment.

Instead, I started changing. We still had a class to get ready for.

* * *

Filling my tray with food at lunch time was almost impossible. Everyone in the school was now aware of what I was doing today and I was hounded at every single step I made as I walked between classes. The lunch room was no different, and students, some whom I didn't even know, kept stepping in my way and prevented me from getting to the food as they pled their case. All of them left empty-handed.

I had received permission from Principal Hall to let Austin and me distribute most of the passes during one of the afternoon classes, so even the students who were going to receive a pass later in the day left empty-handed after talking to me. I had instructed Austin to do the same for anyone who wasn't a close friend to help keep people from getting out of hand. I'd been checking up on Austin throughout the day like I had been doing since he had been beaten up, and so far he hadn't had any problems either. I only hoped that luck would last through the rest of the day.

Eventually I made it to the table where my friends were already sitting. Some of them were amazed at how many people were following me around, but I was starting to learn how to ignore the clamoring as much as possible as I went about my business. They could hate me all they wanted because at the end of the day only my true friends were going to get a pass to my big party.

"Don't worry," I said before anyone could say anything. "I have one for each of you."

All of them smiled immediately, and it also cleared the air at the table. I knew that they were all anxious to learn if they would be invited, and now they had their answer. However, if I pulled the passes out of my bag with so many people around, a riot could ensue. They would receive their passes this afternoon like most of the other lucky students.

"If nothing else, everyone knows your name now," Ethan said, which caused me to laugh. The attention I was getting today was not exactly the type of attention I wanted, but it certainly beat the attention that I sometimes received from some of my fellow students.

"The question is whether or not they hate me after today," I replied.

"I think most of them will be nice to you," Jane replied. "They now know that you have big connections to Sarah, and they won't want to jeopardize their chances to get something from you later."

"You might be right," I told her. "But that won't make my day any easier."

"Don't think about the ones who are going to be upset," Emily said. "Think about all of the people whom you are going to make really happy today. Focus on them and ignore the rest."

I paused and stared at Emily as I thought about what she had said. That sounded like a great idea. I had been so worried about all of the people who were going to be mad, but I should be thinking about people like Liz and Rebekah. They had been so excited for the chance to meet Sarah. This was the first time that I had full control over who would be at the Star Party. This was the first time that I exclusively chose who would meet Sarah. And I had a responsibility to myself to make sure that I picked the right people. I had a responsibility to make sure that it was going to be the best party ever. Inviting people like Liz and Rebekah would help to fulfill that responsibility, and we would have a blast at the same time.

I nodded to Emily. She was right. I wasn't going to worry about those individuals who didn't get an invitation. Instead I would focus on the positive side of making this list.

"Uh oh," Ethan said, breaking my new promise as Ethan watched someone approaching. I followed his gaze, and frowned. How was I supposed to focus on the positive aspects of making a backstage list if I had to deal with someone like Johnny Crawford?

Johnny sauntered up to the table, and I knew immediately what he wanted. Johnny and I had a very rocky relationship, to say the least. Johnny was Scott's son, and he had tried to use his dad's connection as my representative from Olympic Records and as my producer to further his own agenda. He had a crush on Sarah, but there was no way that I would ever let him get close to her. He had been told by both his father and my own father that he needed to stay away from her.

"No, Johnny," I told him before he said anything. "You know that you aren't invited backstage. I'm not going to give you a pass."

Immediately his stance shifted and I knew I had upset him already. But I didn't care. I'd dealt with him enough times to know that I didn't want anything to do with him.

"Come on, Megan," he said in a much nicer tone than I expected. "What's the harm? There are going to be lots of people there; she won't mind."

"I was given specific instructions by Sarah not to give you a pass," I explained. "I'm not going to give you one."

Johnny started to turn slightly red with anger. I started to worry. The last time I had seen Johnny mad like this he had almost been arrested when he hit the police officer who was dragging him away from the table where I was signing autographs at my album release. I'd been avoiding him ever since and this was only the second time that we had talked since then. I had managed to avoid him completely as Megan since the school year ended, but now I was worried about what he would do next.

Before I even knew what he was doing he reached out and grabbed my bag from where I had set it next to me on the bench.

"Hey!” I screamed and tried to grab it back. But he was too strong and he yanked it out of my hands. He retreated a few steps, and I jumped up to go after him. "Stop now, Johnny, or I'll make sure you are banned from the concert!"

"You can't do that!" he yelled back, unzipping the top of my bag and reaching in. He found the stack of passes held together by a rubber band immediately, and pulled it out.

"Last chance, Johnny!" I yelled as he started to pull one of the passes out of the stack. "Give them back to me or you will never be allowed at a Sarah Carerra event again!"

The whole cafeteria was watching our exchange now. There were many witnesses to what happened next, but even if every single one of them signed an affidavit about what they saw I still wouldn’t have believed it.

Out of nowhere a large hand slammed down onto Johnny's shoulder, holding him in place as the giant's other hand grabbed the stack of passes from him.

"The lady said no!" he forcefully told Johnny. "Do you have a hearing problem?"

"N..No," Johnny stammered, and I had never seen him so scared before. I would have reveled in the fear that was crossing Johnny's face if I hadn't been just as terrified myself.

"Now apologize," my rescuer said and roughly shoved Johnny forward toward me.

"I'm sorry, Megan," escaped Johnny quickly. I knew he didn't mean it. He was scared to death. But if it meant that I got the passes safely back in my hands, I would accept it.

I nodded, and the hand clamped on Johnny's shoulder released him. Johnny took off immediately, but my eyes never left the person who had just intervened. He picked up my bag that Johnny had dropped and then stepped toward me, holding both the bag and the passes out to me.

"Here," he said. It wasn't exactly in a nice tone of voice, but it was better than what I was used to hearing from him.

"Thanks, Jared," I replied, taking the items from him. Jared Lumbart was the last person that I expected to come to my defense! He had been nothing but mean to me since the first time that Megan had set foot in this school. I couldn't even comprehend why he would step up and do what he had done. It didn't make any sense to me.

"This doesn't mean we're friends," he growled back before he turned and returned to the table he had been sitting at. I just watched for a moment before I was able to return the passes to the safety of my bag and return to my own table.

I spent the rest of the lunch period staring at my food in incomprehension, unable to eat.

* * *

"Do you have all of the names?" I asked Austin. He nodded and handed me the list he had filled out. Some of the names on the list were his friends, but there were others whose names I didn’t recognize. I handed the list over to the secretary in the main office of the school, who began looking up which class each of them was in. She had already gone through my own list while we waited for my brother to arrive.

It was about five minutes later that she had the list filled out and wished us luck. Austin and I then left the office for our mission. We had 49 of the 60 passes to pass out during this period.

We started spreading good cheer in the freshman classes. I watched from the doorway as Austin entered each of the classes. Principal Hall had made an announcement that we were coming by to hand out the passes, so each of the students were mesmerized immediately when we walked into the classrooms. Anticipation was rampant as Austin moved through each room. Groans of disappointment were drowned by the excited shrieks of the people he handed passes to. I smiled as I watched their reactions. Austin even got a few kisses on the cheek from some very good looking freshmen girls when he handed them a pass.

Then we moved on to the other classes. I had the privilege of seeing the reaction from nearly every single individual who had been invited to the Star Party when they received their backstage pass. I normally didn't get to see these types of reactions, and I was overwhelmed by the emotions that some of them displayed.

It had been over three weeks since my last concert, and I had almost forgotten how excited my fans could be at the prospect of meeting me. I still didn't understand why they felt that way about meeting Sarah. I hadn't done anything special. I had written and sung a few songs, but I still didn't feel like I had done anything to deserve the responses I received from my fans. Some of my schoolmates were in tears as I handed them their passes.

When we reached the final classroom, I took a deep breath. I had three passes left to distribute, and on the other side of the door were one of my first and one of my last decisions for receiving a pass. The two individuals who would be receiving the passes were nearly as opposite as two people could be. But I wanted both of them there, even if it was for entirely different reasons.

I opened the door, and Austin followed me inside. The class fell into silence almost immediately as the teacher stopped talking and the students gave me their rapt attention. I scanned the classroom until I found the two students I was looking for.

I started walking toward the first almost immediately. As I approached I saw her smile. Everyone knew she was one of my friends, so it wasn't much of a surprise when I handed a pass to Jane.

"Thank you, Megan," she told me.

"It's my pleasure," I told her. Then I turned to walk toward the other student. Everyone in the classroom could see that I still had two passes in my hands, and as I passed each of them they tensed up and then softly groaned as I passed them. Except for the one I was approaching. He started to look uncomfortable almost immediately, and he slightly turned away from me as I got closer.

"These are for you," I told Jared Lumbart while placing both of the remaining passes down on his desk, causing many of the people in the class to gasp. "I want you to bring somebody special with you. And thank you, Jared."

I smiled, and he scowled back at me. He wasn't happy with what I was doing, but the thin curl of his mouth told me that he wanted the passes. Jared and I had a rocky past, but perhaps we could now put it behind us.

"This doesn't mean we're friends," he echoed his sentiment from lunch.

"I know," I told him. "But that doesn't mean that I don't want you there. Enjoy them."

He nodded, and I turned around. I was smiling as I walked toward the door.

Austin was shocked as I approached him, but I knew one thing for certain as he turned and opened the door to let me out.

This was going to be the most interesting Star Party ever.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.23 - The Death of Insanity

Walking around the school's halls on Tuesday was a much better experience. Most of the students left me alone because they knew that the backstage passes had been handed out. The few who kept pestering me for a pass were annoying, but easily ignored. Eventually they realized that I wasn't handing out any more passes, and finally they began to leave me alone.

In fact, school was actually fairly calm despite the fact that I would be performing a concert here in two days’ time. There were posters of Sarah all over the walls, and there was a buzz among the students, but for the most part it was a normal day.

At least, until my last class of the afternoon. Chorus had been the one class that I hated to attend. Every single day I worried about someone finding out my secret. Every day I worried that I would have to do something I didn't want to do.

Mr. Benson was excited again as I entered the room, which put me on edge immediately. When he was buzzing like this it usually meant bad things for me. I wished that I could just drop the class from my schedule. It would make my life much easier if I did.

After marking down attendance for the day Mr. Benson turned my life upside down. He did the one thing that he agreed he wouldn't do in this class.

"I'm adding another song to our Halloween performance," Mr. Benson announced. Dread filled me immediately. "If we are going to be performing with Sarah for Christmas it would be beneficial for us to learn some of her songs."

I was stunned! I shot daggers at Mr. Benson with my eyes as I felt my breathing deepen, my face heated up, and I did my best to hold back my anger. Sarah's songs were off limits for this class as long as I was a chorus member! We had agreed on that fact. But now he was changing that agreement, and I was NOT okay with what he was doing! He purposely avoided my gaze as he described the addition to our performance. He wanted the chorus to sing 'You Can't Hurt Me' for the school, and while I agreed it could be adapted easily, I wanted nothing to do with the performance!

"Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" I asked Mr. Benson when he paused his explanation.

"Not right now, Megan," he said, stirring the embers of my ire. "We have a lot to do today if we are going to be ready for the performance next week."

He then started to continue his explanation of what he was hoping for from the song. I stood up, which caused him to stop talking.

"Now!" I said as forcefully as I could and pointed at the small office connected to the chorus room. In effect, I had given Mr. Benson an order. He sighed, but started walking toward the door. I followed behind him and once I was inside the office I closed the door behind me and then lowered the blinds on the window that looked out on the chorus room. I knew from experience that the students in the class would not be able to hear us while we were in here.

"Megan--" Mr. Benson started, but I didn't let him continue.

"We had a deal!" I nearly yelled at him. "Nothing that would expose my secret! Do you remember that?"

"This won't expose your secret!" He shot back. "We're singing the song as a chorus. This isn't a solo piece for you. The class won't make the connection!"

"No!" I exclaimed. "We are NOT singing that song while I am in this class! Did you even get permission to use it for the performance?"

"Of course I did," he told me, and I suspected that he was telling me the truth. Somebody in my office had likely given the okay because they knew that Sarah was performing with his chorus group later this year. It wouldn't have been a problem if I was willing to sing the song with the class.

But I wasn't.

"Look," he continued. "I understand your concern. I do. But if we are going to be singing with Sarah then we need to learn some of her songs to help prepare us."

"Why?" I shot back. "We aren't going to be singing any of them at the Christmas concert. Why would we need to sing them?"

"Because..." he said before he stopped. He thought for a moment. "Because it will help us to perform with you better. It will bring the class closer to you so that they will be able to complement your voice better."

That was bogus, and I didn’t buy it. I could see how he would want to use Sarah to help elevate the class, but I didn't believe it was necessary.

"I'm not singing any of my songs in this class, Mr. Benson," I declared. "Especially two days before my concert! If you insist on including them or any other song that could expose Sarah's true identity, then I am leaving this class."

I was worried immediately about how he would take that threat, but I didn't let it show. Mr. Benson hadn't signed a non-disclosure agreement, and angering him could be very bad for my career. If he leaked my real identity to the press it could ruin Sarah Carerra. I did not know how my fans would react to the deception, even if it was to allow me a better quality of life. But it was a risk I was going to have to take right now, because he was trying to get me to do things that were totally off limits. I had to assert my dominance in this relationship or he was going to believe that he had the right to control aspects of our performance together. And that was not the case.

Mr. Benson sighed. Then he took away the one advantage I thought he had over me.

"Megan, your lawyer required me to sign the non-disclosure agreement when I asked for permission to use the song," he told me, taking away the one position of advantage he had over me. "I would never intentionally disclose your secret to anyone. Singing a few of Sarah's songs as part of a group is not going to expose you."

"Mr. Benson," I said coldly. My worry had evaporated, and I knew I had the upper ground now. "This is not a negotiation. I am telling you what your chorus is going to do if you want me to stay in this class. Do you understand?"

"No, Megan, I don't," he replied. "This is MY class. You are MY student. You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do."

"Yes, Mr. Benson, I can," I shot back. "Sarah does not need to perform with your chorus. There are plenty of other schools around here that would love the chance to perform with her. I'm sure I could find someone else to join me on stage for the Christmas concert if I need to."

"You can't do that!" he yelled. "We had an agreement! This chorus gets to perform with Sarah! What you are doing is coercion and I won't be a part of it!"

"Fine!" I yelled back. "Those are my terms! Take it or leave it!"

Mr. Benson stood there, staring at me. I could see the anger in his eyes. I could hear the soft grinding of his teeth. He was not happy with me, and I was not happy with him. This whole chorus thing had been a bad idea from the start. I never wanted to be in his class. I didn't want to do this anymore! It was too stressful! It was too likely to expose my secret!

"Megan," Mr. Benson finally said in a softer voice. "The class needs this. They want to sing Sarah's songs. They want to feel like they are a part of her world. I'm doing this for them. I'm not trying to expose Sarah's identity. I promise."

It was my turn to be silent as I considered his words. He was right. I knew that. He wasn't trying to ruin my life. But that didn't mean that his actions wouldn't lead to the secret being revealed.

"I know," I replied a moment later. "It would be best for the class. But I told you the truth. I cannot sing one of my own songs in this classroom. I just can't. I think that it is time that I dropped out of the class. It would be the best solution. You get the chance to bring Sarah into the class and I get to be free of all the stress this stupid class gives me. Okay?"

"No," he said immediately. "I want you in this class, Megan. You can do a lot to help those students. I need you."

"No," I replied. "You don't need me, Mr. Benson. You are a good teacher. You have a good group of students out there. You will do just fine without me."

"Please, Megan," he pleaded.

"No," I reiterated. "I want Sarah to sing with this chorus. I want your class to perform with me. But I think this is the only way that is going to happen. I can't stay any longer."

We stood in silence for a moment before he finally nodded.

Without another word I turned and opened the door back into the classroom and walked over to where my bag was, between my friends.

"I'm sorry," I told them before I picked up my bag and left the classroom.

* * *

"And so you just quit?!" Ethan nearly yelled at me.

"I had to, Ethan," I replied, but that didn't make him feel any better. I knew that the only reason he was in Chorus was because of me, and now I had abandoned him. Paul and Jane were also cornering me as I waited for Emily and Austin to arrive at my car so we could go home. They too were not happy with me. I pointed at Jane. "I thought you'd be happy!"

"That's beside the point!" she retorted. "Being made the top girl in the class isn't the same without you!"

"I'm sorry," I said, admonished. "But it was something I had to do," I repeated. "I can't be in that class anymore. It's too dangerous."

"Why?" Jane shot back immediately. "What could have possibly changed to make you feel that way? Are you too good to sing Sarah's songs?"

I sighed, holding back the words that I knew I wanted to, but couldn't, say. Ethan and Paul knew my secret, but Jane didn't. And this was not a good time to tell her about Sarah. She was too upset to handle the news properly.

"Are you sure this was the only way?" Ethan asked. "I mean, there had to be something that you and Mr. Benson could have worked out."

"I'm sure," I told him truthfully. "This is the best way to prepare the class for the concert with Sarah. I would just hinder that progress if I stayed in the class."

"How?" Jane asked, frustration evident in her voice. "Why?"

She wanted answers, and I couldn't give them to her.

"It just is, Jane," I said. "Trust me."

"Trust you?!" she screamed back. "You're the one who told me to sing! You told me to go for it! How can you give up like this?!"

"I'm not giving up!" I yelled back. "This is completely different!"

"How?!" she asked again. "How is it different?!"

"It just is!" I screamed.

"Okay," Ethan said while stepping between us. "Jane, she's telling the truth. This is different. And Megan, quit yelling. I understand why you left. I'm not happy about it, but that doesn't give you the right to yell at us, okay?"

I stood there, smoldering. I could feel the tears sliding down my cheeks and I just wanted to go home. This was the worst thing that could have happened today! I had been so excited about getting to perform another concert, and then Mr. Benson had to go and ruin everything! He had promised me that he wouldn't, but he had done it anyway.

I didn't say anything else. I just opened the door to my car, got in, and then locked the doors. They could all wait outside until it was time to go home. I didn't want to talk to them anymore.

* * *

I still felt like crap when I pulled my car into my parking space outside my new office. I wanted to go home, lock myself in my room, and forget about the world. But I was supposed to meet the band to finish Austin's song this afternoon, and I knew that I couldn't cancel on them.

Lucy smiled at me as I stepped into the lobby. I smiled back, even if I didn't feel it. There were a couple of girls standing at her desk, waiting for someone. They screamed when they saw me, but I just waved and entered my offices. I wasn't in the mood to deal with fans.

I greeted all the people who were working as I walked through the large open office area inside the door and as I walked down the hall. The door to the sound studio was closed, but I could hear the band warming up on the other side. I left them alone and continued down to another office first.

The door was open, and I found my attorney, Josh Carlson, inside his office, working. He looked up at me immediately.

"Hi, Sarah," he said with a smile. "Can I help you with something?"

I stepped inside, placed my guitar down on the floor, and then closed his door behind me.

"Thank you for getting Mr. Benson to sign a non-disclosure agreement," I told him.

He nodded, but he grimaced at the same time.

"Has he done something?" Josh asked. As Sarah's lawyer, Josh was one of the few individuals in this building who knew the truth about me. I had never met him without the wig on, but he knew that I was really Don's daughter. He knew I was Megan. He also knew what my relationship with Mr. Benson was.

"He broke a verbal agreement we had," I told him while taking a seat across from him. "But nothing we need to worry about. I was worried about arguing with him until he told me he had signed an agreement."

"What happened?" Josh asked, worried that there might be legal concerns despite my assurances otherwise.

"He wants to sing Sarah Carerra songs in the Chorus. I did not," I replied. "I dropped Chorus today, and he wasn't very happy about it."

"Do we need to worry?" Josh asked.

"I don't think so," I told him. "He wasn't happy, but I think we both agreed that this was the best course of action for the future. I just wanted to tell you and thank you. I was really scared about what would happen if I angered him. I'm glad you were able to get him to sign."

"It's what I'm here for," he said, smiling.

I laughed, feeling better for the first time since Chorus.

* * *

My day improved after the meeting with Josh. I spent most of the evening with my band working on finishing 'Your Time Will Come'. Spending time with friends who weren't mad at me was exactly what I needed. We were working on a song that talked all about persevering and looking forward to the good that was just around the corner. I had written the song for Austin, but as I sang through the song while we added the different instruments and vocals to what I had written earlier, it touched me in the same way I had hoped to touch him.

I knew that trying to live a double life wasn't going to be easy. This wasn't the first time that it had come between my friends and me. This probably wouldn't be the last.

I still believed that leaving Chorus was the right thing to do. Jane deserved to be featured in that class. She was an amazing singer, and I did not need the extra attention. Mr. Benson would be able to use my songs to help teach them and prepare them for our concert together.

Yes, they would be singing without me, and I knew that each of them were mad that I had left.

But leaving was the best thing that I could do for them.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.24 - Show and Tell

I received another shock Wednesday morning when it was announced that Starlight Cosmetics would have a booth set up outside the cafeteria at lunch. They were looking for the girls who would join me at tomorrow's Starshine meeting. I had no idea that they were going to hold a contest at my school, and I started to worry about who they would select. I did not want any of the students who had been mean to me to make it backstage, but now there was a chance that anyone could be selected. I was not happy.

A booth had been set up at lunch, and the large crowd of teenage girls surrounding it told me that it was a good marketing opportunity for the company. But I knew I had to question who would be invited to attend. Most of the girls who were in line for their chance to sign up were the girls that were least likely to need the makeup help. Only a few of the girls I could see were the ones I would have invited myself.

I sighed, and continued into the cafeteria. I wasn't sure what I should do.

I worried throughout lunch. My friends didn't help either, because they were still mad at me. Even though they weren't yelling any more there was still too much tension in the air for my liking.

After I finished eating I decided to return to the booth. The group of girls surrounding it was still as large as it was earlier, and it still looked like most of them were cheerleaders or part of the popular crowd. I knew I wasn't going to like the result.

I walked toward the front of the booth and then around the back to where two young women in their early twenties were interviewing girls for the chance to participate in the Starshine meeting. It looked like they were in charge of selecting ten girls from the many who had applied. I stepped between them and picked up a piece of paper that had the finalists listed on it. It was as I feared - I did not like what I saw.

"Can I help you?" one of the women asked. She did not look happy about what I was doing.

"I thought the Starshine meeting was to help instruct girls and show them how to bring out their inner beauty," I said. "This is a list of girls who are well-versed in makeup techniques and who are very popular. This is not a list Sarah would approve of."

"That is none of your concern!" the woman shot back and tore the paper out of my hand. "You are not allowed back here! Please leave!"

"On the contrary," I told her, smiling. "My name is Megan Campbell. I am Sarah's personal assistant and I am in charge of all student activities associated with the concert. I may not have a say in whom you select for the Starshine meeting, but I will tell you now that Sarah will be upset with the two of you if this is the list you submit."

The woman's look changed from anger to apprehension at my words. It seemed like she was debating whether I was telling her the truth or not.

"Stay out of this, Megan!" someone screamed, and I turned to see Amber Hartfield nearby. "You've already made sure that only your friends are coming to the backstage party. The rest of us deserve a chance to meet Sarah too!"

"I'm sorry, Amber," I said calmly. "But you are wrong. My job is to make sure that Sarah gets to meet with the type of people she admires. I have met every single attendee of the previous Starshine meetings, and this list does not match the type of people who are normally invited."

I turned and handed the paper back to the woman. "Think about it," I told her.

Then I walked away.

* * *

I woke up Thursday morning more anxious than I'd ever been on a concert day before. Half of that feeling came from the knowledge that I would get to perform for the first time in two weeks. But the other half came from knowing that it would be in front of all of my classmates. Many of them had been hostile to me throughout the school year. I hadn't had any problems at school for a while now, but I knew that they might not be over. Sometimes I wondered if they even deserved a concert.

But there was no way that I was going to cancel it. I could already feel the tingle of the rush just thinking about performing. I couldn't wait until I finally got to take the stage.

Getting ready for this day was different than usual. Normally it was straight into Sarah's clothes and a wig before I left the house, but I still needed to make an appearance as Megan today, and I found myself putting on some of my regular school clothes, eating breakfast, and then meeting my friends outside for the trip to the school.

Instead of driving them myself, however, I led them over to Sarah's tour bus that was parked out front. I smiled at Eddie as I climbed onto the bus. I was carrying not only Sparkle, but my backpack as well. It was definitely a unique experience!

The trip took longer than normal, since it was harder for the bus to navigate the streets, but it wasn't long before we were pulling into one of the parking lots at the school. An area had already been cordoned off for my bus and the many other vehicles involved in putting on one of my shows. Eddie pulled the bus into a spot that was close to where I could get backstage in the auditorium easily but that was still very visible to everyone driving by the school. Immediately a crowd started to form as the students saw the bus and wanted a chance to meet Sarah.

"This is going to be a long day," I told my friends, causing them to laugh.

"Maybe," Emily replied. "But you know you love it."

I promptly laughed as I nodded vigorously. Then we grabbed our book bags and headed for the front of the bus. The tension between my friends and me had abated somewhat. I knew they were still unhappy about my quitting Chorus, but at least they were laughing with me.

"Don't let anyone on," I told Eddie, and he nodded back before opening the door. A cheer erupted, but it died down quickly when my friends and I emerged instead of Sarah. I was happy to find Mason and Cole waiting for us outside.

"Hi guys," I told them, as they smiled in response. They were already playing the part of the silent bodyguards, and the smile was their only concession to that facade.

"We'll watch the bus until you return," Mason whispered to me. "It seems weird to let you wander around alone."

I laughed but smiled back at him. Cole and Mason had been the best security guards I could ask for, and I could see that they had extra men on duty today. Apparently they were worried about the trouble that a group of high school students could cause.

I turned toward the large group of students and teachers who were hoping for the chance to meet Sarah. I was going to disappoint them.

"Sarah's not on the bus!" I yelled loudly so they could hear me. "She won't be here for another hour or two, so you can all go to class!"

There was a large groan from the crowd, but when the door to the bus closed behind me most of the students turned and headed toward the school. Some of them looked like they were going to linger around for her, but the teachers who had been among the crowd made sure they were herded toward their classes.

I bid goodbye to Austin and my friends and then turned toward the door to the auditorium. Principal Hall had given me permission to come and go from my classes as I pleased. His only request was that I tried to learn something today. The pass allowed me to show that Megan was still at the school, and it gave me the ability to do what I needed to do to prepare throughout the day. I hoped that it would help to keep my secret intact throughout the day. Never had I been as vulnerable as I would be today. If I could get through this concert without anyone finding out what my real relation to Sarah was, then I could get through anything.

Stepping into the auditorium was a surreal experience. I had been in this room many times over the years I'd been attending the school. But it had never been decorated for one of my concerts. It was almost unrecognizable. The huge screen that was always behind me on stage had already been set up and the crews were working to finish the rest of the preparations. My band was also setting up their instruments for our sound check, and I walked over to them.

"Hi, Megan," Jason greeted me as I approached.

"Hi, guys," I replied and watched them continue for a moment. "Are the girls here yet?"

"No," Stacy replied. "But they'll be here shortly."

"Okay," I replied, wishing there was something I could do to help. I knew that I should go to class, but I didn't want to leave the preparations. "I guess I'll see you guys later then. I better go to class."

Jason burst into laughter for a moment, which got everyone else chuckling at his reaction.

"You're going to classes today?" he asked, not believing what I had said.

"Unfortunately," I replied with a frown that only made him laugh again. "Both my dad and my principal want me to try to learn something today. I'd much rather be here though."

"Well, we'll be waiting for your return," Stacy said with a smile while he continued to move his drums into the proper positions. Enjoy your classes."

"Yeah, right," I replied with another chuckle. But I managed to pull myself away from them and head toward class.

* * *

A loud alarm caused my second period teacher to stop mid-lecture. He glared at me as I scrambled for my bag to silence the racket coming from my phone. As I silenced it, I noticed that it was already 9:30, and I only had 15 minutes until the sound check, and I still needed to run back to the bus to change.

"Sorry!" I offered while shoving the phone back into my bag along with my books before standing up.

"And where do you think you are going, Ms. Campbell?" he asked.

"Sound check!" I shot back and ran out the door.

* * *

I collapsed on the bed in my bus an hour later. The sound check had gone well and normally I would have been getting ready to go to P.E., but there was no way I was going to go work out before I took the stage this afternoon. I would expend ten times as much energy during the concert anyway. Instead, I now had a nice, private, study hall in my home on wheels. It would give me enough time to relax before I'd have to deal with all the girls at the Starshine meeting, which was being held over lunch.

Unfortunately, as I glanced out the window, I noticed that there was a group of students gathering outside the bus. I recognized some of them as freshmen, but I didn't know them personally. They took a seat on the other side of the temporary fence that had been erected between the bus and them, but they left me feeling uneasy.

I felt a bit guilty as I watched TV while all of my friends were inside the school in class. But I also reveled in the power Sarah gave me. I knew that I had already banked enough money that I could live comfortably for years without working. I knew that I could drop out of school if I wanted to. But that just didn't feel like the right answer to me, and there was no way my parents would agree to it. Besides, I wanted the education. I wanted the chance to learn, even if I hated doing it sometimes. I still wanted to go to college, even though the opportunity seemed harder and harder to imagine with the demands that Sarah put on my life.

A knock on the open door to my bedroom pulled my attention away from the show I had been watching. I found Amy there smiling at me.

"Ditching classes, huh?" she teased.

"Just P.E.," I replied. "I figured I would get enough of a workout this afternoon."

She chuckled, but nodded her head. "The Starshine meeting should be starting in about 10 minutes," she told me. "I just wanted to let you know so you could get ready."

"Thank you," I said. She nodded once more and then headed back toward the front of the bus. I turned off the TV and climbed off the bed, looking into the mirror on the back of the bathroom door to make sure the wig was still straight. Stephanie had applied my makeup before the sound check, and it still looked like it was in good condition.

I sighed while looking out the window. The small group of students was still there, but it had grown since the lunch break had started. There was quite a crowd eating lunch out there now, hoping for a glimpse of Sarah, not knowing that she walked around their school every day without anyone ever noticing.

I picked up Sparkle's case and made my way toward the front of the bus. I found Amy sitting on the couch waiting for me.

"Ready to go?" she asked. I nodded, and she took Sparkle from me so that it wouldn't be damaged in the rush of bodies that always occurred when I entered the Observatory. Then we stepped off the bus.

A roar went up among the crowd of my schoolmates. They were cheering and many of them were running toward the fence to get closer to me. I waved back, and then I followed Cole and Mason as they led me in the opposite direction. Turning a corner I found the outdoor tent we used to hold The Observatory set up on a patch of grass near the school. There were many security people wandering around, more than I had ever seen Cole and Mason bring in. But when I saw all the students wandering around I started to understand why. We didn't have a "real" backstage area here, and they were keeping the students away from where they shouldn't be. The temporary fence that had been set up extended all of the way to the entrance of the tent, but it didn't surround it.

I continued to wave at the students and teachers, but I kept walking as I was led over to the entrance. I was thankful to finally step inside, where I was rushed by the girls who had been invited to the party. I was mildly surprised, but pleased, to see that the group of girls was not the same group who had been on the list I'd seen yesterday. Instead the fans who were awaiting me were very similar to the girls I had hoped would be on the list. There were a couple of cheerleaders, but the rest of them looked like they could use a little help with their makeup. Stephanie would be able to work wonders with them. But best of all, Amber was not among them.

I made sure that each of the ten girls received a hug before we started. I recognized many of them but I didn't know any of them personally. Even the two cheerleaders appeared to be on the freshman squad, which meant they weren't the ones who had been mean to me.

"Hi everyone!" I greeted them once the excitement started to die down. "I'm Sarah, and I'm glad that you could all join me today. We don't have a lot of time before lunch is over, but we have food for everyone." I looked over at the small buffet that the catering company had left. There was a very enticing aroma in the air that was reminding me that I was hungry.

Then I turned my attention back to the girls. "Stephanie and I," I said while gesturing to my makeup artist, "will be coming around to spend some time with each of you. Stephanie will show you how to use some of the wonderful products that Starshine makes, and I look forward to getting to know each of you. Is that okay?" There was enthusiastic agreement at my words. "Alright then, get some food and we'll get started."

I wished I could join the girls at the food table, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat and spend quality time with them at the same time. Instead I knew that I'd get to eat once they went back to class. It was a small price to pay to see the smiles and excitement that they showered upon me over the remainder of the lunch period. The addition of food and the shortened time schedule to fit it into the lunch period made the meeting a bit more difficult. We didn't have time to compose a song together like I usually did with those attending the Starshine meeting, but I made sure that we still took a picture and we did have a lot of fun together.

When the bell rang indicating the end of lunch there was a groan from all of the girls, but they started to pack up all of the loot they had received from the makeup company, and they prepared to return to their classes. I was sad to see them go, but I made sure to hug each girl again as each one exited the tent. Every single one of the girls who had been invited had turned out to be an amazing young woman. I would call any of them a friend under other circumstances. It was going to be hard to walk down the halls as Megan and pretend I had never met them.

But those thoughts were quickly replaced when the last girl left the tent and Amy, Stephanie, and I all turned our attention to the remaining food.

There was still going to be a lot of excitement before the school day was over, but for now I was content to eat some lunch with my friends.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.25 - Home of the Wildcats

The time was fast approaching for the concert to begin. I was nervously pacing in my bus. I had been assuring myself all day that nobody would see the similarity between Sarah and me, but I was still worried. It was extremely unlikely that anyone would see Sarah and think of me, but it was not impossible. Emily and Ethan had assured me that I would be fine, but it didn't make me feel any better. Especially since the next time I left this bus it would be without the wig.

"We're ready," Amy said from the couch. I had already changed and removed the wig, so I nodded, and nervously headed for the door to the bus. There was no crowd waiting for me to exit now. Everyone was already in their seats in the auditorium. I walked over to the door that led into the auditorium. The noise of the crowd echoed into the backstage area, starting a burn within my heart, the rush that always gave me the strength I needed to step out in front of a crowd. I didn't often do that without the wig on, but today was one of those days.

One of the sound techs handed me a microphone. It wasn't Sarah's - the one I always used while on stage. But I nodded in thanks and then moved forward once again. The students were talking amongst themselves, waiting for something to happen. When I stepped into view many of them quieted down. The rest did the same when I started to speak.

"Welcome, everybody!" I said into the microphone, causing a cheer to echo throughout the room. "Are you guys excited to see Sarah?" They roared again in approval, just like I expected them to.

"For those of you that don't know me," I continued. "My name is Megan Campbell. I am a junior at this school, and I'm also one of Sarah's personal assistants. I'm honored to welcome one of my best friends to the school to sing for us today, and I know that she is excited for the opportunity."

Another loud cheer echoed throughout the crowd and I waited for it to die down before I could continue. "Sarah will be on stage in about an hour," I told the crowd. "But first please welcome Poptacular!"

This time the cheer from the crowd was drowned by the instruments of the band that had opened for me on my tour. This would be the last time they performed with Sarah, which made it a sad day. But as I walked off stage and handed the microphone back to the sound tech I knew they would be appreciated.

I stayed backstage and watched Poptacular perform for the first time. Usually I was backstage getting ready or doing something with my band. I'd heard them play their set many times, but I had never had a chance to watch them in person. Once their set was over I returned to my bus to get ready.

It was my turn now.

* * *

Darkness covered the stage as I approached. The crowd had settled into a hush when the lights in the auditorium had faded to black. Anticipation was rampant in the air. Music started to play. The crowd started to scream. I moved into position. The countdown started in my ear two seconds after it appeared on the large screen behind me. The students and teachers in the audience were louder than I had ever heard them before.

When Stacy's drums and Connor's bass boomed into the darkness the crowd went into a frenzy. I could barely hear the music coming from my earpiece over the roar of the crowd as Jason joined them. Then, with a burst of light around the auditorium the concert began in earnest. Somehow, somewhere, the crowd managed to increase their volume again.

I looked out on the crowd as I sang song after song for them. This was the 14th time that I'd performed this concert, but as I watched my fellow students react to my presence I was astounded by their behavior more than any other fans I had met before. Some of the big jocks who had been mean to me since I had first come to school as Megan were acting like little schoolgirls when I approached the edge of the stage near them. A few of the cheerleaders they ran with were looking up at in me in awe. Other students were looking at me with adoration. For the first time in a long time everybody was staring at me, and nobody was giving me dirty looks.

Despite how much I felt like this concert wasn't a "true" concert like the others I had performed on this tour, I certainly had a lot of fun performing it. I loved being able to captivate my peers. I enjoyed being able to control their emotions. I had more power over my schoolmates than anyone else I knew. And I reveled in it.

All too soon I found myself singing 'Goodbye' to them. The end of the concert was close at hand, and with it the loss of my power over them. But even if I wasn't wearing the wig I now knew what it felt like to control them. There was no one at this school who could approach me now and believe he or she had power over me, because I knew the truth. Every single one of them would do anything for me right now.

After the lights had dimmed and I had rushed to change into my final dress for the encore I felt a different kind of power start to build inside of me. I had been waiting all day for this moment. Actually, I had waited all week for this.

As I rushed back to my spot on stage I was handed Sparkle, and I only had enough time to pull the strap over my head before the lights came back on. The crowd went wild once more as I appeared wearing a dress that was very familiar to them. But before I gave them the final song of the concert, there was one more thing I needed to do.

"It's been an honor to perform for you this afternoon," I told them when they had calmed down enough for me to continue. "Before I leave you today, I have a very special song that I want to share. My band and I only put the finishing touches on it two days ago. Do you guys want to hear a brand new song?"

The cheer that followed my question was not unexpected, but I smiled at their reaction. I wasn't singing this song for them. I was singing it for one person and to that one person. One person who was staring up at me in wonder from his seat near the front of the auditorium. His friends were gathered around him, but he only had eyes for me.

"I wrote this song for somebody very special in my life," I told the crowd. "My brother has been having a hard time the last couple of weeks. Trouble with some kids at school, trouble with his girlfriend. I watched as he suffered. I watched as he tried to hide his pain. He deserves better. I hope that this song will help him realize that things will improve."

I paused for a moment. Then I looked directly at Austin as I spoke again. "Your Time Will Come."

The band anticipated me perfectly and the beat of Stacy's drums joined Connor and Jason's strums as they accompanied my own guitar into the intro of the song I had written last Saturday.

As the intro came to a close the band fell silent as I continued to play, and I started singing about how hard it can be when somebody else takes away something that he really wanted. They take the opportunities that should have been Austin's. The band joined me again with a soft melody as I sang about it happening again under different circumstances.

We slowly built up toward the chorus when I looked straight at Austin once more and sang about how much I believed in him, and how I would always stand by him no matter what happened. Then, as I sang "Your Time Will Come" for the first time we burst into the high-paced chorus.

The auditorium fell into near silence again with only my guitar and voice piercing the quiet as I sang about how hard it was to push forward. But the band joined me earlier than they had in the first verse when I switched to singing about how we were getting stronger and how we could find new things they couldn't take from us. There were other ways to get what we wanted, and we had the power to get what we deserved.

We ramped back into the chorus once more declaring that the future would be ours. The band and I then moved into an interlude where we continued to play, but I wasn't singing. The strength of the song continued to reverberate around the auditorium, filling the holes in the hearts of everyone that had lost something they really wanted.

Then, with a steadfast tone I moved into the part of the song where I told anyone who was listening that it was time to make a stand. That it was time to fight for what we wanted. It was time to get what we deserved and we were going to do everything in our power to get what we had been working to achieve.

We moved into the final chorus immediately and I sang it with as much determination as I could. I wanted everyone in the auditorium to know that they deserved what they fought for and I wanted them to fight. But as I sang the last "Your Time Will Come" I was looking Austin in the eyes once more. Even from the stage I could see the tear streak down his cheek.

As I finished singing the band and I continued playing the song. I let the power of the music invade the auditorium. I let it intertwine with the hearts and desires of my schoolmates. For nearly a full minute the band and I stood on that stage playing, letting the song seep into their lives and drive them forward.

With a final drumroll the song came to an end. The crowd burst into a roar louder than I had felt in a long time.

And I had to discreetly wipe away the tear that escaped me.

* * *

It was just as hectic after the concert as it had been before it. I returned to the bus to change back into Megan once again, and then I mingled with the crowd at the Star Party while we waited for 'Sarah' to arrive. Then I discretely snuck out so that Sarah would actually arrive. The whole time I was doing my best to make sure that as many people as possible would see both Sarah and Megan in the same general vicinity. We were never together, but I hoped that having both of our faces in their memories would be enough to help persuade them we were both here at the same time. It seemed to be working.

When I came back out from the bus to head for the Star Party I was surprised at the number of people who had gathered outside the fence nearby. Looking around I noticed that it was more than just the students who hadn't been invited to the Party. With school ended for the day, there were younger children and parents there looking for a chance to meet me. I smiled and waved, wishing I had time to spend with them. But I had a lot of people waiting for me, and I couldn't disappoint them.

Cole and Mason led me back toward the Star Party, and I was apprehensive as I followed them. The last time I had spent time at a Star Party with people who I knew and who did not know my secret, Paul had recognized me. He had seen right through my disguise. I was worried that one or more of my classmates would be able to do the same thing. It was unlikely, since most of the people at the party were not my closest friends, but there were some who knew me quite well, like Jane.

But all thoughts of worry left my mind as I entered the tent again. A loud cheer spread throughout the crowd, and I felt another rush of emotions as I began to interact with my schoolmates once again. Everyone got to meet me. Austin's friends were in awe, the people I had invited myself were beside themselves, and even Mr. Benson and Principal Hall were agog at the way people were reacting to me. Other than my friends and staff, they were the only two people in the room who knew who Sarah really was, and even they didn’t comprehend the difference before now.

"You are amazing, Sarah," Mr. Benson commented when he got his turn with me. "I'm truly sorry for what I put you through. I never should have insisted that you stay in the class. Although, I would like to offer you an invitation to come back and work with us from time to time. Having someone like Sarah in the class would be very beneficial to the other students."

I smiled at him. It was nice to receive an apology. And despite my reticence to return, I nodded. "I would be honored," I told him. I might no longer be a member of the class, but that didn't mean I wanted to see the chorus fail.

He nodded, and I moved on. There were many people at this Star Party, and I had an obligation to meet with each one of them.

"Hi, Jane," I greeted my friend a while later as she approached me. "It's nice to finally meet you."

She was shocked and more than a little confused, by the expression on her face. "You know who I am?" she asked.

"Of course," I replied. "Megan has told me all about you, and I thought you might want to know that I've set up a meeting with you and my record company. They would love to hear one of your demos."

Her mouth dropped and she stood there wide-eyed and speechless for a moment! I smiled back at her. She deserved the chance to be successful, and I had the power to make it happen.

"Th...Thank you!" she finally blurted and spontaneously hugged me. "I don't know what to say!"

"Don't say anything," I told her. "You deserve it. Talk to Megan and she will set up the details. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied. I talked with her a while longer, but it was obvious that she was still shell-shocked.

I talked to a number of other students who were also excited, but for different reasons. Some of them were just excited to meet me. Others were in awe that I was actually talking to them. It wasn't anything unfamiliar to me, and I was happy to bring smiles to their faces.

Even Jared Lumbart and the cheerleader he brought as a date didn’t dampen the mood of the party. It was nice to see Jared smile at me for once, even if he didn’t know that he was doing it. He looked so much better without a scowl on his face.

Overall it was one of the most enjoyable Star Parties that I'd hosted. For me, it was very revealing - I saw a different side to many of my schoolmates. It was a side they normally kept hidden, but which they couldn't contain when they met Sarah.

The crowd was still hanging out on the other side of the fence when I returned to my bus. If anything, it had grown larger during the time that I was gone. I felt sorry that I wouldn't be able to meet with any of them, but logistically it would be a nightmare, or so Mason told me as he directed me onto the bus. I waved as much as I could anyway before I stepped aboard.

Inside I found the one person I hadn't had a chance to talk to during the Star Party. I didn't have to say anything. He just got up from the couch where he had been sitting, walked over to me, and wrapped his arms around me. I knew that he had been crying, and I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed.

We stood like that for a few minutes before Austin finally let go of me and looked into my eyes.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome, Austin," I replied. I gazed at him, noticing for the first time how much older he seemed. Gone was the 14-year-old boy whom I knew so well. In his place was a strong young man. I didn't know when the change had occurred, but I smiled at him anyway. He was growing up faster than he should have to. Part of that was my fault, because of all the attention that Sarah was receiving. But another part of it came from the events of the past couple of weeks. He had faced more adversity than I thought he should have to, but he was weathering it well.

There were so many things that I wanted to tell him. There were so many things that I thought he needed to know. But I couldn't find any words. I had told him everything in the song I had written for him.

Instead, all I could do was wrap him in another hug.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.26 - Christmas Pumpkins

I was floating on air as I attended school on Friday. Yesterday’s concert had created a buzz in the air and I loved hearing the different conversations about it as I passed through the halls. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed the concert, and I constantly smiled at the praises they were singing to me. I loved being able to listen in without anyone realizing who I really was.

Even Austin seemed to be in a better mood. The song had helped him immensely to realize that he had a lot to look forward to in his life. So I was happy when I found him in the hallway talking to a number of very cute freshman girls right before lunch. His life already seemed to be turning around. I knew I wasn't the only cause of his transformation, but I still secretly thought I had played a part.

After school ended I was privileged to join my band, my dancers, and everyone else who had helped put on the concert tour in a party thanking them for all of their hard work. Amy had used the money I put up for the event well, and everyone was smiling when they left.

I was saddened that the concert tour had ended. I was sad that I didn't have any other performances planned before the Christmas Concert, which was still two months away. But Amy informed me that I would still be just as busy. Not only did I have a meeting to discuss the Christmas Concert for the first time later this week, but I also had a number of people who wanted me to collaborate with them. I was apparently in high demand; there were two bands reaching out for a chance to work with me, and a film studio was hoping that I would write a song for one of their movies. Plus, I still had all of the work and practices that would be required to put on the Christmas Concert.

The weekend’s countdown left me with mixed emotions. On the bright side, 'You Can't Hurt Me' was still in the Top 10, albeit holding on at #9. 'Ever After', however, had not managed to clinch the top spot on the countdown and had once again come in at #2. I still had hope that it would reach the top of the countdown, but the result made me worry that it wouldn't.

I met with Amy on Monday night to prepare for Wednesday's Christmas meeting. We narrowed down a number of the details about the concert and what both we and the TV network wanted. By the time we were finished I had become excited.

When Wednesday arrived I was feeling overwhelmed with everything that was on my plate as I changed after school in order to attend the Christmas Concert meeting. But I knew that I had to keep going. I now had a lot of people looking to me to put on a successful Christmas Concert.

Principal Hall and Mr. Benson were in the waiting area near Lucy's desk when I entered Dad's office building. They appeared to be marveling at the expense that a building like this would cost both my Dad and me.

"Hello, Sarah," Lucy called out to me as I entered, causing the two men to look at me.

"Hi, Lucy," I replied to the receptionist before turning toward my principal and teacher. "Principal Hall, Mr. Benson, it's nice to see you again."

"Please, call me George," Mr. Benson stated while sticking out his hand. "Mr. Benson seems so formal coming from you."

"Okay, George," I replied while looking at him questioningly. He never would have allowed me to call him George in class, but now that I had the wig on he seemed to prefer it. It made me feel weird to use his real name. Nevertheless I took his hand and shook it before doing the same to Principal Hall.

"Alexander," my principal stated, and I almost sighed at how uncomfortable this meeting was going to be. I had never been on a first-name basis with any of my teachers or principals. Yet I knew that if I saw them at school tomorrow they would never allow me, as Megan, to call them by their first names.

But perhaps they had inadvertently given Sarah more power over them. If nothing else they were treating me as an equal, which was not only an improvement but was also accurate. We WERE equals.

"Come on in," I said while indicating the door into my offices. "I'll show you to the conference room."

I opened the door, and I heard their intake of breath when they saw how big my office space was. I knew they still mostly thought of me as one of their students, but I had just proven to them that I was also a successful businesswoman. It was obvious that they hadn't expected an operation this large when they were discussing it in the waiting area.

I smiled, and greeted the many people who were working at their desks as we passed through the large open room and down the hallway at the back. Mr. Benson and Principal Hall were gazing around every way and into each of the rooms as we walked toward the conference room. There were a number of voices coming from the room and I entered to find Amy, Scott, and my dad waiting for us.

"Hi guys," I greeted them before taking my usual seat at one end of the table. Mr. Benson and Principal Hall took their own seats while Dad closed the door to the conference room. "Amy, Scott, this is Alexander Hall, principal of my school, and George Benson, the instructor of the Chorus class. Alexander and George, this is Amy Martin, my personal assistant, and Scott Crawford, my producer and representative from Olympic Records. You both know my dad, who is also my agent."

There were a number of greetings around the room before Amy took over the meeting.

"Let's get right to it," she said while passing a stack of papers out to each of us. "Contained in this packet is the information we have about the Christmas Concert. The concert will be held on December 17 at a yet to be determined location. We're looking at the Nokia Theatre right now, but there are a couple of other possibilities. The concert will also be aired live that evening."

"So this is a concert then?" Mr. Benson asked. "Not a Christmas special at all?"

"It will likely be a bit of both," I replied before Amy could. "Our emphasis is going to be on producing a show for TV, but in a concert environment. All proceeds for the concert are going to be donated to charity."

"Any other questions?" Amy asked.

"What are we going to be singing?" Mr. Benson asked.

"If you'll turn the page we have a tentative set list for the concert," Amy continued as we each found the proper page in the packet. "Most of the songs are traditional Christmas carols, though Sarah has agreed to write two original songs for the concert."

I wasn't looking forward to that, but it had been a request by Scott that I couldn't ignore.

"The Chorus will participate in each of the songs to some extent," I added when I noticed Mr. Benson studying the song list in detail. "As you can see I'm going to be making use of the girls in the class a bit more than the guys, but everyone should get a chance to sing quite a bit that night."

"I see you have some names listed here," he queried while looking up at me. He looked a bit perturbed that I had assigned students of his class to particular songs.

"They are suggestions," I offered. "We can discuss how we want to use the members of Chorus, but those are the students I would like to have singing with me on each of the songs."

"Jane is frequently mentioned on this page," Mr. Benson continued. "But I see you haven't listed Mark at all. Do you feel that is wise?"

I felt my smile tighten slightly at what he was inferring. He wanted me to allow Mark to sing, but that was the last thing that I wanted to do.

"I don't think that giving Mark a solo piece is a good idea," I told him and saw his smile tighten.

"He is an excellent singer!" he retorted. "I think he would be an excellent choice for some of these songs. I suggest we put him on song 2 and 3 at least."

He scratched out the names I had listed for those songs on his own sheet and started writing in Mark's name. Nobody else moved or said anything. When he looked up and noticed that nobody else was making the change he looked at me, upset.

"Your suggestion is noted," I told him. "But I think these other singers will do just as well."

"Sarah--," he started, and I knew he was ready to start lecturing me.

"George," I cut him off immediately. "I would like to remind you that this is MY concert we are planning. I am more than willing to work with you in creating a show that we are both happy with. But ultimately I am going to do what is best for me, and singing a duet with Mark is not going to benefit the show. Understood?"

He was turning a bit red, and I thought that he was going to start yelling at me, but he nodded instead. I knew that he was very upset, and he wasn't going to forget that. But at that moment, I didn’t care.

Thankfully it was Amy who broke the tension that had settled in the room.

"Remember," she said. "This meeting is just a preliminary discussion about what we are planning. The details will likely change as we move forward. Okay?"

Everyone nodded, and we returned to the business at hand. I knew that Mr. Benson was upset about his lack of authority in planning this concert, but I had to do what was best for my career. If he didn't understand that then this was going to be a very bad experience.

"Okay," I said, trying to continue. "What about the songs? Is everyone okay with the list of songs?"

There was quiet for a few moments as everyone read through the list of songs again.

"Do you have anything for the two original pieces yet?" Scott asked me.

"No," I told him. "We only put this list together on Monday night. I have a few ideas, but I haven't written anything yet."

He nodded, but I sensed that the unknown was bugging him. We would be releasing an album containing the songs on this paper, and as my producer he wanted to know what he would be producing.

"I like the song selection," Mr. Benson said, more calmly than he had been. "I do wish that you were planning to use the men in the chorus for more, but I understand why most of these songs are geared toward a feminine sound. I think it will work."

He paused for a moment, and I knew he was going to bring up Mark again. I readied myself for another battle.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," he said. "I know that you are trying to do what is best for your image and your career. I'm not going to force you to sing with Mark, but I do believe you should reconsider it. Don't ignore his talent. I know the two of you do not get along, but he IS the best male singer in that class and I think you would be remiss to not make use of that talent."

I stared at him for a few seconds. I knew he was right. As much as I did not want to sing with Mark Corbin I knew that he had a good voice.

"He is talented, but he is also arrogant and immature," I finally told him. "But we do have space for one more song. If we can find one that I feel comfortable with him singing, and if he behaves himself, then we can include it in the program."

"Thank you," he replied. And just like that he was happy again.

* * *

I was patiently waiting in Scott's studio Thursday afternoon when a ball of energy arrived. Jane was more excited than I had ever seen her before. She was excited to see Sarah again and I was a bit sad that she didn't know the secret, but I wanted this day to be about her, not about me.

I sat in the control room and smiled the entire time she worked with Scott to produce a demo for Olympic Records. She sounded amazing, and I knew it was only a matter of time until she had her own recording contract. I just hoped that it didn't interfere with my Christmas Concert, because that would complicate things.

Friday afternoon was surreal. The Chorus was performing a Halloween concert for the school. As I sat in the audience watching, I was sad that I wasn't up there with them. But there was no way I would return to Chorus as Megan. I was scheduled to make my first appearance as Sarah next Thursday to discuss the Christmas Concert, and that was going to be bad enough.

Mr. Benson had done a good job preparing the Chorus for their concert and I was very impressed with their music. Their rendition of 'You Can't Hurt Me' was great, and I knew that leaving Chorus was not only a great idea but it was the right decision.

Saturday was nice and relaxing. After my appointment with Mary, Emily and I spent most of the day shopping before going to see a movie with Ethan. We even let Anna, Emily's younger sister, join us. Anna adored Emily and me, and I hadn't had much time to spend with her lately.

Halloween rolled around on Sunday and it was a mix of highs and lows. 'Ever After' and 'You Can't Hurt Me' were still both in the Top 10, but 'You Can't Hurt Me' was barely inside at #10 and 'Ever After' had fallen to #3 instead of climbing to #1 like I had hoped it would. It appeared that 'Ever After' might end up being my first single not to make it to #1.

Later in the day, I was in charge of passing out candy because my entire family was gone. Mom and Dad were attending a party for one of his clients and Austin was out trick-or-treating with his friends. Ethan had come over and the two of us had the TV on watching some of the scary Halloween movies that were playing. Emily had gone out with Anna, but she was going to join us later.

I definitely wasn't expecting a whole bunch of little Sarah Carerras to come to my door throughout the night, but that is what happened. Apparently I was one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year! It was fun to see all the young girls, and even one young boy, wearing a blonde wig when I opened the door for them. It made me wish that I was passing out Carerra Bears instead of the cheap candy my mom had bought for the occasion.

So I was stunned when I opened the door for one young Sarah and found her carrying a small pink bear! I almost burst into tears. She looked so happy and it took me a moment to realize that the bear was real. She had a Carerra Bear!

I was speechless as I looked up into her eyes.

"Trick or treat", she said with a bright smile, and I felt a tear streak down my face as I recognized her for the first time.

She started to reach into the bowl of candy I had in my hands, and I slowly pulled it away. She looked up at me, confused.

"I have a real treat for you, Anna," I said while placing the bowl down on the table next to the door and stepping back to let her in to the house. Emily was looking at me frantically from behind her sister and was violently shaking her head, but I had made my decision. It might have been a bad idea, but it was something I had to do.

"What is it?" Anna asked, excited. She stepped into the house and I indicated that she should follow me.

I led her down the hall to Sarah's room and I opened the door. She gasped when she saw what was inside, and she started wandering around, looking at the memorabilia that was around the room.

"What is this?" she finally asked while looking at some of the awards on one of the walls.

"It's a secret that you cannot tell anybody, okay?" I told her. She looked over at me and nodded her head vigorously. Anna wasn't the best at keeping secrets, but I saw in her eyes that she would guard this one with her life, and she hadn't even heard it yet.

"Is this Sarah's room?" she asked, awestruck.

"Yes," I told her while stepping over to the armoire. "But there's more. I have a Sarah Carerra costume too. Should I put it on?"

"Uh huh," Anna said while nodding. She was clearly surprised, but I could tell she was excited.

I entered the code into the armoire, heard it unlock, and opened one of the doors to reveal a number of blonde wigs. I gathered my own hair and pinned it before pulling out a very familiar wig and placing it on my head. Anna stared the entire time, not saying a word. When I was finished I turned back to her.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"You look a lot like her," she said, still not making the connection. I couldn't blame her.

I opened the other door to the armoire and pulled out a guitar case before carefully placing it on the ground.

"I don't have a small Carerra Bear to finish my costume," I told her. "But I do have something else." I opened the guitar case and pulled out Sparkle. Anna's eyes went wide and it was obvious that she was impressed. I pulled the strap for the guitar over my head and rested it against me before turning back to her. "What about now?"

"Now you really look like her!" Anna exclaimed, but she still hadn't comprehended my secret.

I laughed, along with both Emily and Ethan.

"Oh, Anna," I chuckled. Then I started playing 'Ever After' on the guitar. It was a song that she had heard me play and sing many times before, but this time I watched it click in her mind, and she started to scream and jump around as I started to sing the first chorus. I continued to play the song for her, giving her a private concert. All thought of tricks and treats had been forgotten on her angelic face as she stared at me in wonder! Eventually she grabbed Emily's hand for reassurance to make sure this was real.

When I finished singing she rushed toward me and I only had enough time to pull Sparkle out of the way before she was squeezing me tightly. I had wanted to do this for months, but the fear of her telling somebody else had kept me from following through with that desire.

But as she squeezed me tightly while looking up into my eyes I knew it had been the right thing to do.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.27 - A Very Carerra Chorus

The first few days of November felt almost normal, or at least like what I remembered normal to be before Sarah came into my life. The only thing I had to look forward to each day was school, and, well, that didn't compare to what was usually going on in Sarah's life. I did visit Mr. Benson during lunch on Tuesday to talk about an idea I had for including Mark in the Christmas Concert. He seemed to like the idea, so we spent most of the time discussing the visit Sarah was going to make to the Chorus on Thursday to talk about the Christmas Concert. That visit would officially kick off the preparations for the Christmas Concert. I had mixed emotions — I was excited to return to Chorus, at least as Sarah. But I was also very nervous at being around them as my alter-ego. Nevertheless it was something I had to do.

When I arrived at school on Wednesday morning I was surprised to find a number of posters advertising the Autumn Ball that was being held the following week. I had been so busy with Sarah that I hadn't even realized that the dance was coming up, let alone doing anything to prepare for it. I figured that Emily and I would be going together since neither of us was in relationships. Ethan would probably join us since he was similarly unattached. It would be my first big dance since my life had taken the drastic turn it had over the summer, and I was excited to go.

That same elation seemed to permeate the students at my school and there was a buzz in the air all morning. That excitement was palpable all morning and was the discussion around our lunch table. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the first big dance of the school year, and I was no exception.

When Jane's phone rang toward the end of lunch her excitement took on an entirely new level. I didn't have to ask to know that it was Scott calling her. I watched as she listened excitedly and I waited to congratulate her on her record contract.

Then I saw her happy face turn crestfallen, and in my mind it brought the entire cafeteria to a standstill. I thought for sure that she would get a contract! But the tears that started to escape her eyes told me that wasn't the case as she listened to what Scott had to say. I reached out and grabbed her hand and she looked over at me. Sobs started to escape her as she met my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I could imagine what she was feeling, because I hadn’t been rejected by Olympic Records.

"Thank you," was the only thing she was able to speak before hanging up the phone, but I doubted she felt the words. I squeezed her hand in comfort, but I knew it wouldn't help. She was crying hard now and Ashley and Kathy, her two best friends, wrapped their arms around her as they tried to comfort her.

My phone started ringing, and I felt her hand slip out of my own as I reached for my bag to retrieve it. I sighed when I saw that Scott was calling me now, and stood up before stepping away from the table.

"Hi, Scott," I said.

"I guess you're with Jane," he replied, recognizing my tone of voice. "I'm sorry, Sarah. If it was up to me I would offer her a contract. She's an amazing singer and I hate to see her walk away. But there isn't anything I can do."

"Why not her?" I asked. If she was that talented then why wouldn't the talent managers at Olympic Records give her a contract?

"Matt felt she didn't have the 'spark'," he said referring to Matt Thompson, the Director of Talent at the company. He had been the guy who had signed me to my record deal, and I knew he was fair. I didn't agree with him, however. "She might have luck at a smaller record company, but that might be a long shot. I'm really sorry, Sarah, I know how much you two wanted this."

I looked over at Jane, who was still crying a few feet away. She was looking at me, however, and I had a feeling she knew who I was talking to.

"What about the other thing we discussed?" I asked, trying to be cryptic so she wouldn't know what I was asking yet.

"That's up to you," he said. "Our contract is with you."

"Okay, thanks, Scott," I replied before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. Jane's other option felt more like a consolation prize, and I didn't know how she would react to it.

"What did he say?" Jane asked immediately as I pulled the phone away from my ear. I knew that she was hoping I had better news, but I didn't.

"He said that if it was up to him, you'd have a contract," I replied. That was apparently something he hadn't told her because it made her cry some more. "I'm sorry, Jane. I really am. I thought for sure you were going to get a contract. You are amazing."

My words sounded hollow even to myself, even though I sincerely believed that Jane was a wonderful singer. I stepped back to the table and sat down again before taking her hand in my own once more.

"This might feel like the end of the world," I told her. "But I happen to know that Sarah Carerra is planning to have you sing a number of songs with her at the Christmas Concert. She too thinks you are amazing, and I'm sure she can help."

It wasn't much, but it did bring a slight smile to her face.

* * *

On Thursday afternoon I felt weird when instead of heading for the Study Hall that had replaced Chorus in my schedule I headed out to my car and drove home. Once I arrived home I quickly changed and put on the wig before I was once again heading back to the school. This time, as Sarah.

Walking down the vacant halls of the school toward the Chorus room was also a unique experience, because Cole and Amy were accompanying me. I doubted that a bodyguard would be necessary at the school, but his stoic presence seemed to keep the few people who were in the halls from doing much more than scream with excitement when they saw me. I always smiled back, but I continued to the classroom.

When I arrived I only had a moment to take a deep breath before Cole opened the door. Mr. Benson was talking to the class, but he quickly lost their attention when they saw me enter the room.

Once the screaming and the clamoring to get near me had subsided, Mr. Benson was able to get everyone back into their seats and I joined him at the front of the classroom.

"Sarah is here to talk about the Christmas Concert," Mr. Benson told the class. "We have six weeks to prepare, and that isn't much time. Sarah?"

"Thank you," I replied and the class looked at me. Amy was holding a piece of paper out to me and I took it before she started to pass out copies to the rest of the class. "This is a schedule of the songs we'll be singing," I told the class. “It ranges from using the entire Chorus to certain individuals. I've been working with Mr. Benson to help me decide who will be best for each of the songs. But everyone will get a chance to sing multiple songs on stage."

Somebody raised a hand while he was looking down at the paper, and when I noticed it was Mark I knew what he was going to say.

"I thought I was the top boy in the class," Mark said and he sounded upset. I promptly repressed my anger and I tried to control my emotions. "Shouldn't I be singing the duets with Sarah?"

"Sarah has requested these assignments herself," Mr. Benson said cautiously. I knew he was as reluctant to get into an argument as I was. "I'm afraid that it is Mr. Knight who will be singing these duets."

Mark turned red and I knew that he wasn't going to accept what Mr. Benson had told him without a fight. He turned toward me.

"No offense, Sarah," he started, which would not have endeared me to his plea if I didn't already know him. "But I think that you will want the best singer to sing with you. That's me."

I opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off by Mr. Benson before I got the chance.

"Mr. Corbin," he said sternly. "I thought you would be happy with what Sarah has given you. You basically have a whole song to yourself. No other member of this Chorus will have that much attention. I suggest that you be grateful."

Mark didn't like that. He wanted more. I could see it in his eyes. He wanted to sing with me.

"I am grateful," Mark said. "But I'm just thinking about what is best for Sarah."

I almost lost it right there. Mark had no idea what was best for me! He had no right to tell me how I should be a multi-platinum recording artist!

"Mark," I growled, and my tone caused him to take a step away from me. "I respect your opinion, but I have made my decision with the help of Mr. Benson. I assure you that I have the best individuals performing each song and I think you should respect my decision."

"I understand," he shot back. "But--"

"No, Mark!" I nearly shouted back. There was fury in my eyes and I glared at him. "I have a number of friends in this Chorus. I know all about you and how you treat them! It is only because Mr. Benson pleaded your case that I have included you in the program. Do you understand? I suggest you sit down right now before I change my mind."

I didn't want to lose my temper in front of the class, but I was very close to doing so. I prayed that Mark would sit back down and shut up, but I knew it was unlikely. Mark wanted to be the center of attention, but I refused to give him the opportunities he felt he was entitled to.

Mark took another step back at my outburst, and it looked like he was going to sit down for a moment, but he opened his mouth once more instead.

"You don't know me," he shot back, and I was surprised that he felt confident enough to argue with someone like Sarah Carerra. "You can't know me from what Megan has told you. She--"

"I have known her since we were little girls, Mark!" I told him. "Don't think for a second that I'm not going to listen to her. And no, I did not base my decisions on her words alone. I've known Ethan nearly as long. I consider Jane a friend. Paul was the inspiration for one of my songs. And none of them have had very nice things to say about your attitude. I'm afraid that you are not the type of person that I want to sing a duet with even if you are an amazing singer. And for the record I DO think that you are an amazing singer. So you had better sit down and shut up, or you won’t even be at the concert. Got it?"

He was pissed, and I knew that he wanted to scream back at me. But he seemed to realize how bad of an idea that would be and he finally sat down. The class fell into an awkward silence for a moment before Mr. Benson finally spoke again.

"Okay," he said. "As you can see from your paper we have a lot of work to do to get ready. Besides learning the songs there is going to be some choreography to learn."

There were some disconcerting glances around the room at that announcement.

"You won't be dancing," I told them and watched as a number of sighs of relief escaped them. "There are a few individuals who will have more intricate choreography as part of their larger roles in the songs, but most of the dancing will be done by professional dancers. But you will have to move on and off the stage depending on the song. If your name is listed as one of the principal singers for a song and you are worried about the choreography, please talk to me after class. But for the most part it shouldn't be too bad. Okay?"

There was some general agreement around the room even though some of them still seemed uncomfortable. We had already hired Kate Abernathy, the choreographer for my concert tour, to provide the choreography for the Christmas Concert, but I hadn't met with her yet. Nevertheless it seemed unlikely that there would be much that the class would need to learn.

"Other things to know," I said while looking over the sheet. "We will be selling albums of the Christmas Concert and each of you will receive one for free. We will be in a recording studio at the end of the month to record them. That's the week after Thanksgiving. If you can't make it please talk to Amy here. Let's see." I scanned the paper again to see if there was any other information I needed to tell them. "The concert itself will be a live performance on TV on December 17. We will be performing at the Nokia Theatre downtown. It should be a lot of fun!"

I smiled at the class, though most of them looked overwhelmed. That was understandable. I knew they would be ready, because Mr. Benson would see to that.

"I believe we are also doing stage rehearsals the two weeks before the concert, is that correct?" Mr. Benson asked.

I looked at Amy, who was in charge of the scheduling, and she nodded.

"Yes," I told him. "But the entire chorus will likely not have to be there every day. Those with choreography may be asked to attend more. Once again, if you have any concerns about the amount of time involved in this please let us know. I'm really excited to work with you guys. There is a lot of work that goes into putting on a concert like this, but I believe it is going to be a wonderful experience."

"Sarah will also be here at least one day each week from now until December and most of the two weeks before the concert," Mr. Benson said. "I want to reiterate how lucky we are to have this opportunity and I hope that each of you take the time to relish in this experience. It will be hard work, but this is one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunities that you'll remember for a long time."

I was nodding, and the class seemed to be excited. I couldn't ask for more.

* * *

I stayed and helped Mr. Benson with the class. We started working on some of the songs that required the whole Chorus and it was actually the first time I'd been in the classroom and had fun. Nobody had even come close to making the connection between Megan and Sarah, and it seemed unlikely to happen. They were all star struck, and I knew from experience that people rarely saw through the facade that Sarah placed over my true identity.

After the class ended I made sure to speak with each of them as they were leaving to learn their names and introduce myself. It was funny to see some of them, even Mark, treat me completely differently than they had when I was a member of the class. But they all seemed excited about the concert, and that made me smile.

One of the last people to leave the classroom was Jane, and she smiled as she approached me.

"You consider me a friend, huh?" she asked slyly.

"I do," I replied truthfully. "Any friend of Megan's is a friend of mine." How little she understood the truth of those words.

Jane beamed at me, and I was happy to see her in a good mood after what had happened the day before.

"I'm sorry about your record deal," I stupidly said, and watched her expression sour immediately. "You are a fantastic singer and if there was anything I could do I would have."

"I know," she said, her voice now downcast. "I really thought I was good enough."

"Did you try any other record companies?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. But the look she gave me told me what their responses had been. "They didn't like me either."

"Well, it's their loss," I told her and received a hint of a smile. "There is a reason why you are singing so many songs with me in the Christmas Concert, you know."

"I..." she started but then stopped. A moment later she continued. "Thank you, Sarah. I'm glad that somebody believes in me."

"Anyone who doesn't is an idiot," I said, eliciting a laugh and another full smile from her.

She looked radiant when she smiled. I was lucky to have someone like her on the stage with me for the Christmas Concert.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.28 - Entanglements

I was in the cafeteria on Friday when I had the first inkling that something wasn’t quite right. I had that crazy feeling that somebody was watching me, but I couldn't see anyone when I looked around. The feeling followed me for the rest of the day, and when I opened my locker to get my books for Study Hall I was surprised to find a number of rose petals and a folded up note inside.

A smile spread across my face at the same time that I looked around, but I didn't see anyone watching me. I didn't know what to expect while I unfolded the note; I definitely didn’t expect to find a poem written to me.

'Roses are red, violets are blue,
I want to go to the Autumn Ball with you'

The poem was signed with a signature that I could not decipher. I had no idea who had slipped the poem into my locker, but I was floating on air as I walked toward the classroom. I still didn't feel like getting involved with someone right now, but knowing that somebody wanted to ask me to the dance had elated me in a way that I didn't know it could.

Josh had been the only person in my life whom I had truly gotten close to, and he had ripped out my heart. I still hadn't fully recovered from that, and I wasn't sure that I could agree to go to a dance with someone. I had already promised Emily that I would go with her because she didn't think anyone was going to ask her. I had my doubts about that; she was one of the prettiest girls in our class after all. I didn't want to leave her by herself, yet I couldn't deny the excitement I felt that someone had asked me to the dance. I only wished I knew whose signature was on the paper.

I was staring at the paper again in Study Hall when a shadow fell over the table I was sitting at. I looked up to find one of the freshmen in the class standing there. He looked very nervous. The feeling that I was being watched had been very strong since I'd entered the room, and I wondered if he had been the one watching me all day.

"Hi," he said, and for a moment I thought he was going to turn and run away. Had he slipped the poem into my locker?

"Hi," I replied, hoping that it hadn't been him. He was nice and all, but he was the same age as Austin!

"I, um," he stammered, trying to find his words. I waited patiently. "Are you going to the Autumn Ball?"

"Yes," I replied. His face fell, and I regretted my response almost immediately.

"Oh," he said in a downcast tone. "I guess Austin asked you already then?"

I couldn't help it, but I started laughing. I knew that Austin had been playing our relationship up among the freshmen, but I hadn’t realized that it had gone that far.

"No," I finally replied once my laughter had died down. "I'm definitely not going with Austin."

The poor kid now looked confused. He was staring at me like he couldn't figure out why I wouldn't go with Austin.

"Austin is my brother," I told him, and the shock that registered on his face was instant and extreme. Then he started smiling again.

"So you don't have a date to the dance yet?" he asked excitedly.

"Not officially," I replied, discreetly hiding the poem that had been slipped into my locker in my hand. I now knew it wasn't this boy who had left it for me.

"Will you go with me?" he asked hopefully.

I held back the sigh that wanted to escape my lips. He was a nice boy, and he would probably make a good date for somebody. But that somebody would not be me.

"I'm sorry..." I wracked my brain to remember his name, "Steven. But I'm expecting someone else to ask me."

"Oh," he said again and his face fell once more. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," I told him. "You are really nice and under other circumstances I might have been able to say yes."

"It's okay," he said and turned to leave. I could tell that I had just dashed his dreams, and that didn't make me happy.

"How about I save you a dance?" I called back to him. He stopped immediately and turned around.

"You mean it?" he asked, the excitement back in his voice.

"I mean it," I confirmed.

"Yes!" he screamed while turning and running back to the table he had been sitting at with some other freshmen boys.

I smiled and unfolded the poem once more.

* * *

At our appointment on Saturday morning, I spent a lot of time talking to Mary about the note and the prospect of someone being interested in me. She cautioned me about secret admirers, but her smile revealed that she was happy about this turn of events.

Then I spent most of the weekend trying to write some new songs. Not only did I have to come up with two songs for the Christmas Concert and start all the other preparations for the concert, I also had a meeting with a director on Monday who wanted me to write a song for his movie. Then on Wednesday I was supposed to record a collaboration with Sam's Town, a fairly popular band that had a few #1 hits. I liked their music so I was eager to work with them.

The countdown on Sunday had a mix of good and bad in it. After 16 weeks in the Top 10 'You Can't Hurt Me' dropped to #12. I was amazed that it had spent so much time on top of the charts, and I couldn't believe that people liked the song that had been born of misery and pain. The song meant so much more now than it had after I wrote it, and I knew that it would always be one of my greatest hits.

'Ever After' had managed to climb back to the #2 spot after falling last week, but it was my first single that couldn't seem to make the jump to the top of the list.

I sighed while I turned off the radio. For Emily’s sake I had hoped that 'Ever After' would climb to the top. She had been instrumental in the creation of the song and she deserved to have a song on top of the charts. I still hoped and prayed that it would make it there, but I no longer was sure that it would.

I walked out of Sarah's room and headed toward the kitchen, where my mom was preparing dinner. Before I got there, however, the doorbell rang and I changed course to answer the door.

What I found on the other side of the door was perplexing, and I didn't know what to make of it. There was a trail of rose petals leading down the porch and out of sight.

"What..." I found myself asking.

"Who is it?" my mom asked from behind me, coming to investigate. She too looked taken aback by the rose petals, but she was the one who noticed the envelope taped to the front door with 'Megan' written across the front. Removing it from the door she handed it to me.

I quickly opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. As I unfolded it I felt myself take a deep breath. Signed by the same person that had left the note in my locker I found another poem:

'Roses are red, violets are blue,
Do not think, just follow the clue'

I smiled immediately, and before I knew what I was doing I had taken a step forward. Mom was right behind me, and I couldn't blame her. I was very curious to know who my secret admirer was, and she seemed to be interested also.

The rose petals led down the walkway, across our driveway, and around the corner of our house. As I turned the corner I came face to face with the author of the notes, and I was slightly disappointed. I didn't know who I was expecting, but I didn’t expect him.

"Hi, Paul," I greeted my friend. He was dressed in a black tux with a dozen red roses in his hands.

"Hi, Megan," he replied with a huge smile. "Will you go to Autumn Ball with me?"

Immediately I thought of a number of reasons why going to the dance with Paul was a bad idea. The most notable was the fact that I knew I didn't feel the same way about him as he felt about me. But I knew that Paul had never asked a girl to a dance before. I couldn't tell him ‘no’. I couldn't crush the confident and outgoing person that he had grown into over the last few months. I was afraid that if I said no he would retreat back into himself and never come out.

"Yes," I replied while nodding. "I will go to the Autumn Ball with you."

"Yes!" he screamed and punched the air. I instantly second-guessed my decision. I knew that Paul wanted more from me than I was willing to give to him, and I was afraid of what his reaction truly meant. He was still in love with me.

* * *

I found another note in my locker on Monday morning. I thought that saying yes to Paul would have stopped them, but when I opened it I found another poem from him:

'Roses are red, violets are blue,
Thank you, thank you, thank you.'

While Paul's poetry skills needed a lot of work, his sheer determination and exuberance had me smiling as I slipped the note into my bag and headed for class.

There seemed to be an air of excitement in the school. It was different than what I had felt the week of my concert. This was a different anticipation. With the dance occurring on Friday the tension between the students seemed to be gathering. Adding sexual chemistry to the mix made school an interesting experience. And a dance always brought out everyone's true feelings as each person clamored to find someone to attend with.

It was nice not to worry about the dance anymore, and instead I was focusing on what I'd need to do to prepare. I had already called Julia and she made sure that Avalon was already working on a dress for me, and Stephanie was ready to make me look glamorous for the evening. It was nice to have a support staff that could help me prepare for a dance like this. I knew that most girls my age didn't have a cadre of people ready to make them look their best, and I was grateful that I could afford them.

At lunch Emily happily reported that she had been asked by Ronan, a cute guy who had been following her around for a while. I knew that there was no way she would end up at the dance without a date, so I was happy that Paul had asked me. I still worried that Paul was expecting more from the relationship than I was willing to give him, which was pretty much nothing, but he hadn't said or done anything yet.

My biggest worry, now, was that Ethan was going to end up at the dance alone, or that he might not even attend. That in itself seemed like it would be a tragedy. I couldn't imagine not having Ethan there, but I knew that he hadn't been dating anyone and he hadn’t even had his eye on anyone.

Toward the end of the day I stopped by my locker once more to get some books for Study Hall and I was surprised to find Ethan there waiting for me.

"Hi, Ethan," I greeted him with a smile while I opened my locker. "I thought you would be heading to Chorus."

"I am," he replied. "But I was hoping to talk to you first."

"Okay," I said. "Is it about Sarah?"

He looked at me quizzically, which left me confused. I figured that he was going to tell me about Chorus, but his reaction told me I was wrong.

"No," he told me. "I...It's..." he stammered. I'd never seen Ethan so nervous before. "I was wondering, since Emily has a date now, if you still wanted to go to the dance, you know, just the two of us."

I opened my mouth, but found myself lost for words. I thought Ethan knew that Paul had asked me. I didn't realize that Ethan had just planned on coming with Emily and me. I didn't know that he was counting on the two of us to accompany him, and now we had left him hanging.

"I'm sorry, Ethan," I said, and watched him deflate. "I thought you knew. Paul asked me to go with him, and he looked so excited I couldn't say no."

"Oh," he said, and took a step back. "I...I didn't know."

He looked pained, and started walking away.

"I'm sorry!" I called after him. He shrugged, but didn't look back. I couldn't figure out why he was so upset. Yes, Emily and I had left him without someone to go with, but he was a good looking guy. I was sure he could ask a number of different girls and get a ‘yes’ from them.

I was distracted all through Study Hall, and when Ethan showed up at my car after school he barely made eye contact with me. He hardly said a word to me on the way home and for the next couple of days. I was really worried about him, and I didn't know what to do.

Finally, on Wednesday, Jane told me that Ethan had asked her to the dance, and I hoped that would bring him out of his funk. He smiled at me after school, which made me happy, but I knew he still felt betrayed. I never would have said yes to Paul's invitation if I knew that it would strain our friendship this much.

* * *

"Maybe he wanted to go with you," Emily said while we were trying on the dresses that Avalon Sirocco had made for us Thursday afternoon.

"I guess," I replied. "But he's been moping since the summer. He needs to find a girlfriend."

I saw Emily roll her eyes as I turned to my reflection. The red dress fit me perfectly, just like everything Avalon designed for me. It was nice having connections. I knew that a lot of my classmates were clamoring to get dresses from her, and I was very happy that Avalon’s business had picked up. But none of my classmates were going to be able to have a one-of-a-kind dress from her for the dance like I would.

"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you are a superstar?" Emily said laughing. "Nobody else could have gotten me a dress like this."

I laughed along with her and gazed at the dark green number that offset her eyes so well. She looked spectacular, even without the flawless makeup Stephanie would give us for the dance tomorrow.

"I am too," I replied, and turned back to my own reflection. Sarah always looked amazing, but it was nice to see me, Megan, shine for once.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.29 - The Autumn Ball

School on Friday was a blur, but I likely wasn't the only one who had other things on my mind. There was something about this dance that enticed me more than any other school dance I'd gone to. Perhaps it was because this was the first time that I was going to attend one as Megan. Before, I had always been a bit awkward and unsure of where I fit into the world. But now, with all of the things that I had undergone over the last six months, I knew exactly who I was.

Before I got up on stage at Scott Crawford's house the night that he offered me a contract, I had questioned where my life was supposed to go. I had questioned who I really was. Ever since the accident Mary had been working with me to help me find my place in the world.

Now, with a multi-platinum selling album, a very successful concert tour under my belt, and legions of fans wherever I went I no longer questioned my purpose. Even if Sarah Carerra hadn't become a main part of my life I couldn't imagine living in the dreary world I had been plodding through. Everything seemed so much more vibrant now! So much more real. Sarah Carerra's career could end tomorrow and I'd still be happy with where my life had taken me.

But I also knew that not everyone felt the same way about me. As Stephanie finished up my makeup for the evening I knew that going to this dance might be a bad idea. While nobody had done anything to me in quite a while at school, I could still see the disdain in some of their eyes. The barbs and comments that had been a daily occurrence at the beginning of the school year had become rare, but I knew they were still on the tips of the tongues of some of my schoolmates.

For the most part they had left me alone, but I hadn't done anything to make them question who or what I was. I didn't force what had happened to me into any of their faces. Now, however, I was going to show up at the dance with Paul. I wasn't really worried about what they were going to say to me, and I knew that there would be enough chaperones around to prevent anybody from doing anything physical.

I was, however, worried about what they would do or say to Paul.

Despite the strides that he had made in coming out of his shell over the summer, I wasn't entirely convinced that he was as strong as he appeared. He was definitely more well-rounded. His bravery to come to my CD-signing had done a lot for him. The way he handled the publicity after he recognized me at the OC Fair concert was also impressive. But I couldn't predict what would happen if our classmates turned their ire I had felt so keenly at the end of the last school year upon him.

Once again I began to second guess my decision to accompany Paul to the dance. In some ways it would have been better if I had gone with Ethan. Everyone at school knew that we were just friends, and they likely wouldn't have done anything more to him than they already had. Yes, Paul and I were friends too, but everyone knew we didn't normally hang out all the time. When they would see me enter on Paul's arm they would immediately know that he had asked me to be his date.

All of these things were on my mind as Emily and I posed for pictures for our parents and then entered the limo that was waiting for us. Both Paul and Ronan were unhappy that we, the girls, were picking them up this evening, but neither of them had a standing contract with a limo company to provide limousine service whenever it was needed.

We stopped at Ronan's house first, and I waited patiently as Emily went up to his door and posed for pictures with him. Eventually they made their way back to the limo. Ronan seemed impressed when he slid inside.

"Wow!" he said. "I guess having Sarah Carerra as a friend pays really well!"

"It doesn't hurt," I replied while smiling back. I didn't know Ronan very well, but he seemed like a nice guy and Emily couldn't stop smiling.

I nervously exited the vehicle when we pulled up in front of Paul's house, and the front door opened before I made it even halfway up the walk. Paul came rushing out excitedly, and I once more thought about calling this whole thing off. The look he was giving me was not one of friendship, and I did not want this relationship to go any further than that.

"Megan, you are gorgeous!" he cried out, and his mother, who had followed him out, vigorously nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. You clean up pretty well too." Paul was wearing a tuxedo that had definitely been tailored for him. I wondered if he had purchased it specifically to impress me this evening or if he had it for some other reason.

"Paul!" came a yell from his house. I looked over Paul's shoulder to see his mom standing there with a camera. Paul turned and led me back up the sidewalk to where she was waiting for us.

"Hi, Mrs. Johnson," I said as we approached.

"Hi, Megan," she smiled back at me. "Thank you for agreeing to accompany Paul. He's been talking about this dance non-stop for weeks now."

"Mom!" Paul whined. Obviously he didn't want me to know how excited he was. Sadly, I already knew and it concerned me.

Paul's mom frowned at him, and I knew that she too was worried about his feelings for me. Both of us knew how fragile Paul's self-esteem was. He had made leaps and bounds over the summer, but he was still the same shy boy I'd had as a Biology partner.

"Don't do anything to embarrass her, Paul," his mom said in a tone that indicated it was a reminder. "She's been through enough this year already."

"Mom!" Paul practically screamed this time, but I couldn't fully suppress the chuckle that came to my lips. It was the right of moms everywhere, perhaps their obligation, to embarrass their sons in front of their dates. Paul wasn't getting out of this one. "We have to go," he finally stated, hoping to get away from her.

It worked, somewhat. We still had to take some pictures, and I had to make her promise to send copies to my mother. Then it was back into the limo.

The ride to Alfredo's, where we had a reservation for dinner, was short and somewhat awkward. Ronan still seemed interested in my connection to Sarah, but he definitely had nothing in common with Paul. It was up to Emily and me to keep the conversation going. The same problem persisted through dinner, though it eased up slightly.

By the time we arrived at the school it was apparent that both Ronan and Paul were looking forward to separating Emily and me for a while. I really didn't want to be left alone with Paul, but I also knew I didn't have a choice. Paul was a great guy, but his attitude toward me had turned more and more in the direction that I didn't want it to go. He was starting to treat me like we were a couple, and I knew that wasn't going to happen.

Entering the sea of people that made up the student body was almost a relief, as he had to concentrate on moving through the crowd instead of staring at me. He dragged me straight to the dance floor, and we spent the first few dances in silence.

Paul stared at me the entire time, oblivious to the sideways glances we were receiving from those around us. The looks seemed to be a mixture of surprise, envy, and a small amount of disgust. I didn't know how to take the attention we were receiving, so I decided to ignore it.

As we continued to dance, it seemed that Paul remembered that we were out in public together; he seemed to be reverting into his old self a bit. He was nervous - I knew that. But he also seemed to be avoiding eye contact with anyone, including me. I did my best to try to engage him in small talk, but all he would do was briefly look at me, smile, and then give me a short response.

Eventually he seemed to tire of dancing, and we made our way off the dance floor and found ourselves at a table with Emily, Ronan, Ethan, and Jane. I had hoped that the night would feel less awkward with my other friends nearby, but the tension at the table was palpable. It took me a while to realize that it was Ethan who seemed to be upset with me. He was smiling and talking like we were still friends, but he was pulling away from me if I moved close, averting his gaze when I looked at him, and doting on Jane much more than I knew he would normally do.

Emily had also noticed the change in his attitude, but she seemed to be as confused about his reactions as I was. I wondered if perhaps he was upset that we hadn't invited him to go to dinner with us. But both of us knew that Ethan and Jane were going to dinner with her two best friends and their dates. Maybe he had realized that he didn't like Jane the way he thought he did, but that didn't explain his reaction either.

I was left wondering when a young freshman approached our table.

"Hi, Megan," he said, and he was much more nervous than Paul had been all night.

"Hi, Stephen," I replied with a smile that nearly toppled him. "Are you ready for that dance?"

"Um..." was his response. I could tell that he wanted to say yes, but like me he had seen Paul's reaction to my question.

"What dance?" Paul asked worriedly. "You are on a date with me, Megan."

I turned to Paul, and I was upset. Paul was being much more possessive than I felt he should. We were not really dating - we were only friends! I knew he wanted to be more, but I had already told him that was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

"I promised Stephen a dance," I told Paul. "We'll be back shortly."

I reached my hand out to Stephen, and he took it with more reverence than he should have. I heard Paul start to protest, but Emily placed her hand on his arm to silence him. I doubted that he would be happy about this, but it wasn't his decision - it was mine.

"Are you having fun?" I asked Stephen as he led me out onto the dance floor.

"I am now," he said with a gleam in his eye.

I held back the sigh I felt at having another boy besotted with me. Instead I replied. "Good."

Thankfully, the song that was playing wasn't a very slow song, and we were able to dance together without a lot of touching.

There were many pairs of eyes on Stephen and me as we continued to dance. A number of other freshmen kept eyeing us, and once I had finished dancing with Stephen they were there hoping for their chance. I had to let them down gently because even from the middle of the dance floor I saw the frown on Paul's face.

As Stephen escorted me back to the table I knew that tonight had been a mistake. It was apparent to me that Paul believed that we had taken our relationship to the next level, and we hadn't. The jealousy that he was showing was not a good trait, and I was sad that it had been my acceptance that had brought it out in him. I wasn't entirely sure what to do to alleviate the situation, and before I could say anything he had dragged me back out to the dance floor. I knew he was trying to prove the point that I was his date, but I was becoming frustrated with him.

The song we were dancing to ended and a slow number started to come from the speakers around the room. I suppressed my sigh and let Paul place his hand on my hip. He was staring into my eyes, and I didn't like the emotions that were roiling around in there.

"Do you remember what we talked about earlier this summer?" I asked Paul softly so the other couples around us couldn't hear.

"Yes," he said, and there was an excitement in his voice.

"It hasn't changed, Paul," I dropped the bombshell. I not only watched the fire in his eyes dim I also felt the clenching of his hands on my body. I knew it was not what he wanted to hear, and I knew this wasn't a good place to talk about this. But I just couldn't let him continue thinking that I was his girlfriend.

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm still not ready," I told him the truth. "I'm still trying to figure out who I am." I echoed the same words that I had told him over the summer. "And even if I was, I can't guarantee that we would be a good match."

Paul started to pull away from me at those words, and it was my turn to clench onto him.

"Look, Paul, I'm not telling you this to hurt you," I said, but I knew he was in pain. "I'm telling you this so that you have a chance to prepare for the possibility that I won't be able to return the feelings that you are showing me."

"Never?" he asked, and his eyes started to bead with tears.

"I don't know, Paul," I said, trying to pick my words carefully to prevent those tears from falling. "Maybe some day. But I'm not there now. Maybe I will never be there. I think you are amazing, Paul. I think that you will make some girl really lucky someday, but that may not be me and you need to know that."

"But Megan, I love you," he whispered so quietly that I had to strain to hear him. I knew he was embarrassed to admit that in front of our classmates.

"I know you feel that way now," I told him. "But honestly, Paul, I'm the only girl you've ever really talked to. It's natural that you might feel that way."

"But--" he started.

"But you need to expand your horizons," I interrupted. "There are some great girls at this school, and one of them may be the girl you are looking for in me."

"I don't need another girl," he said. "I have you."

I sighed, and we fell into silence for a few minutes as I tried to figure out how to reply to that.

"I will always be your friend," I told him, and I could see him wince at the word ‘friend’. "Maybe someday I will be more. But I can't be more for you right now, okay?" He nodded, almost imperceptibly, and I continued. "I know this hurts. I know you don't want to talk to any other girls. But you need to. Even if you don't find somebody else and something happens between us later it will help you grow. Can you do that for me?"

He nodded again, and then the tear slipped out of his eye.

The song came to a conclusion, and I knew that Paul wasn't up for another song, not after what I had just unloaded on him. We turned to head back to the table and came face to face with someone I had hoped to avoid tonight.

"Well, well, if I didn't know better I'd say you just broke his heart," Amber Hartfield said and jabbed Paul in the chest with her finger. She was holding a cup of something in her other hand, and a vague whiff of the air around her indicated that it had been spiked with something.

"Leave us alone, Amber," I said and tried to push her to the side. She didn't like that.

"Don't touch me, freak!" she nearly screamed. If people hadn't been watching us before they were certainly paying attention now.

"Amber, what did I ever do to you?" I asked her. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"Leave you alone?!" she screamed. "You are ruining my life and you expect me to leave you alone?"

"How am I ruining your life?" I replied while trying to keep my voice calm. She was starting to make me upset, and I knew that the situation could devolve quickly if I wasn't careful.

Amber let out a feral scream of hatred. I was totally caught off guard and surprised at the intensity of her feelings toward me. The next thing I knew the hand holding her cup was moving, and I knew I was about to be soaked in alcohol. My only thought as I watched her arm move in what felt like slow motion was how I was going to explain that to my parents.

"No!" someone screamed, and Denise, one of Amber's best friends and who had been standing by as Amber confronted me, pushed Amber's arm away. The contents of her cup barely missed me, and splattered onto the floor a short distance away.

"What is wrong with you?!" Amber's ire turned on her friend. "Why would you do that?!"

"She's wearing a Sirocco!" Denise shot back like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"We're all wearing Siroccos!" Amber shot back. "Do you really think that I care?"

"No!" Denise yelled. "I don't think you care. But her dress is worth ten times what ours are worth and I'm not going to let you ruin something that expensive, no matter who is wearing it!"

I stood there, boggling at this turn of events! Yes, most of the girls at this dance tonight were wearing dresses made by Sarah Carerra's favorite designer. Yes, my dress had been much more expensive than anyone else here had likely paid for theirs. That kind of privilege was one of the perks of being a multi-platinum award-winning pop star. But never in my life had I thought that it would save me from being drenched by somebody's drink!

Avalon would have killed me if I let something like that happen to the dress she had made specifically for me. But then again she still thought she had made the dress for Sarah. She didn't know the truth and Julia and I had been reluctant to tell her.

While the two of them were fighting I grabbed Paul's arm and left the dance floor as quickly as I could. I didn't want to be around when Amber was ready to confront me again.

* * *

The night was starting to wind down and there weren't many dances left when I found myself heading out to the dance floor once more. This time, with Paul's permission, it was Ethan who was leading me through the crowd until we found a place to start dancing. Naturally it had to be a slower song and I immediately felt weird when he put his arm on my waist and started leading me around.

"This is kind of weird, isn't it?" he asked after seeing my reaction.

"Yeah," I replied and found myself laughing. Even if it was weird there was something natural about it. I had known Ethan for a long time. We had been best friends for almost as long as I had been alive. And I was comfortable with him. He was my friend and I knew for the first time that night that I was dancing with a boy who wasn't in love with me. It was a refreshing experience.

"I'm sorry about tonight," he finally said, apologizing for the attitude he'd been displaying. I still didn't know why he was upset, but I was glad that he was getting over it.

"It's okay," I replied. "I'm sorry that Emily and I abandoned you," I took a stab in the dark at why he had been in such a bad mood this week.

"It's not your fault," he told me. "I should have known that she would get a date. I was surprised that you agreed to come with Paul."

There was a questioning look on his face as he asked the question, and I knew he was looking for insight into why I had said yes.

"That was a mistake," I said. "I know that now."

Relief washed over Ethan, confusing me for a moment. Then I realized that he probably felt Paul and I wouldn't make a good couple.

"Maybe I should have just come with you," I admitted, and he smiled widely. "I mean, I just wanted to come with a friend, and not someone who was falling in love with me. I definitely picked the wrong person for that."

His smile dimmed, but didn't go out. Likely he agreed with me.

"Well, if nothing else I'm glad we got to dance together, even if it is just once," he told me. "It's been a difficult summer. I haven't always been the friend that you wanted me to be. But I'm here for you now, no matter what you need. I thought I knew you before this summer, but I've come to realize that you were so much more."

He paused, and I didn’t know where his thoughts were going. His smile widened again, and then he looked me straight in the eyes.

"You are more extraordinary than I ever knew, Megan," he stated. "I am honored to call you a friend and I will always be at your side. Always."

It was my turn to smile and I felt my lips spread wide as I looked back into his eyes. I had almost forgotten how close the two of us were. We had strained our relationship over the summer, and it started when I had kissed him. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. We had rekindled our friendship and become even closer than we had ever been before, and I never wanted to let that go.

* * *

"Thank you, Paul," I said as he led me up the sidewalk and to my front door. The limo was dropping off Emily and me first before taking the guys home.

"No, thank you, Megan," he replied. "I know that you didn't want to say ‘yes’ to me, but I'm glad you did."

"I never didn't want to say yes," I told him. "I was just...worried."

"I know," was his only reply. "I think I understand now. I'm sorry I made you worry."

We went up the last step and I turned toward him. I was worried again, hoping that this moment didn't become awkward. Paul had shown how much he had matured after our talk on the dance floor. He had backed away, but instead of hating me like I feared he would, he seemed to be considering what I had told him.

Before I could say anything to him he reached out and took my right hand before guiding it straight to his lips! The soft pressure on the back of my hand was tender and not rushed, and I knew that he still loved me. But he wasn't going to push the issue further.

I was left speechless as he smiled at me. Then he pulled away and gently let go of my hand. He turned, and without looking back he headed for the limo.

I was left wondering what that meant.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.30 - Collaboration

I woke up Saturday morning happy. Things in my life seemed to be going well. Paul seemed to be growing again, and hopefully he would find someone who could return his feelings. I had cemented my friendship with Ethan again. And I had an appointment with Mary to once again tidy up all the loose ends in my life. I always felt better after spending time talking with her.

My life became complicated once again after my appointment. I drove to Kate Abernathy's studio to learn the choreography for my performance at the American Music Awards which would be held in just over a week. After much debate about what song I was going to perform, we decided to release 'Your Time Will Come' as a new single. This would be the first song released that was not from my debut album.

We were also planning concert tours for next year. I had meetings to work on a song for a movie, a collaboration with Sam's Town, and the dress rehearsals for the music awards. Then I had only one week off for Thanksgiving before the chorus and I would be in the recording studio to record the songs for the Christmas album. Finally we would need to start rehearsals for the Christmas concert. I loved my life, but there were some days I felt overwhelmed at just how much work it took to be Sarah Carerra.

On Sunday I had more reason to smile when 'Ever After' finally nabbed the #1 spot! For the past few weeks I had worried that it would not reach the top of the charts, so I promptly celebrated with Emily within moments of ‘Ever After’ claiming the top spot. She deserved to be a part of the success that my career had brought me, and Emily cried as she heard our song on top of the charts.

School on Monday was a mixture of awkwardness and happiness. Most of the students were still gushing about how much fun they had at the dance, and I felt the same way. But a wall had been erected between Paul and me. I didn't know if he was aware of what he was doing, but he had pulled away from me in his attempt to do what I had asked of him. At lunch I saw him eying a few girls whom he seemed to want to talk to, but he never tried. It was only day one, but it was a start. Hopefully, he would be able to initiate some light conversations with one or more of the girls.

I spent Monday evening in the studio recording 'Your Time Will Come' with the band so that we could release it in time for the American Music Awards. Then on Tuesday I rushed home after school, changed into Sarah, grabbed Sparkle, and headed down to my office to meet with the movie producers that wanted me to write a song for them.

When I arrived I found my dad, Amy, my lawyer Josh and Scott in the conference room talking to two men and a woman whom I assumed were from the movie.

"Hi everyone," I greeted and shook the hands of the three people I didn't know before sitting down at my regular seat at the head of the table. "Sorry I'm late."

"That's no problem, Sarah," one of the men said. "My name is Elton Roche and I am the executive producer for the movie. With me today are Cameron Dean, the director, and Jennifer Rainier, who is the sound editor in charge of music.”

"Pleased to meet you," I replied while smiling at each of them. "So what did I miss?"

"We have been working on the contract portion of the deal," Scott said. "Specifically we have agreed that you will retain ownership of the song with Olympic Records as your recording agency. The production company of the movie will have exclusive rights to use the song in their movie and will pay the normal royalties involved."

I nodded. I didn't really need the details. I knew Scott, Josh, Amy, and my dad closely and I implicitly trusted that they would have worked out what was best for me and my company.

"That just leads us to the content of the song," Elton said, which was something that I could actually help with.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked him.

"The movie is a romantic comedy about a CIA agent who for years has been lying to his wife about what he really does. But then one day his work follows him home and he has no choice but to protect his family. What we are looking for from you is a main song that will be used at various parts throughout the show and as the closing piece at the end. Jennifer, do you have anything to add?"

"Yes," she replied. "We are looking for a happy, upbeat song that we can play the other musical selections around. We want this piece to be iconic, yet still recognizable as a Sarah Carerra song. I'd like to talk to you more in depth about it, but it would be great if we can get a general consensus today."

"Okay," I said while my mind was filling with possibilities. Suddenly one of them jumped to the forefront of my mind and elected itself the leading candidate. "What if the song had something to do with a superhero? Not in the comic book sense, but that played off how he saves the world every day when he goes to the office."

"That..." Jennifer started while looking over at her colleagues.

"Is perfect!" Elton finished for her.

"It plays into the movie very well," Cameron stated. "I really like that idea."

I smiled, and started expanding the idea inside my head.

"What jumped into my mind was basing the song from the point of view of the wife. It would kind of talk about what she sees when he leaves for work each morning. The words would likely play up the duality of how he is not only going to his job, but that his day often includes saving the world, or something."

The three of them looked at each other, and each of them was nodding, so it looked like they approved of my idea. While they were discussing how a song like that could fit into their movie, I pulled Sparkle from its case and set it on my lap. Then I started playing the short chord that was playing over and over in my head.

Everyone in the room stopped and listened as I played it a few times. When I was finished I looked back up at them.

"Something like that?" I asked.

"Definitely!" Jennifer stated immediately. "That is absolutely amazing that you can sit down and give me exactly what I wanted that quickly!"

I was really surprised by her spontaneous reaction, and I smiled at her compliment. "It just came with the song idea," I told her, but she still seemed impressed.

"I liked it too," Elton said. "Cameron?"

"Yes," Cameron replied while nodding. "Expand on that and I think we are going to have a hit on our hands."

"Great!" I replied and placed Sparkle back in its case. "The only concern I have is timing," I told them. "I'm likely going to go straight home and start working on the song. But I may not be able to give you anything until next week."

"That will be okay," Elton said immediately. "We are aware of your busy schedule this week. It is an honor to be working with you, Sarah. The wait will be worth it."

I smiled again at his compliment, and I saw my dad doing the same.

After the meeting ended, I spent some time talking alone with Jennifer to help narrow down the "sound" of the song to her specifications. It was weird to be putting constraints on my creativity, but the process also helped to flesh out the idea. I had half of the notes and many of the lyrics for the song written before we were finished.

By the end of the night I had expanded the song to a rough piece that was starting to sound really good to me. I was excited to know that one of my songs would be used in a movie.

* * *

Wednesday and Thursday were hectic. After a full day of school I was embroiled in the turmoil that came with a stressful rehearsal. We always put in long days when rehearsing for one of my concerts, but we had done our best not to wear anyone out. But for the American Music Awards, much like the VMA's, my time was at the mercy of the show's producers. While I had a scheduled time for rehearsing on their stage, they were very strict about it. We did our best to prepare for Sunday's performance, but we could have used more practice.

Friday was a different experience altogether. I had been excused from school by my parents, so I drove down to Olympic Records to record my collaboration with Sam's Town. They too were represented by Olympic Records, which meant that we would be working together in familiar surroundings.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I sighed immediately at the number of people surrounding the entrance to the record company. There were always one or two individuals at the entrance, but today it looked like there was a whole cadre of photographers and reporters there. I wasn't sure if they were waiting for me or someone else, but they would definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

I pulled into one of the parking spots reserved for the artists, which got their attention. Cameras were already snapping before I had even fully exited my car. I smiled for them and headed for the door.

"Sarah!" someone screamed immediately, and I prepared myself for the onrush that followed. "What are you doing here today?"

They weren't here for me, but they were certainly excited to see me anyway.

"I'm recording a collaboration with Sam's Town," I told the lady who had asked the question. We weren't hiding what we were doing and this would be great publicity for both of us.

There were a few more questions yelled toward me and I tried to answer them as much as I could. I also played nice and posed for pictures a couple of times before I was able to slip into the lobby of the building.

I sighed, but then smiled when I found Scott waiting for me.

"Good morning, Sarah," he greeted.

"Hi, Scott," I replied. "You could have warned me about the zoo," I said while pointing back toward the entrance.

"Sorry," he apologized. "We have a number of high profile clients here today, including you, and it always draws a crowd."

I nodded. This wasn't the first time I had crossed a line of photographers and reporters to enter a building. Spending all day waiting outside of a building didn’t seem like a very fun job to me, but it probably paid their bills.

"Sam's Town is already setting up in one of the recording studios," Scott informed me and gestured toward the hallway further into the building. We started walking toward the studios. "I'll be sitting in for the day but this is their show and I won't be producing. Is that okay with you?"

"Do you trust their producer?" I asked immediately.

A smile lit on Scott's face at my question. "Absolutely! I've known Carl for a long time and he will do a great job. He would be a good replacement for me in the future, if something happens."

"Nothing is going to happen to you though, right?" I asked, both slightly serious and slightly teasing. I couldn't imagine not working with Scott.

"I hope not," he said. "It's been nice to spend time in the studio. I wouldn't want to give that up again. I will produce for you as long as you want me to."

"Then we have a long relationship ahead of us," I said and watched as his smile widened even further.

It didn't take long before we arrived at a set of studios that I had never been in before. I hadn't realized it before now, but there was a tiered structure to their recording studios. Even from the beginning they had seen my potential and I had been given a large, posh studio to work in. Sam's Town, while successful, did not draw in the money that I did and the studio they were using wasn't quite as nice as what I was used to. But it was still nice, and the smiles that greeted me when I followed Scott inside the control room told me that they were excited to work with me. I was also excited to work with them.

"Hello, Scott," an older gentleman greeted Scott from where he was sitting in front of the control panel. The band was in the actual studio, but they started for the control room immediately. The man at the control panel turned to me. "Sarah, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Carl Jorgen."

"The pleasure is mine," I replied. "You come highly recommended, and it will be an honor to work with you today."

"I'm flattered," he replied and shot a humorous smile at Scott. The members of Sam's Town started entering the control room, and we turned toward them.

"Sarah!" one of them greeted me excitedly. "I'm so glad you agreed to this!"

"I am too!" I replied back trying to match his excitement. I knew that this person was Aaron Gold, the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band. He was the face of the group, and was easily recognizable.

"I'm Aaron," he said unnecessarily. Then he started pointing to the other members of the band. I thought I knew who each of them was, but he introduced them anyway. "That's Breanne, Jason, and Steven."

"It's nice to meet all of you," I greeted them while shaking their hands. I knew Breanne played the keyboard and added backing vocals to Aaron's performance, Jason was the bass player, and Steven played the drums.

"Do you like the song?" Aaron asked next. I knew that he had written it. The sheet music for the song had been given to me almost a week ago so that I could learn it and be ready to record today.

"Very much so," I told him. "I think it's going to turn out great."

"Me too," he said. "I think it's one of the best songs I've written and I'm pleased that we get to perform it with such a wonderful singer."

I grinned at his praise, but we quickly fell into small talk for a few minutes as Scott and Carl worked together to finish setting up the studio. Then I performed my sound check. The rest of the band had already had their sound checks, and soon we were ready to start working on recording the song.

The song was entitled 'Always'. It was a duet and talked about how much fun we had when we were together. It was a very upbeat, happy type of song and the music for it, when I had played it on my guitar, had sounded really good. I couldn't wait to hear what it sounded like with all of the instruments included.

I started by sitting in the control room while they finished recording the music, which they had been doing when I arrived. It wasn't the most interesting thing to do, but I'd sat and waited before. Besides, the music sounded excellent and Carl did a good job of working with the band to get the sound he wanted from them.

It didn't take too long before we were ready for the vocals. I entered a booth opposite Aaron where we could record our singing. Once I had put the headset on I could hear Carl talking.

"Alright, Sarah. I'm sure you've done this plenty of times, so we'll get straight to work," he said. "Do you have any questions?"

"No," I replied. "I'm ready."

"Alright, here we go," he said followed immediately by the opening notes of the song through the headset.

I counted myself in, and then started singing. Once I had finished my short piece, Aaron went through a similar line before he took full control of the song for the first verse. I joined him for another short section before we launched into the chorus together. Then it was my turn to shine as I sang the second verse before we joined together to finish out the song.

"Excellent!" Carl's voice echoed over the headset after we finished singing. I could see the smile on his face from here, and Scott's was almost as big. "Now," he continued. "If we could just get a little more sunshine on the second verse."

* * *

I was exhausted by the time I arrived home late in the afternoon. I always was beat after a productive but long day in the studio. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Singing with Aaron and the rest of the band had been a lot of fun. I didn't have many "friends" in the entertainment business yet, mostly because I kept to myself. But now I had four more.

Saturday was a much easier day. More than anything else, I spent my session with Mary talking about how excited I was about everything I had coming up in Sarah's life. Then I got to rest for most of the day and work on the song I was writing for the movie. The only appointment I had was a final fitting with Avalon for the dress I'd be wearing tomorrow. I couldn't believe that I was going to be attending a second awards show already! Sometimes it felt like Sarah had come into existence only yesterday. But at the same time I felt like I had been singing in front of crowds forever.

All I knew for sure is that I didn't want it to end.

* * *

* * *
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*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.31 - The American Music Awards

On Sunday I woke up excited for the awards show. But after returning home from church my day started to take a turn for the worse that left me worried about what would happen later that night.

It started with the weekly countdown. 'Ever After' had managed to claim the top spot on the list last week. But this week it had already given up the title. It had fallen hard, coming in at #6.

I knew when we released the song that it wouldn't have the same impact in the market as my other singles. The fairy tale nature of the song, which really gave it an ethereal feel that I liked so much, limited the fan base that liked it. The song was by no means a failure. Very few songs ever make it to the top spot on the countdown, and I was extremely happy that a song that meant so much to Emily and me had garnered as big of a following as it had. But I was still sad that it wasn't as popular as one of my more mainstream popular hits.

I sighed, but I didn't have much time to contemplate the impact of the large drop the song had made in the charts, because Julia and Stephanie had arrived to help me get ready for the awards show. Alone.

I missed sharing this moment with Emily. We'd had a lot of fun just getting ready for the Video Music Awards, let alone the great time we had at the actual show. But this time I was taking Ethan with me, and he did not need Stephanie’s services. Julia had made sure to attire him in a very expensive suit, but he was dressing in another room.

After Stephanie had finished with my makeup Julia helped me into the dress that Avalon had designed for the evening. It was a black dress that fell to my knees. What gave the dress that 'Glam' factor required of all of Sarah's clothes was the shimmering effect that the fabric of the dress provided as I moved. It was subtle, but oh so very eye catching.

"Thank you both," I said once I was ready. Their smiles told me that they worked with me for much more than just the money. I considered both of them close friends now. We spent enough time together.

"It is our pleasure," Julia replied while Stephanie nodded vigorously.

I smiled back and led them out of the room. I continued down the hall and into our front room where I found my parents waiting with Ethan. He looked unbelievably handsome in the black suit he was wearing. He stood up and gave me the same approving look that I had been giving him.

"You look beautiful, honey," my mom spoke first. I turned my attention to her and my mind drifted immediately back to the night I had attended the Tween Awards with Josh. Back then both of my parents were worried about letting me out of the house with a handsome young man. My life had changed completely that night as I came to the realization of who and what I really was after returning home and talking with my mom.

"Thank you, Mom," I replied, smiling.

But tonight, they had no reservations whatsoever about letting me out of the house once more to walk the red carpet with a boy. Why should they be? Not only had they known Ethan for nearly my entire life, but also tonight was not a date. I shivered slightly at the thought of going on a date with Ethan. That would be weird - very weird. No, tonight was an outing as friends. Just because he was a boy and I was a girl didn't mean that it was a date. I had promised him the chance to attend an awards show with me just like I had promised Emily.

The look he was giving me when I turned back to him, however, was not what I would expect to see from a friend. I couldn't fully read what it meant, but it reminded me so much of the night I had kissed him after my first concert that I worried about him. That kiss - those feelings - had sent him running to a summer camp for weeks. I had thought that I had ruined our friendship that night, and I was starting to feel the same way now.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Yeah," he replied. "It's just...”

"Weird?" I finished for him after he had trailed off.

"Yes," he said, laughing at the same time. I smiled at the icebreaker, and I hoped it was enough to keep the evening light and carefree. I didn't want him to feel out of place with me. I didn't want him to even consider running away again. I knew that we had a strong relationship. We had cemented that a few days ago at the dance. But there was still a fragility to it that revolved around the new dynamic that becoming Megan had thrown into the mix. We were teenagers, and there was always some sexual anxiety involved when two members of the opposite sex were together. Normally I had Emily there to offset that anxiety and to remind us of our friendship.

But tonight we would be alone.

Sure, we would be in a large audience broadcast all over the world. But we would still be alone together. The last time we had been alone together I had dressed up to look as much like my old self as I could when I went over to his house after he had returned from the summer camp. Tonight I was wearing a slinky little dress that played upon my feminine wiles to help increase my image. I didn't know how he was going to react to that.

"It doesn't mean anything," I said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. "We're just friends, right?"

He frowned.

I backtracked immediately. "I mean, it means SOMETHING," I reiterated. "But it's not a date. Right?"

He was silent for a few moments, and I knew I had blown it. My goal tonight was to not bring up the difference in our relationship compared to what it was before. I wanted him to remember that I was his friend first and foremost, not a girl whom he was still getting to know. But I was still so bad at keeping his mind off of that. I could see it in his eyes, and I didn't know what to do.

"Just friends," he finally stated with a smile and held his hand out to me. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes," I replied, thankfully.

I breathed a sigh of relief as we walked toward the front door. But when he opened it we came face to face with a young boy I had never seen before. His eyes went wide immediately as he recognized me, and his mouth dropped open, but no words came out.

"Hi," I told him as Ethan pulled me forward and around him. I also couldn't resist the temptation to kiss the poor boy on the cheek as I passed. He just stared back, frozen in place as we continued down the walk.

"Hello George," I heard my mom say behind us. The humor in her voice was quite evident, and I knew she had seen the kiss. "Austin's in his room."

Once Ethan and I had slipped into the waiting limo we burst into laughter. It took us a while to calm down again, but when we did I found the Ethan of old staring back at me.

That made me smile all over again and brought some of the excitement I had lost back into my day.

* * *

"Are you ready for this?" I asked Ethan as the limo approached the drop off point for the red carpet.

"Probably not," he said, but he had a smile on his face and in his eyes unlike the look of terror that Emily had when she was in the same position. "But it should be fun."

I smiled back at him. I had taken Emily to many more events than I had taken Ethan to. That was partially because she was a girl. I couldn't imagine Ethan at one of the Starshine parties. It was nice to share this experience with him.

The limo came to a stop and the door was opened from the outside. Because Ethan was at the door closer to the curb he was the first one to exit the car. Cheers erupted from a crowd that was located nearby. They didn't care who he was, he was there. I watched him casually wave to the crowd, and their noise died down some when they realized they didn't know who he was.

He took their attention in stride and then turned back toward the limo and offered me his hand. I looked up at him as he helped me out and I immediately knew that he was having fun. There was a light in his eyes that I hadn't seen in a while. He was smiling back at me with one of the biggest smiles that I'd ever seen from him.

The cheers erupted again as I emerged from the car. People recognized me, and their noise showed it. Once I was on my feet I waved to the crowd like Ethan had before turning toward the red carpet.

Ethan was standing there, waiting for me. He had a goofy look on his face when he held his arm out for me that made me laugh, but I slipped my arm in his and we began walking forward.

"This is insane!" he whispered into my ear over the noise around us. He was grinning widely as he looked from side to side. I could tell that he was impressed, and every time he caught sight of someone famous he nearly swooned.

We stopped at a number of places to get our picture taken. I tried to keep Ethan near me as often as I could. He kindly stepped to the side at the few places that wanted pictures of me alone. But not once did his smile ever falter.

Eventually we found ourselves being waved over toward one of the many interviewers vying for my attention. I didn't know the young lady holding the microphone, but she was standing next to a crew from a very respected entertainment television show.

"Sarah!" she greeted me excitedly as we approached. "It's so good to meet you!"

"It's nice to meet you too!" I responded excitedly. I had hoped that she would provide me with her name, but she didn't.

"I’ll get right to the question that everybody is already asking," she said. "Who is this handsome hunk on your arm tonight?"

I wasn't able to hold back the laugh that jumped almost immediately to my lips. I wasn't laughing at how much she was gushing over Ethan, but at the 'who me?' look that had jumped onto his face. It was nice to see that Ethan still had a great sense of humor in the midst of the chaos of the red carpet. I put my arm around Ethan, pulling him close to me as I responded.

"This is Xander Dailey," I replied while turning my gaze back to the girl and the camera behind her. "He's been one of my best friends since we were little kids."

"And are you enjoying the red carpet experience, Xander?" the girl asked him.

"Very much so, Gail," Xander replied. I was surprised that Ethan had recognized her, but I was also thankful that he had provided me with her name. "But I always enjoy spending time with Sarah."

He turned to me as he said that, and the look on his face confused me. He was smiling at me again, but it was a smile that I didn't normally see from him. It was the smile I usually got from the male fans that I met whenever I was dressed as Sarah.

I was speechless, but Gail filled the air with another question, oblivious to Xander’s look.

"You've been nominated for four AMAs tonight, Sarah," she said. "That's an impressive feat for someone so young. How do you handle all of the pressure that is sitting on your shoulders?"

"I try my best," I told her. "When I was first offered a recording contract I never thought that anybody would like my songs. I'm still in awe at the fans I get to meet. I just want to reach out and do whatever I can to help make their lives better. I don't do what I do for the fame or the money. I do it to see the elation on their faces as I sing, as I sign an autograph, or just in passing. It's the fans that we are honoring tonight, and I want to thank every single one of them."

"Well said," Gail replied. "Good luck tonight."

"Thank you," I told her.

Then we moved on. There were more such interviews as we continued down the red carpet. There were also more photographs being taken. Eventually we made our way into the theatre, my arm still intertwined with Ethan's.

* * *

Ethan and I were really enjoying ourselves as act after act got up on stage during the awards show. The sixth row gave us a very good view of the stage. We were even sitting close to the center. Unlike the VMAs, the American Music Awards focused more on being a performance show than an awards show. There were 17 performances with the awards intermingled in between. Ethan was having a blast watching all of the famous singers and groups perform. It was like some kind of super concert to him.

I was enjoying the show just as much as he was. The main stage had been split into three separate sections. One performer would perform on one side of the stage while the next act would set up on the other side. A small section in front of the two performance areas was used by the presenters of the awards. It had been chaos during the dress rehearsal I'd been part of last week. But luckily I really only had to show up and sing.

Clarissa Montague, one of Josh Holliday's old flames, had just finished performing when the front area of the stage lit up once more where Tommy Sinclair was waiting at the microphone. Tommy was a relatively new, though successful, actor. I had met him on the Tonight Show after I had released my album. At 22 he was also one of the hottest actors in movies these days.

"Every year we see new bands and new singers willing to provide us with new experiences and new music," Tommy told the crowd. "Tonight we honor the best of those newcomers. The nominees for New Artist of the Year are For the People," He had to pause for a moment as clapping echoed throughout the theatre. "Caleena," he continued before pausing for the crowd once again. "Shauna," he announced. "And Sarah Carerra."

It was probably just my imagination, but after Tommy called my name and the crowd started cheering and clapping once more I couldn't help but think that it was louder than the others. Even if it wasn't, the recognition from so many people still brought a smile to my face.

"And the winner is..." Tommy said before unsealing the envelope he was holding.

I waited nervously for him to speak, but it seemed like time dragged on. I had been nominated for the same category at the VMAs with each of these individuals. I had lost that award to For the People, but I hoped the tide would be turned tonight. This was likely the only award I had a chance to win tonight.

"Sarah Carerra!" Tommy said into the microphone. The crowd erupted into cheers and I felt myself take a breath. Then the smile crept onto my face and I turned to Ethan.

"You really deserve it," Ethan whispered to me. I was keenly aware that we were being watched by millions of people on TV, so when he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek I was scared about my reaction. He had never done anything like that before!

I didn't have time to contemplate why he would do that as I moved toward the aisle and then toward the stage. I had done the same thing to Josh when I had accompanied him to the Tween Awards at the beginning of the summer. It hadn't meant anything when I did it, but it had developed into something more. I knew that Ethan didn't feel that way about me, but the kiss had still been unexpected.

Once I reached the stage I took the trophy from Tommy before he too kissed me on my cheek. Then I stood before the microphone.

"Thank you!" I said immediately. The AMAs were fan voted and I wanted to make sure that they were recognized first. "Thank you to all of the fans who voted for me."

There was some cheering and clapping throughout the crowd, but my time was limited so I kept talking.

"I still can't believe that you guys like my music so much!" I told them. "But I certainly love sharing it with you guys. This one is for the fans!"

I lifted the statue, and the entire theatre erupted into noise. I knew that they wouldn't calm down soon enough for me to say anything else before my time was up so I blew them a kiss instead.

The crowd roared louder, and then I was escorted off the stage toward the gauntlet of media that followed a win.

* * *

My luck did not continue when they announced the winner for Favorite Pop/Rock Album. Travis Edmunds took that title and I sadly left my seat afterward to prepare for my performance. 'Intuition' had sold enough albums that I thought it had stood a chance to win the award, but the fans had not agreed. I would have liked to win, but I also knew that my next album, which I was already starting to compile, was going to be much better.

I found Stephanie waiting for me in my assigned dressing room - a small, curtained off area. We didn't have much time to talk while she touched up my makeup and I changed my dress, and then I hurriedly made my way to the stage. I found the band there quickly putting the finishing touches on setting up their equipment. Tim, the man in charge of taking care of Sparkle at all of my concerts, was with them and he quickly helped me slip the strap of the guitar over my head before I moved into place.

The lights that we had used to get ready faded, leaving us in darkness. The large barrier that they placed in front of the unused portion of the stage lifted, and I saw many members of the audience peering in. It was too dark for them to identify us, but I knew they were trying. I had tried to see who was performing every time one of the barriers had opened for a performance.

But the crowd’s focus was diverted as a spotlight shone down on someone on the far side of the front stage. The crowd started clapping for a bit before they calmed down enough to let the person in the spotlight speak.

"The next performer has managed to capture the hearts of many people worldwide in a very short time," Tracy Hall said. Tracy’s current crime drama was one of the most watched TV shows this season. "Her music first graced our ears this last summer but she has already become a multi-platinum selling artist. Performing her new single, 'Your Time Will Come’, please welcome Sarah Carerra!"

The lights illuminated my band and me immediately. I strummed my guitar at the same time that Stacy's drums echoed throughout the theatre and my dancers started moving around in their choreographed moves. The crowd cheered, and I smiled.

Everyone, including the crowd, quieted as I started to sing and play through the first part of the song. This was almost a true debut for the song because most of the people listening to my performance had never heard the song before. I had only performed this song once - at the school concert - and it wouldn't be released as a single until tomorrow morning.

I continued to sing my heart out as we played. This song deserved to be performed to the best of my ability every single time I performed it. I could not move around the stage as much as I normally did because I was playing Sparkle, but I made sure to put that extra energy into the song.

The same emotions I had felt when performing this song for Austin at the school came rushing back to me, and I knew that he was watching. I did my best to remind him how much he meant to me, and how much faith I had in him. I hoped that the rest of the audience would feel the same way.

I looked out at the crowd during the long instrumental at the end. I was too far back on the stage to see any facial expressions. But I could see people moving along with the music, and I knew I had accomplished my goal. I also knew that I had given the song a fighting chance to become one of the most popular songs in America.

And I knew that the audience appreciated it.

* * *

I was still backstage where Stephanie was touching up my makeup once again when I was informed they were presenting the nominees for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. I'd barely had enough time to secure Sparkle with Tim and change back into my red carpet dress. I had to hurry to a designated spot backstage so they could film me while announcing the nominees.

"Sarah Carerra!" I heard as I got into place and the red light on the camera in front of me came out. I smiled my best, and tried to keep from panting after my performance. The red light went off, and whoever was presenting the award continued announcing some big names. Stella, Allyson Sutterfield, and Kristy Deltoro had been my opponents at the VMA awards in this category, and any one of us was poised to win this award.

"And the winner is...Sarah Carerra!" The light on the camera came on once again to catch the large smile that spread across my lips. Then, before I knew what was happening I was being directed back onto the stage. It had only been about five minutes since I'd been in front of the crowd as they cheered after my performance, and they were nearly as loud as I walked over to the podium and accepted my second award of the evening.

With the trophy in hand, and a smile on my face, I turned toward the microphone.

"I guess you guys liked that last song, huh?" I said. There was some cheering and laughing from the crowd. "Again I want to thank all of the fans. I wouldn't be here tonight without you. I'm just a simple girl trying to share my songs with the world. I never expected that you guys would like them so much! Thank you!"

It was simple, and to the point. My dad, Amy, and I had all agreed to keep the gratitude for any of the awards I won tonight pointed at the fans since it was a fan-voted awards show. There were so many other people that I wanted to thank, but I had stuck to the plan.

I made it through the media gauntlet once more and finally made my way back to Ethan and my seat.

A few more awards were given out and we had the opportunity to enjoy a few more performances from some big names. Overall, I was satisfied with what I had achieved this evening. Two awards is no small feat! I had missed out on one of them, and it seemed unlikely that I would win the big award of the evening. I knew that I had a lot of fans, but NOBODY had won the Artist of the Year award their first year. In fact, it was very rare to even be nominated for the award the first year. Usually performers were nominated for the New Artist of the Year their first year before they were even considered for the big award.

That was why I knew how honored I was to be nominated for both awards this year. The nomination showed just how quickly I had become popular. Nearly every day I still found myself wondering how all of this had happened. How had I gone from the shy person I had been to someone who craved the attention I got on stage? I had been so scared for most of my life to share my talents with anyone.

But now...now I couldn't imagine not performing for others.

"And the nominees for Artist of the Year are," Leon Raime, a very successful musical artist announced as the night was coming to an end. "Allyson Sutterfield."

Ethan reached out and took my hand.

"Travis Edmunds."

I looked over at him. He was smiling, and I smiled back before squeezing his hand.

"Sarah Carerra."

He returned the squeeze, and I almost stopped caring about the award. Just having Ethan here was almost an award in itself. I thought that I had lost him earlier this year, but he was proving to be more resilient than I thought he was. I didn't think that our friendship had ever been as strong as it had been this past week. Something had changed between us, and I liked whatever it was.

"Mark Bruno."

I turned back to the stage.

"and Stella," Leon concluded. "And the winner is..."

My grip on Ethan's hand tightened.

"Travis Edmunds!" Leon announced, and the crowd went wild. My heart fell, even though I knew it was a long shot that I'd actually win. I had hoped I would, at least. Ethan squeezed my hand once more in reassurance, and I looked over at him.

He was a very worthy consolation prize.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.32 - Repercussions

"Did you have to kiss George?" was the first thing Austin said to me as I exited my room Monday morning.

"What?" I asked, confused. I hadn't kissed anyone.

"Yesterday," he explained. "As you were going to the awards show. You kissed George. He won't shut up about it now."

"Oh," I replied, remembering the kiss I gave him as I passed. I tried to stifle the giggle that came with the memory because of the look on Austin's face, but I was unsuccessful.

"It's not funny!" he complained immediately. "He's telling everyone he knows! It's annoying."

"I'm sorry," I told Austin and moved toward the kitchen for breakfast. "I was just having a bit of fun. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Well you shouldn't have done it," he said seriously as I grabbed a bowl and started pouring some cereal. "I'm going to have to listen to him tell the story for weeks now!"

I was laughing again, which didn't help.

"Stop laughing!" he complained again. I tried to stop, honestly I did, but it just didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

Eventually I stood up, and without saying anything I walked into Sarah's room and pulled a couple of pictures out of one of my albums before returning to the kitchen. I placed the pictures on the table next to him before sitting back down.

"That should take him down a peg or two," I told Austin.

He picked up the pictures and looked through them for a minute. Then an evil grin spread across his face that had me laughing again.

"I didn't know you had these!" he finally exclaimed, pointing to the pictures of Sarah and him on the midway at the Indiana State Fair. We had spent the whole afternoon together. At the time I had been sad that I had to wear the wig as we rode the rides, but now it seemed advantageous. The one I knew would really help was the one where I was hugging him. It wasn't a kiss, but the two of us were sitting in a roller coaster car while we waited for the ride to start. I hadn't been able to help myself and posed for the picture that either Cole or Mason had taken. They might be my bodyguards, but they certainly came in handy when I needed a picture taken.

"Does that make up for the kiss?" I asked.

The gleam in his eye was the perfect answer.

* * *

I was in the school cafeteria with Emily as lunch period was ending. The rest of my friends had already left to get ready for their next classes. I was absently finishing my lunch while we talked, but most of my attention was focused on my phone. I was looking at the current top selling singles, and like most of the morning, 'Your Time Will Come' was sitting at the top of the list!

The song was only my fourth single, but it had taken just 37 minutes from the time it was released this morning until it hit the top of the list! I knew that debuting the song in front of millions of viewers like I had yesterday would likely increase its sales, but I wasn't prepared for such a response!

I wasn't the only one who had debuted a song last night, but it was apparent that I had already won the post-show sales contest. Each of the other three debut songs were trailing my own.

"Have you seen this?" Emily asked, breaking my concentration on my phone.

"Seen what?" I asked while glancing over at her.

"This," she unhelpfully added while pointing to her phone. Then she handed me the phone, which helped me to understand what she was asking about.

I stared at the screen for a moment in shock! I couldn't understand how anyone could say such a thing! It didn't make any sense!

"Don't tell Ethan," escaped my mouth eventually.

"He's going to find out eventually," Emily replied. "It's all over the news."

"How?" I asked. "How on earth could they think that Sarah and Xander are a couple?"

"Well it says right here," Emily responded while taking her phone back. She scrolled through the page for a bit before reading. "Both Sarah and her long-time friend Xander Dailey were seen giving lovey-dovey looks at each other last night. They were also seen holding hands on a number of occasions."

"Yes, we held hands!" I exclaimed, but trying to keep quiet so nobody around us would hear the conversation. "But it didn't mean anything, and I never, ever gave him a 'lovey-dovey' look!"

"Well, whatever it was, the rumor is out there," Emily replied, and she had an odd look on her face. I was sure she felt as distraught as I did about this news. I didn't know how Ethan would take it. I knew he didn't have any feelings for me. He had made that clear earlier in the summer. I thought he was a great friend, and I'd had a lot of fun with him last night, but I wasn't in love with him!

"This sucks," I told her. "I don't want rumors about Sarah to ruin my friendship with him! Last night was so much fun, and I don't want it spoiled!"

"It won’t ruin your friendship," Emily told me. "I promise. Ethan is better than that."

"I hope so," I said. "I really do."

* * *

There was nobody in front of the Olympic Records building when I pulled into the parking lot after school. I smiled at the small reprieve, and quickly parked, grabbed my guitar case, and headed inside before my luck changed. I had previously thought that I would have this week off to enjoy Thanksgiving with my family before I would start work on the Christmas concert, but I was too much in demand for that.

Today I was going to be working with my band to finish and record the song I was writing for the movie. I had initially named the song 'Fly Away', referencing the wife's point of view when her husband goes off to work.

When I entered the large recording studio that had been set aside for my use, I smiled immediately at all of the friendly faces that greeted me. It had been about a month since my concert at my school, and I had only seen my band members a couple of times at meetings about the Christmas concert since then. This would be the first real work we would do together since the end of the concert tour.

"Hi guys!" I quickly greeted them excitedly.

"Hi, Sarah," Sophie replied immediately and even gave me a friendly hug. I had missed working with them, but I was starting to get excited once more at the prospect. The other band members greeted me similarly, and I turned my attention to the other two individuals in the room with us.

"I know I'm in good hands when you’re behind the board," I told Scott, who smiled back happily. "And Jennifer, it's nice to have you with us today," I greeted Jennifer Rainier, the sound editor from the movie.

"I'm thrilled to be here," Jennifer replied. "I'm guessing that not many people get to see you recording. I think it will be a nice experience."

"Sarah, show us what you've got," Scott said. It was just like him to get us straight to business. After all, we had a lot of work to do.

"Okay," I said and placed my guitar case down and retrieved Sparkle from inside. I pulled the strap over my head and then took a seat on the couch. I saw Scott flip a few switches on the control panel, and I knew he was recording this. "This song is about a superhero who leaves his wife and heads out to save the world every day," I told the assembled crowd. "I call it 'Fly Away'."

I started strumming my guitar immediately; playing the short chord that had enamored Jennifer at our first meeting. I then repeated it a few times with slight variations before I started singing the first verse. I sang about how the wife felt when she watched her husband leave each morning. It talked about the pride she felt for him, and how even if she didn't know what he really did, she still believed he was saving the world.

When I started the chorus I sang about how the wife had fallen in love with him the first time he left for work. But most importantly, it talked about how she would always be waiting for him to return.

I was really proud of the song. It hadn't been written in my normal manner, because the idea had been given to me by the movie producers instead of coming from my own experiences. But I had still managed to create a piece that accomplished everything I wanted it to. It was distinctly my song, but hopefully it would give the movie producers what they wanted.

"That is fabulous!" Jennifer stated with glee when the song was over. "I knew this was a good idea!"

"Thank you," I said while chuckling at her enthusiasm. The band was also smiling with amusement.

"Although," Jennifer stated, and I instantly prepared myself for all the revisions that she wanted. "Could we change the second verse slightly? If we did I think we can get it to tie into the movie better."

"What did you have in mind?" I asked.

The next half hour was spent tweaking the song to her liking. I managed to give her what she wanted without changing the song too much. In the end we were both happy with the final product.

Jennifer remained as I worked with the band to add the other instruments into the song. She was surprised at how much input I accepted from the band during this process, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Each of the members in my band was a specialist in instruments I didn't know how to play, and they were instrumental in helping me create the sound I wanted. Sometimes that meant changing my ideas of what I wanted out of my songs to accommodate them and their ideas, but it always led to something better.

After we had finished and Jennifer had left, we were still talking and catching up with each other.

"Are you guys doing anything fun for Thanksgiving?" I asked them.

"Just spending it with my family," Holly said, and the others voiced similar plans.

"Well, I hope you all have a good time," I told them truthfully. "I'm excited to get back into the studio and then prepare for another concert. But I want you all to rest and relax this week."

"Oh, we will," Stacy stated before looking at the other guys in the band. They all started laughing at some inside joke, or some plan that they had. They didn't seem to want to share, though.

"I'll see you guys on Monday," I told the girls.

"It should be interesting," Holly stated, referring to the fact that we would be in a recording studio with the entire Chorus from my school. I had to agree with her. I had never been in a recording studio with that many people, and I hoped that we could easily record the songs we'd be singing. The band would be recording the music beforehand, leaving only the girls and I to weather the chaos that Monday would likely bring.

"Oh!" I said remembering the other thing I wanted to talk to them about. "What about the other thing we discussed?" I asked the two girls.

"I'm not opposed to it," Sophie said, and Holly nodded her head in agreement. The two of them had begun practicing with the members of Chorus, and that gave them a good idea of what the future would hold.

"Okay," I said. "She'll be here when we record. We can talk about it then."

"Alright, Sarah," Sophie replied. "Have a Happy Thanksgiving!"

"You too!" I replied, and then I waved as I left the studio, smiling.

* * *

I was nearly home when I passed a house I had never noticed before, but the girl sitting out front caught my eye. I knew that Amber Hartfield lived somewhere near me, but I didn't realize that she was basically down the street. She was sitting on her porch, and I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like she had been crying.

Before I even realized what I was doing I had pulled my car over to the curb. She looked up quizzically, and when she recognized me as I stepped out of my car she looked almost like she was about to die. As I approached I could see that she had been crying, and I knew that meeting Sarah under those circumstances was not what she wanted to do.

"Amber, right?" I asked as I approached. "Amber Hartfield?"

"Yeah," she said, sniffling and trying to look like she hadn't been crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She didn't look okay.

"No," she said and I could see the strain on her face that came with her attempt to keep herself from bursting into tears again.

I nodded, and then I sat down next to her on the porch.

"Want to tell me about it?" I asked her next. "Perhaps I can help."

She turned and stared at me for a moment. I knew that she couldn't figure out why I was there. She was at one of her lowest moments, and Sarah Carerra had just pulled up to her house and sat down beside her!

"It's just," she started, but the dam broke and she started sobbing. I placed my hand comfortingly on her arm, and that just caused her to sob more. I let her continue. I allowed her to work out the emotions she had been trying to hold in. I had been trying to figure out why Amber had such hatred toward me at school when I had never done anything to her. I suspected that it was more than just me that led to her behavior.

"It's okay," I told her a moment later. "I know how you feel. I've been in some pretty bad places before. But whatever it is, things will get better. I promise."

"When?!" she nearly screamed in frustration. "I can't take this anymore! My whole life is falling apart!"

I sighed, not knowing how to help her. She had accused me, Megan, of ruining her life at the Autumn Ball. I still didn't know how or why she thought that.

"My mom and dad are getting a divorce!" she blurted out before I could say anything. "It just isn't fair!"

"I'm sorry," I said. I couldn't imagine what I would be feeling if my parents decided to get a divorce. The thought was almost inconceivable to me. But I had to guess that I would probably be sitting on my porch crying too. I placed my hand on her back and rubbed for a moment. The act seemed to soothe her a bit, but she continued to cry.

"My boyfriend broke up with me," she continued a moment later. "He thinks he has a chance with Megan Campbell of all people!" she complained. "She's not even a real girl! How could he be in love with her?!"

I couldn't help but notice that as she claimed I wasn't a real girl that she continued to use feminine pronouns to describe me. That gave me hope that the changes I'd gone through weren't at the core of why she hated me; they were just the excuse she used to pick on me.

"Don't get mad at me for saying this," I told Amber. "But Megan is a real girl."

Her eyes widened as she remembered that Megan knew Sarah, and therefore that Sarah knew Megan. Then she opened her mouth to counter-argue, but I continued.

"I also know that she has no interest in your boyfriend, whoever he is," I said. I realized that I didn't know who Amber was talking about. I hadn't even known that she had a boyfriend, but I vowed right then that I would never agree to a date or anything with him if he asked. For her sake.

Amber stared at me for a moment. I could see the hatred she had for Megan in her eyes, and I knew that she was debating if the same hatred applied to me. After all, we were supposed to be good friends.

"I'm sorry," Amber finally said. "I know you and Megan are friends. But you don't know what she has done to me!"

"Then tell me," I told her.

"She..." Amber started, but then she paused to think for a moment. "She's the prettiest girl in our whole P.E. class!" she finally exclaimed. "She is like super in shape, she's always the center of attention, and everyone always loves her! It's not fair! That used to be me!"

I was shocked by the vehemence in Amber's voice and by her viewpoint of my life! I could now understand why she hated me so much, but it was all based on false assumptions.

"Amber," I started, and she pulled away at the tone of my voice. I knew that I sounded like someone who was going to argue with her, because I was. "Not everyone loves Megan."

Amber snorted, not believing me for a moment.

"I'm telling you the truth," I continued. "Ask Johnny Crawford or Mark Corbin, to name a few. I know for a fact that every single day that Megan goes to school she gets evil looks from more than one person. Some of the students don't believe that she's always been female. Some refuse to see what is right in front of them."

"You’re lying," Amber retorted. "Everyone adores her. Especially the freshmen!"

"Well the freshmen weren't there at the end of last year," I shot back at her. "They weren't there when she was beaten up by Jared Lumbart."

"She never got beat up!" Amber replied.

"Oh yes she did," I replied. "She had a bruise on her thigh for weeks from where he kicked her after he threw her to the ground. If it hadn't been for some other guy she could have been put in the hospital."

"That was last year," she said. "Now she is the queen of the school!"

I rolled my eyes. I don't know how Amber could believe that. I was far from popular.

"Look, Amber," I told her. "I also know for a fact that Megan goes to school every single day worried that somebody is going to bring up her past. She goes worried that somebody else will try to finish what Jared started. She and Jared seem to have come to a truce, but he has friends who are still mad about Jared's suspensions. Every day, Amber. EVERY day."

I said the last bit with conviction, and it appeared that Amber finally listened to me.

"I am not saying she is a saint," I continued. "Megan has her faults. But believe me when I tell you that she doesn't want to be your enemy. She isn't trying to ruin your life. No matter how you feel about her, you need to realize that she has never intentionally hurt you."

Amber opened her mouth to retort, but closed it again before saying anything. She seemed to be considering what I had said. I didn't know if it would make a difference, but at least she was thinking about it.

"I'm sorry for what you are going through," I told her again. "I couldn't imagine what it would be like if my parents decided to split, but I would probably be out here crying too. But it isn't the end of the world. I promise you that things will get better."

"How do you know?" she asked, hope in her eyes.

"I know, because I've seen it," I told her. "I wrote a whole song about it. 'Your Time Will Come' is all about how you need to look forward and find the happy things to focus on."

"But that was about your brother," she argued. "This is different."

"No," I told her. "It isn't. The song may have been inspired by some of the things my brother has gone through. But everyone I've talked to can relate to the song: I can, my friends can, Megan can. And you can, Amber. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, and you wield a lot of power at your school. Use that power for good. Find ways to be happy. Yes, what you are going through sucks, but you don't have to accept that. Use it to become stronger."

I looked into her eyes, and I could see some doubt in them. But I could also see the determination that was starting to grow. She stared back, and I knew that she would be okay. I knew that she was ready to grow.

"I have to go," I told her while standing up. "But I'll be in touch, okay?"

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you stop?"

"Because you looked like you could use a friend," I said, smiling.

She too smiled, and I walked back toward my car.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.33 - Family Turkeys

School was unbearably long on Tuesday. The day before the Thanksgiving break always was. I was just happy that they weren't going to make us attend on Wednesday.

When Wednesday finally came, however, I found myself somewhat bored! Without school, and with no Sarah commitments the entire weekend, I didn't have much to keep me occupied. Also, Emily and Ethan had both left town for the weekend to spend time with family, leaving me with a void that was hard to fill.

Scott had started to pressure me into writing some more music. We were currently trying to lock in the dates for a concert tour and Scott wanted me to release a second album before the tour started. With the inclusion of the song I had written for the movie I now had nine songs for the new CD, all of which had only been heard by fans at one of my concerts. But Scott wanted to make sure that we had new content and wanted me to write some more songs to round out the album.

I spent much of Wednesday morning trying to honor his request, but nothing came to me. After writing the two original pieces for the Christmas Concert, the song for the movie, and even 'Your Time Will Come' I just didn't have anything in my head and had to give up just before lunch. Afterward I did my best to avoid Austin and his leering friends by spending time in Sarah's room watching TV.

I wanted to relax because this weekend would be my last break until the week of Christmas, but I wasn't sure how to do so anymore. I was so used to having some part of Sarah's life vying for my attention, and I was sad when Amy had told me we were closing the office for the whole weekend. I almost craved some of the headache that managing my career could cause. I felt almost lost without Sarah.

I fell asleep Wednesday night relieved that the day was over. Tomorrow we would be spending time up at Gran’s and Grandaddy's house for Thanksgiving, and that would be far from dull. Then Ethan would be back on Friday to help me cope with the downtime.

Thursday morning was a bit hectic. Mom asked me to help her in the kitchen all morning, and I was happy to oblige. I was proud at how much I was starting to learn about cooking, and I had my mom to thank for that. Besides, spending time with her was always wonderful.

We even got to talk to Grampa and Gramma Campbell for a while in the morning. My dad's parents had retired to Florida a few years earlier, and since then I had only seen them twice. They were planning to come out to visit in the spring around my birthday, and I knew that Dad wanted us to book a concert appearance in Florida as an excuse to visit them. Talking to the two of them on the phone was nowhere near as nice as seeing them in person.

Eventually we loaded Dad's car with all the food we had been preparing and left for the short trip up to Malibu. It had been nearly two months since Katy's birthday party and I hadn't seen any of my extended family since then. But the fact that mom had made me bring my guitar meant that they hadn't forgotten what had happened the last time we had gotten together at my grandparents' house. Grandaddy had obtained a karaoke machine for our annual Fourth of July party, and the two songs I had performed had been the highlight of the night, according to my Aunt Judy.

Apparently Aunt Judy wanted us to have a talent show today, and I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't some excuse for her to hear Sarah sing again. Of all my extended family only she and Katy knew the truth behind Sarah's identity. I had my suspicions that my mom had also told Gran, but Gran had never said anything about it to me.

It looked like everyone had already arrived by the time Dad pulled into my grandparents’ driveway. I felt nervous as I exited the car once more and smoothed out the skirt of my dress. This was only the third time that many of my family would see me since my whole identity had been upended. I thought the dress would help remind them of who I really was, though Mom had assured me it was no longer necessary.

Reluctantly, though with some excitement, I grabbed my guitar case containing my backup guitar and a pan of brownies before heading for the front door. I followed my mom inside to a cacophony of noise as the men cheered on a football game on the TV and the younger kids played all around us. Katy came up to me immediately and relieved me of the pan of brownies and Gran wasn't too far behind her. She enveloped me in a hug that I eagerly returned.

"How are you doing, Megan?" Gran asked me as her eyes sparkled. I knew immediately that my suspicions about her had been true. Mom had told her everything.

"Great," I replied truthfully. "It's a lot to get used to, but I'm enjoying every minute of it." My answer was vague, and honestly it answered both of her questions - the one about my new life and the one about my new career.

"That is good to hear," she replied with another smile. I knew that she was very proud of me.

"Do you have somewhere that I can put this?" I asked while holding up my guitar case. Then in a much louder voice I said, "I wouldn't want anyone to break it!"

I stared right at Derek, Katy's brother, who was sitting nearby. He obviously heard me and turned around to see what I was talking about. When he saw the guitar case he grimaced before he quickly turned back to the TV. I grinned , but left it at that. Derek had been the one who accidentally smashed my old guitar to pieces when the family had come over for Mom's birthday. I had loved that guitar, and he had just been impressed to find something of Sarah's in our house.

"You can leave it in my room," Gran said and I nodded before following her down the hall. Gran’s and Grandaddy's room was usually off limits during these get-togethers so I knew it would be safe.

Once we were inside her room she closed the door and pointed to the bed, where I placed my guitar case. When I turned back around she was smiling at me again.

"I'm so proud of you, Megan," Gran told me. "Your mom told me about your alter ego, and I must say that I was really surprised. I never would have guessed the truth."

"Thank you, Gran," I replied, smiling back. A compliment from Gran was one of the best things I could ever receive!

"Your dad said that you were very successful," Gran said, which indicated that she didn't really understand the breadth of Sarah Carerra's influence. "He said they even like your music in Europe and Asia."

I couldn't help but chuckle at how proud Gran was of her statement. Even though I did not have quite as large a following outside of the United States as I did within, I was still very popular. One of the things we had been discussing about the upcoming concert tour was a possible trip outside the United States.

"Are you going to play us one of your songs today?" Gran asked, excitedly.

"No," I told her. "If I did that then the rest of the family might guess my secret, and I'm not ready for that yet. I do plan to sing something for you guys though, but I'm not sure what."

"Well, I look forward to it immensely," she said.

"Thanks, Gran," I replied again before giving her another hug.

* * *

Thanksgiving dinner was served shortly after 3:00. We always ate early. With so many great cooks in my mom's family there was always way too much food, and the earlier time encouraged people to keep “grazing” all afternoon and evening. The more everyone ate the less we'd all have to cart back home afterward. If history repeated itself my family would still be taking home enough leftovers to last us a week.

After dinner, people started to return to the other entertainments that were available to us. Most of the men went back to the TV to watch football. Most of the older women gathered together to talk. The kids ran off to play some more. And Katy grabbed onto me for the evening.

"You brought your guitar, right?" she asked. The excitement in her voice told me that she hoped I would play some songs for her.

"Yes," I replied. "I was going to sing something for the talent show."

"What talent show?" she asked me, confused.

"The talent...never mind," I replied, slightly perturbed at my mother. I realized now that there was no "official" talent show on the docket for the evening. She had only used it as an excuse to get me to bring my guitar. "My mom tricked me into bringing my guitar."

"Well," Katy responded. "I'm glad she did. Come on, sing me a song."

I sighed. I knew that my family, even those who didn't know that I was Sarah Carerra, liked hearing me perform. But I didn't want to be a main attraction for the evening.

"You’re going to sing?" a voice asked from nearby. Kendra, my cousin, was staring at me with the same excitement that had been on Katy's face.

"I guess I am," I said in a resigned voice, because I wasn't sure I really wanted to. I loved to perform, but I was still worried that my family would recognize Sarah's voice coming from me.

"Megan's going to sing for us!" Kendra screamed to everyone as loud as she could. Then she ran off to gather a bigger audience. I just sighed and walked down to Gran's bedroom and retrieved my guitar case.

When I returned I found a large gathering of family members waiting for me. Most of them were the younger kids, but my mom was there with most of my aunts. Tracy and Heather were excitedly waiting too, and even Gran was smiling.

"Oh," I said, surprised at all of the people who were waiting for me.

I stepped over to a soft chair that had apparently been set up for my use; I sat while I placed my guitar case on floor next to it. I opened the case and pulled out the sleek, black guitar that I had purchased at the same time that Sparkle had come into my life. This guitar didn't see a whole lot of use. I preferred using Sparkle whenever I could, but this was still a good guitar. Nevertheless, I couldn't very well show up to a family gathering with Sparkle.

I placed the strap around my neck and rested the acoustic guitar on my knee before turning toward the small crowd.

"Did anyone have any requests?" I asked. I still wasn't sure this was a good idea, but I knew I wasn't going to get out of it.

"Sarah Carerra!" one of the young girls yelled back at me. Several others offered agreement to that suggestion, but I knew I couldn't sing one of Sarah's songs. I just couldn't.

"I don't know how to play Sarah's songs," I lied. There were some groans of disappointment from the crowd.

"Taylor Swift!" Kendra yelled. I knew that she was a big Taylor fan, like me, and I smiled and nodded. I needed something that sounded good with just a single guitar but that would also be fun for the small crowd that was listening.

"Ok," I said, deciding what I was going to sing for them.

I took a deep breath and then started playing 'Speak Now' for them. I thought that this was a really fun song to play for them. It also showed off some of my talent, which I always thought was a good thing. I knew I couldn't give it the justice that Taylor did, but I tried my best anyway. The looks on the faces of the young girls fanned around me told me that they were enjoying it. The smiles on the faces of the older kids and adults hanging around only confirmed that thought.

When the song came to an end there was some very enthusiastic clapping before they yelled out another song they wanted to hear. I continued to play for them for over half an hour. The small crowd grew with each song I sang and nearly the whole family had crowded around the large room that I was performing in by the time the last song came to an end.

"Sarah Carerra!" one of my young cousins called out again. They really wanted me to play one of her songs. Just about every other song I sang had been decided after I had deflected from singing a Sarah Carerra song that was suggested.

I sighed, but made a decision that I hoped I wouldn't regret.

"Okay," I relented. "One Sarah Carerra song."

There was a cheer from the crowd. I knew that this was a big risk, but my chosen piece was not one of Sarah's most popular songs, much to my chagrin. However, it was one of my favorites.

When the crowd settled down I started strumming my guitar once more and eventually moved into singing about a young heroine as she made her way through a forest of large steel buildings.

I looked around the room, watching the reaction from each of my family members as I sang through the peaceful, happy opening of 'Enchanted Forest' for them. Those who knew that I was Sarah Carerra had huge smiles on their faces. I even saw a tear form in Gran's eye. I had played this song for her more than once before I had become Sarah Carerra. She was one of the few individuals with whom I had been willing to share my music.

I continued to sing and perform the song for everyone with a surreal feeling permeating my being. This was a song that I had written as Megan with Emily. We had adapted the song into one of Sarah's, but this was as raw as my music got. This was who Sarah really was. She was me, Megan.

Most of the family were oblivious to this fact as I sang. I was glad to keep them that way. The rest cheered and clapped very loudly when I finished, though they weren't to be outdone by those who didn't know me.

I just smiled and took a small bow while sitting on the chair. Then I slowly removed the guitar from around my neck and placed it back in its case.

* * *

"Good night!" I called back to my extended family as I followed Mom, Dad, and Austin out to the car. Any hard feelings about my recent transformation had been forgotten, if there had been any left to begin with. I had obviously made an impression on everyone because I spent the rest of the night listening to them talking about one or more of the songs that I had sung for them. 'Enchanted Forest' had been a big hit and I had heard more than one person say that I sang it a lot like Sarah did, but nobody seemed to realize that we were one and the same.

As I climbed into the car I had a huge smile on my face. I was given the chance to share my music career with my extended family, even if most of them didn't realize it.

And in the end, it just made me thankful for everything that had happened since Megan had come into my life.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.34 - Rechordus

The rest of the weekend went by quickly. Mom and I did some Christmas shopping on Friday, and then again on Saturday after Emily returned home. 'Ever After' fell to #13 in the countdown that weekend, but 'Your Time Will Come' debuted at #1! Having millions of people watch me perform the song on live television had definitely helped to make sure it made it into the top ten, though I hadn't expected it to debut in the top spot!

When I woke up on Monday I was excited for what both the day, and the rest of the week would bring. I was going to be in the studio with members of the Chorus for the next two days, I had some special things planned for my band, and the Grammy nominations were being announced on Wednesday. And it was all topped off with Austin's birthday on Saturday.

Once more I donned Sarah's clothes for the day instead of slipping into what I would normally wear as Megan. Today and tomorrow the Chorus and I would be in the recording studio, and during school hours! Anything that got me excused from class was definitely a plus in my book, and being in the recording studio was icing on the cake.

Once I had finished getting ready, I walked outside with Emily, Ethan, and Austin. Instead of driving them in my car, we all made our way out to the very long stretch limousine that was parked out front. It was very nice, though it wasn't quite as nice as what I usually rented. But it was far bigger than any limousine that I had ever been in. It would work for today's purpose.

When we reached the school the limo pulled up next to an identical limo. I bid my friends farewell and they got out of the car. I, on the other hand, had been instructed to wait for Cole and Mason. It wasn't until after the bell rang - indicating classes had started - that my two security guys came out of the school and approached the limo. I opened the door and they helped me out before we started for the school.

I found the Chorus waiting inside with Mr. Benson and Principal Hall. I had spent an afternoon with them every week for the last four weeks, so they didn't start screaming excitedly like most people usually did. But they were still excited to see me.

"Hi everyone," I greeted them happily. "Are you ready to see how an album is made?"

There were greetings, shouts of “yeah!” and nods all around, and I knew that they were looking forward to being in the recording studio. I just hoped their energy lasted through multiple takes on each song.

"Welcome, Sarah," Mr. Benson said, taking charge. Then he turned back to the Chorus. "Today will be a lot of hard work, but it will be worthwhile. The school, and the Chorus in particular, will receive a portion of the proceeds of each album that is sold, so you should be proud of your work today and give it your all. Isn't that right, Sarah?"

"Yes," I agreed. "Recording a song isn't nearly as easy as they portray it in the movies. But it isn't anything to be afraid of either. Each of you has sung the songs we will be recording many times, and I know how well you can sing them. Singing in the recording studio will be no different than singing in the classroom. Do what you've been doing and everything will turn out perfectly."

I could see nervous glances coming from some of the Chorus members now, but I knew what I had told them was true.

"Sarah has kindly brought some limos for us to use today," Mr. Benson continued. "In order to prevent any jealousy, we will be splitting you into two groups. Sarah will ride to the studio with one group and return with the other group. If I call your name please follow Sarah out to the first limo. If I don't call your name, please head to the second limo. Ethan, Jane, Paul..."

I lost track of the other names as Mason, Cole, and I led the still forming group out to the limo I had ridden in earlier. I climbed in and took a seat in the middle of one of the long benches and those riding to the studio with me started entering and finding their own seats. Mason and Cole slid in last, seemingly out of place among the teenagers.

The ride down to Olympic Records didn't seem nearly as long as it normally did because I chatted with the members of Chorus. Before I knew it we were pulling into the parking lot and entering the building. Scott met us in the lobby, and after the introductions were made he led us down to the recording studio that we would be using for the day.

The studio itself was pretty spartan compared to the other studios that I'd used in the building. But part of the reason for that was the fact that it needed to accommodate the 30 members of the Chorus as we sang. We filtered into the studio and Mr. Benson lined everyone up where they would be standing at the concert.

The band had already recorded the music for the Christmas Concert. The next two days were all about the vocals. After everyone was in place I turned to Sophie and Holly, who were waiting nearby. They had been practicing some of the songs with the Chorus members over the past few weeks, so I didn't need to introduce them. Scott directed the three of us to our places, and soon Scott got us working.

We started with the eight songs that required the full Chorus to perform. I knew that Scott was hoping to get through all of them today so that we didn't have to bring the whole Chorus back again tomorrow.

To the Chorus' credit they did a great job. There was some nervousness and trepidation in the room when we started, but Scott was just as good at calming down the 30 students in the room as he had been calming me down over the many sessions we'd had together in a recording studio.

By lunch we had managed to finish the first four songs, including my two duets with Ethan, and then we were led to a conference room where a catered lunch was being served. I made it a point during lunch to try to get to know some of the Chorus members whom I didn't know very well. I sat with them and talked with them. Some of my friends, especially those who knew my secret, seemed somewhat perturbed that I wasn't spending as much time with them as usual, but I knew they understood why.

After lunch we filtered back into the studio to work on the remaining four songs for the day. These songs were somewhat easier to record than the earlier four because the Chorus was relegated to the background vocals instead of taking more of the spotlight on most of them. Nevertheless they still seemed to enjoy the work. Jane was smiling as she had the opportunity to shine for the first time in the duet that I was singing with her for the concert. I smiled widely when we recorded 'O Holy Night'; it was my favorite Christmas carol and the one I really wanted to be spectacular.

When we left the studio and climbed into the limos for the ride back home we had managed to finish over half of the songs for the concert.

I drove myself to the record company on Tuesday morning. There were two different groups of Chorus members coming in to record songs today. When I entered the smaller recording studio that we would be using I found a group of boys already hard at work. Scott was in the studio discussing something with them so I settled on the soft couch to wait. I wouldn't be needed until the next group came, but since this song was going to be on my Christmas album I wanted to make sure that Mark was up to the standard I needed.

"Alright, let's give it another try," Scott told them before appearing in the control room once more. He smiled when he saw me sitting there. "Good morning, Sarah," he told me.

"Morning, Scott," I replied. "How is Mark?"

"He is a pretty good singer," Scott said, and he looked pleased. "Not quite good enough for Olympic Records, but he might have a chance somewhere else."

I nodded, though I was very happy to hear that Mark Corbin was not good enough to get a recording deal with my record company. Every day that I had attended Chorus as Megan he would brag incessantly about how much better of a singer he was than me. Scott had just decided that battle for good, but I already knew that I was better.

Scott did something to the control board, and I stood up and stepped toward the window between the control room and the studio. Mark Corbin looked up at me, and his eyes widened. My presence had definitely affected him, but I hoped it would drive him to sing better.

"Alright, here we go," Scott said into his microphone, and there were nods from Mark Corbin, Ethan, Paul, and two other male Chorus members. The music started to filter throughout the room and Mark started singing the solo I had given him. The other four provided the background and harmony.

I had to admit that Mr. Benson had been right. Mark was an excellent singer. And including him in the Christmas Concert would be a good thing. But I was still glad that he was singing without me. I would never permit him to sing with me on stage in a duet.

Ethan, however, was another matter. I turned my gaze over to where he was standing and caught his eye. He smiled, and I smiled back.

I watched them work for the next hour and a half. They had been practicing the song in Chorus and Scott didn't have very many corrections for them, but he did tweak the song several times to get more from Mark. I saw Mark becoming slightly frustrated with each take, but he channeled it back into his work and he improved each time.

The boys looked exhausted by the time that Scott was finally happy, but the session hadn't been very intense. I had experienced much worse in my short recording career.

The boys stepped into the control room a few moments later, and they were looking at me eagerly.

"That was excellent!" I told them all. Their faces washed with relief that I liked what they had performed, causing me to smile. "Mark, you have an excellent voice," I found myself saying. "I'm glad you have a solo piece to showcase it."

The smile that crossed Mark's face was large, and I knew that my comment had cemented his acceptance that we weren't singing together. He seemed to understand that I was telling him he sounded better without me. I knew that playing up to his ego would help him overcome the disappointment I knew he still felt about not singing a duet with me.

The boys were then escorted out of the room toward the limo that would return them to school. It wasn't long afterward that the door to the recording studio opened again and seven wonderful girls entered. I had been lounging on the couch toying with song ideas, but I immediately stood up to greet them.

"Hi everyone!" I said and promptly greeted each of them with a hug. Jane smiled back at me, but the three other Chorus girls nearly squealed at the friendly hug. Sophie and Holly, the last two girls, were giggling softly at their antics. "This is what I call the ‘powerhouse group’," I told them. "Each of you was hand-picked by me to be a part of this elite group, and I can't wait to work with you."

"We've got a lot to do," Scott chimed in. "But you have all done this before, and you know what I'm looking for. Take your places and we'll get started."

I led the girls into the studio proper and helped them to line up in the order that Scott and I had worked out while we waited for them to arrive. Then I took my place, and we got to work.

There were two songs to sing with the entire group, and we started with those. The first song gave each girl - except Sophie and Holly - a chance to sing part of the song solo, which I knew would make them happy. The rest of us would provide background vocals while the soloist was singing. When Scott replayed the song for us the final time, I knew it was going to be one of my favorite songs on the album.

It didn't take too much longer for us to finish the second song. As we left the studio, I gave each of them a hug to thank them for their hard work. Then we had to split up. Jane, Sophie, Holly, and I had three more songs to record, so we headed for the cafeteria while the three other Chorus members were shuttled back to the school.

I had told all of the girls that I was looking forward to working with them earlier this morning, but it was this smaller group of three that would make singing in the afternoon special.

* * *

I became very nervous as we filed back into the recording studio. I'd tried to eat my lunch slowly to delay what I was going to do next, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

Scott was there waiting for us, and I saw his excitement. It was mirrored in Sophie’s and Holly's smiles too. But it was the three guys in the room who surprised Jane the most. My band had been absent for most of the work that had been done with the Chorus up to this point; they weren't needed for the recording session this afternoon since their part had already been recorded. But I knew they wanted to be part of this.

"Jane, have you met my band?" I asked her as she stared hungrily at the handsome guys who shared the stage with me.

"Not officially," she replied.

"Well, this is Jason," I told her pointing to my lead guitarist.

"It's nice to meet you, Jane," he said, flashing a smile that made her breath catch. I giggled with Sophie and Holly, and then I turned to Connor.

"Connor plays bass," I told Jane. Connor, he of few words, just nodded. But his smile was just as enticing. "And Stacy is the drum master," I told Jane.

"It's a pleasure," Stacy told Jane, though his smile was more reserved. I knew that he wanted to have the same effect on Jane as his counterparts, but Holly, who was his girlfriend, probably would have killed him.

"I'm thrilled to meet each of you," Jane said, and she was smiling while she took a deep breath.

"Jane," I said, and she looked over at me, somewhat reluctantly. I knew that staring at my band members was something that a lot of girls did. Even I could appreciate how good looking they were.

"Yes?" she asked, sensing there was something I wanted to tell her.

I took a deep breath of my own.

"I know how disappointed you were to not get your own recording contract," I told her and saw her stiffen slightly. "I can't do anything about that," I continued, and her shoulders sagged. "But I would be honored if you would join us on stage. I mean...if you want to!"

Jane looked confused as she stared at me for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what I had said.

"Of course I'll join you!" she eventually exclaimed, and she sounded confused. "But I'll be there for the Christmas Concert."

"No," I said immediately, chagrined at my inability to explain this right. "I mean, we want you to join us permanently. I want you on the stage with me, with Sophie and Holly."

She stared at me for another moment, this time with her eyes wide open.

"You mean..." she started, but never finished.

"Yes," I replied. "I'm offering you a job. But not just a job, it'll be an experience you won't soon forget."

"I...” she started again. "I don't know what to say!"

"Say ‘yes’!" Holly exclaimed.

We broke out into laughter at her words. When we settled down I looked back at Jane.

"Yes!" she said excitedly, "But I have to ask my parents first."

I was worried for a moment, but then she squealed with delight and I knew she wanted to accept my offer wholeheartedly.

"I understand," I told her. "It's a big decision and I don't expect you to answer today. But I want you to know how much I want you to be up there with me."

I paused, and took another deep breath.

"There's more," I said a moment later. Jane looked on with a mixture of curiosity and confusion while I gathered the courage to tell her. I trusted Jane, but this was still something I guarded as best I could, and I didn't know how she would react.

"What is it?" she finally asked when I had taken longer than I wanted to continue.

"My real name is not Sarah Carerra," I finally told her. "Sarah is a legal identity, but a fabricated one, that I perform under."

Jane looked shocked again, and I could see a number of possible identities of who I really was cross through her mind. Then her whole body stiffened as she thought of someone, and her eyes widened even further.

"Megan?!" she nearly screamed, and I was so glad that only the band, Scott and I were there.

"Yes," I replied, and she started squealing again before she wrapped me in a huge hug.

"I can't believe it!" she screamed, right into my ear as she hugged me. Then she stepped back and looked at me again. Now that she knew the truth I knew she was seeing the similarities between Sarah and me. "I knew you were too good not to have gotten a recording contract!"

I laughed wholeheartedly, and the others joined me quickly.

After I had gathered myself once more I smiled at Jane.

"I really do think you are a wonderful singer," I told her. "And other than the people in this room I can't think of a single other person I would want to have on stage with me."

Jane was smiling back at me, and I saw tears rolling down her cheeks before she hugged me again.

Eventually Scott was able to get us working on the remaining three songs for the album. Working with Jane had been fun up to this point, but now that I had made my offer, and it had been pretty much accepted, she sang even better.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.35 - Celebrations

School on Wednesday felt like torture. After two days in the recording studio, the last thing I wanted to do was to return to class. Even worse, all of the Chorus members kept talking about their experiences throughout the day, making my attendance that much harder on me emotionally.

The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that the Grammy nominations were going to be announced tonight. To date I had been nominated for nine awards in my short career, and I had managed to win five. I was cautiously optimistic that my name would be called again tonight. Though I had heard of artists being left out of the awards for one reason or another, I felt it unlikely that would happen to me. At least I hoped it wouldn't happen to me.

After dinner I made my way into Sarah's room where I planned to watch the Grammy nominations. There was some kind of small nominations concert on this evening, and I intended to watch all of it.

When the doorbell rang the first time I thought nothing of it and wasn't surprised to see Emily and Ethan come into the room to join me. When it rang the second time I was more curious. The entire band, Sophie, and Holly came into the room a short while later. I was very surprised to see them, but I was happy that they were there. They were such an integral part to my music that I wished they too would be nominated for an award.

The doorbell continued to ring in the minutes up to the start of the show. Scott, Stephanie and Julie joined us. But the last time the doorbell rang was the time that I smiled the widest. Mom had gone to answer the door, but when she brought the visitor back to the room I screamed in excitement.

"Jane!" I exclaimed while jumping off the couch and hugging her tightly. "Does this mean ‘yes’?"

"Yes!" she nearly shouted back in excitement! She was smiling from ear to ear when I released her, and then my band was there to congratulate her and welcome her as one of their own. Having Jane agree to be my third backup singer was awesome! I couldn't imagine anyone else that would fit in so well with the amazing people who were already on stage with me.

It took us a while, but we eventually settled down to watch the nominations show. I almost couldn't care less if I was nominated anymore. Having so many wonderful people there with me was nearly enough.

I watched, mesmerized, as the show intermingled performances with the nominations. Each time my name was called I grew more and more proud of the people around me. Best New Artist was the first nomination I received, and was somewhat expected by everyone in the room. Then, 'You Can't Hurt Me' stole the show, earning three nominations: Best Female Pop Solo Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year!

I was stunned speechless! Not only had a song that I had written at one of the lowest points of my life been nominated for a Grammy, it had been nominated in three of the most highly contested and sought after categories!

I was so happy, in fact, that it took me a few minutes to realize that my dad and Scott were upset over the nominations.

"How could it not have been nominated?!" I eventually heard Scott saying. "The album is one of the best-selling albums of the year!"

"I don't know!" Dad replied, frustration evident in his voice and on his face. "It just isn't right!"

I was stunned again, but this time it was in confusion. I hadn't thought about the fact that 'Intuition' hadn't been nominated for Album of the Year or Pop Vocal Album. But even so, I had been nominated for four Grammy awards, and that was no small feat in itself. I couldn't believe that they weren't more excited about that.

"It's okay," I told the two of them. "We'll get it next time."

Scott and my dad looked over at me, and the expressions they were giving me read more like "you just don't understand" instead of the "I agree with you" I expected from them. Dad opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted before he could.

"No!" I ordered! "Celebrate what we DID get! I am!"

Dad closed his mouth and looked at me for a moment before he nodded in agreement.

I turned back to the many wonderful people in the room and followed my own orders: I celebrated.

* * *

School on Thursday was even more difficult than it had been the day before. I did not want to be there. I kept catching myself writing lyrics instead of taking notes in class.

I couldn't help it. Ever since I had awakened that morning I'd had a song running around in my head - a song that had to come out. I did what I could during school hours. I did a very good job of hiding it from everyone else, but Emily caught me humming to myself while we were getting ready for P.E. I eventually had to tell her about the song stuck in my head. For the rest of the day she walked around with a sly smile, knowing something and proud that she couldn't tell another soul.

The song that was rattling around in my brain already had a title, even though I was still working on the lyrics. 'Remembered' was a ‘thank you’ song. It was a thank you to everyone who had helped me reach this point in my life. It was a thank you to the band for helping me to become the musician I was. It was a thank you to Stephanie and Julia for all the help they'd given me in establishing and maintaining Sarah's image. It was a thank you to Scott for recognizing my talent and giving me the opportunity to record the demo that lead to my recording contract. It was a thank you to Emily and Ethan for standing by me all these years and for being the best friends I could ever ask for. It was a thank you to my family for all that they had gone through with all of the changes I went through to become Megan, let alone anything else I had put them through in my life.

But most importantly, it was a thank you to myself. A thank you for finding the light within me that drove me forward and helped me to become the strong, confident young woman that I was proud to see in the mirror every morning.

I knew, without a doubt, that I couldn't let anyone else hear this song before it was finished. Not even Emily. I was going to have to find a way to write each of the different instruments into the song and then find someone to play them with me when I performed this song for everyone in my life. I wanted them to see just how thankful I really was.

I was struck with an idea while walking toward Study Hall at the end of the day when I saw Felix, the guitarist for Lazy Acres, heading toward the Chorus room. I had to stop him. Lazy Acres had been providing live music for the Chorus all year, and I had spent enough time with them before leaving Chorus, and when Sarah came to practice, that I was confident in their abilities.

"Felix!" I called out, trying to get his attention. He turned to look at me, and then stopped as I quickly made my way toward him.

"Yes?" he asked. It was obvious that he was confused about why I had stopped him. We didn't know each other very well, and I was no longer a member of Chorus.

"Sarah Carerra wanted to know if you and the rest of Lazy Acres would be willing to help her write a song," I blurted out before my nerves could overcome my desire to get their help.

Felix opened his mouth to say something, but when no words came out I knew I had stunned him the same way I had been stunned the night before. This was no small request, and he knew it.

"Are you serious?" he finally managed to ask. "With us?"

"Yes," I replied. "She was very impressed with you guys. And she needs somebody she can trust to help write a song she doesn't want her band to hear yet. Are you in?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed immediately, but then he started to really consider what I was saying. "No," he continued a moment later. "I mean, I don't know. I'm going to have to ask the other guys, and we are trying to get signed so I'll have to ask our manager. It could be complicated."

"Okay," I said, slightly disappointed.

Felix noticed my downcast tone, and his eyes widened immediately.

"It's not a ‘no’," he said immediately. "In fact, please take this as a ‘yes’. I'm going to make sure we get to work with her. I just have to get everyone else to agree."

"Okay," I said again, but this time my tone was more positive.

"When did she want to work on the song?" he asked.

"Oh," he caught me off-guard. I hadn't thought that far ahead. "It would have to be after the Christmas concert," I rattled off immediately as available dates started bouncing around inside my head. "So, like three weeks from now? Will that work?"

"Probably," he said. "Let me talk to the other guys and I'll get back to you, okay?"

"Okay," I said a third time, but relief echoed from this one.

Felix turned to continue toward Chorus, and I smiled as I made my way toward Study Hall.

* * *

The rest of the week seemed to fly by. I spent nearly every moment of free time I had on Thursday and Friday working on the song. I wanted this one to be special. I wanted this one to be perfect. Everyone deserved that much from me.

On Saturday I spent the morning talking to Mary about how excited I was about the song. I talked about how important it was for me to thank them. Even Mary was part of the crowd I wanted to include, and I let her know that. She wouldn't get to hear the song before it was released, but she too was looking forward to it.

Preparations for Austin's 15th birthday party were already underway when I arrived home. I had to weave around a box truck that was parked in our driveway in order to get my car into the garage. A few people were unloading the truck and carrying its contents around to the backyard.

Dad had agreed to throw a big party for Austin this year, and had even talked one of his clients into performing at it. Street Confederacy wasn't the most popular band out there, but Austin and his friends liked them enough to be excited at having them perform at the party. I had also offered to perform for him, but he didn't want his sister performing at his birthday party, no matter how popular I was.

I walked into the house and peered out the sliding doors that led to the backyard. A small stage was being assembled and other preparations were evident. Even though it was the beginning of December the weather was excellent and it would be a nice day for a party.

I spent most of the day in Sarah's room working on 'Remembered' some more. Austin was out with friends, Dad was supervising the party preparations, and Mom was out with Aunt Judy, though she would be back for the party.

By the time Austin's friends started to show up for the party late in the afternoon I had pretty much finished the song, and it just needed to be polished.

I barely got anything more than a 'Happy Birthday' in to Austin when he got home before he was in the backyard with his friends. The band wasn't scheduled to play for another hour and a half, but the boys and girls, many of which I recognized from school, were still wandering around excited.

I stepped out of the house with Mom, intent on eating some of the food that the caterer had brought. I didn't make it three steps before I had a small following of Austin's male friends around me. I chuckled to myself, and heard my mom do the same, but I continued to load my plate. When the two of us had found an empty table to sit down at, I only had enough time to return the sly smile Mom was giving me before the entire table had been filled with young freshmen boys eating their own food. I wasn't stupid. I knew they just wanted to hang out with me. I wasn't exactly happy about the prospect of spending the entire party being fawned over by Austin's friends, but it wouldn't be the first time it had happened.

"Hi, Megan," one of them said. I didn't know who he or any of the others were, but they seemed friendly enough.

"Hi," I said and took another bite of my food. I glanced around and saw that some of the freshmen girls who had been invited were staring at my table enviously. Some of them looked unhappy with me, but they knew Mom and I had sat down at an empty table. I definitely hadn't invited the boys to sit with me.

Eventually, the boys started to filter away from the table as Austin organized a few games that they wanted to be a part of. But Mom and I weren't alone for long before we were invaded by some of the girls who weren't participating in the games. I then spent the remainder of the time before the concert embroiled in the trivial things that freshman girls talked about all the time. They seemed to be happy to have someone older to talk to, and even my mom participated like she was their age.

Naturally, between the constant chatter about boys, I found myself answering questions about Sarah. All of them were eager for any information I could provide, and I was happy to do so.

But in the end I was happy when the band started to perform. I hadn't really planned on spending all afternoon hanging out at the party, but there wasn't anywhere else I would rather be.

* * *

Later that night, after all of the party guests had left and the band was gone, I finally managed to give Austin his present.

"Happy Birthday, Austin," I told him and handed him the slightly unwieldy package.

He gratefully took the present from me and looked at it quizzically for a moment before he started ripping off the paper. He was holding the present upside down when he finished unwrapping, but it was plain to see that he wasn't enthusiastic about what was obviously the back of a picture frame.

But when he turned the picture frame around to see what was inside, he gasped. Then he ran his hand over the glass, smudging it in the process but smiling widely.

"Is this for real?" he asked. I nodded, smiling.

Inside the picture frame were two neatly displayed pieces of paper covered in lyrics and notes. Occasionally there was a word crossed out and replaced, or notes that were scribbled out and rewritten. But even Austin knew the importance of these papers.

These were the sheets of paper I had used to write 'Your Time Will Come'. Covered in notes and scribbles, the song that Austin had inspired had come to life on these two pieces of paper.

"Thank you!" he exclaimed and wrapped his arms around me. I knew that he liked the gift, and would cherish it, but when he let me go I could see the slight disappointment in his eyes. He had been hoping for something else.

"Plus I got you those," I said casually and pointed to a few other packages that were on the floor nearby. His excitement rose immediately and he handed Mom the frame before ripping into the packages with a fervor I hadn't seen in him in a while.

Then he started to scream in excitement as he saw the new video game system and games that he had been hoping for all day. Mom and Dad weren't going to buy it for him, they had told me, but that was what a multi-platinum award-winning sister was for!

"Thank you!" he screamed again while hugging me once more. This time he squeezed me much tighter than he had before.

I squeezed him back. He was worth much more than what I had spent on him.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

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 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.36 - Chorus of Agony

The rest of the weekend was more relaxing, except for the countdown of the Top 20. 'Your Time Will Come' stayed at #1 on the countdown, but 'Ever After' fell completely out of the Top 20, coming in at #23.

When I arrived at school on Monday there was a buzz of excitement running throughout the student body. It was widely known that the Chorus would be performing with Sarah Carerra in two weeks, and the concert rehearsals would occur here at the school. It was impossible to ignore the many people who were converting the stage in the auditorium into a replica of what we would be using for the actual concert. I poked my head in to see the progress before I headed to class, and I was happy to see that it would be ready for our first session this afternoon.

School was about as boring as it usually was, but I did my best to pay attention in my classes. The last thing I needed right now was for my grades to slip. Dad wouldn't hesitate to keep me from doing Sarah stuff if my grades faltered.

After the second to last class of the day ended I walked out to my car and drove the short distance home. I parked my car in the garage and I immediately walked back down the driveway and boarded Sarah's tour bus, which was waiting for me.

"Hi, Eddie," I greeted my driver.

"Hi, Megan," he replied and closed the door to the bus before he started driving back toward the school. I continued into the bus, greeting Cole and Mason as I did, before walking back to my room and closing the door. It didn't take me too long to transform myself into Sarah, and I finished just as we arrived at the school.

Cole and Mason followed me as I led them back into the school and to the auditorium. There, I found Mr. Benson talking to the assembled Chorus members who were sitting in the first few rows. He smiled when he saw me and motioned for me to join him at the front. As I was walking to join him I noticed the dancers sitting together nearby also.

"Hi everyone," I greeted the Chorus. There were a number of customary replies, and it was easy to hear the nervousness in some of their responses. I couldn't blame them, I had been very nervous the first time we went into rehearsals for my concert tour.

"I want you all to listen to what Sarah has to say," Mr. Benson said. "She's been in your position before. I'm sure she was just as nervous as you are the first time she did this."

"First time?" I said. "I'm nervous now too!"

That was enough to cause some of the students to laugh, which in turn broke the ice and eased some of their nerves. It was also the truth. I was worried about how much I was going to be asking of the Chorus over the next two weeks.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you guys," I told them. "Although it looks easy, putting on a concert is hard work. I understand that there are many things that you would probably rather be doing than spending the next two weeks rehearsing. I'm not going to require any of you to stay past the regular time that school ends, but I do ask that you give your best attempt to help us put on a good concert. Each of you agreed to this when you joined the Chorus earlier this year, and I want you to know that it will be worth your while to see it through."

There were some very scared expressions looking back at me now. I grimaced inside, but kept my face smiling. Three hours a day for rehearsals was considerably less than what we had done for my concert tour. It was more than what I thought most of them were willing to give. The dancers were being paid to be here, but the Chorus members were all volunteers — and they were high school students. I knew that Mr. Benson had talked about making their participation in the concert preparations as part of their grade, and I hoped that wasn't the case. I wanted them here because they WANTED to be here, not because it was required of them to be here.

I motioned for the woman who was sitting off to the side to join us, and she stood up and came over.

"I'd like you all to meet Kate Abernathy," I told the Chorus members. Everyone else in the room was very familiar with Kate. "Kate is my choreographer, and she has ultimate say in what we do on stage. Please give her the respect she deserves. Kate?"

Kate stepped forward, and I stepped back to let her take charge for the day. This was her show now. She introduced herself to the Chorus members and described what she expected of them. She was a lot nicer with them than she had been with me and the dancers the first time we had met for tour rehearsals.

Soon she had us up on stage and working on the first set of songs she wanted to get through today. I was already tired and sweaty when the bell rang to indicate the end of school for the day. Kate paused to allow anyone who wanted to leave the chance to do so. When nobody moved, she continued like nothing had happened. Shortly afterward students started to stream into the auditorium to watch us practice.

Principal Hall had asked us to leave the rehearsals open to anyone who wanted to watch them, and I had agreed. The only caveat was that anyone watching had to keep quiet, and Cole and Mason had brought enough of their security team to ensure silence. Anyone disrupting the rehearsals would be asked to leave.

It was after a fairly intense attempt at one of the songs that I found myself panting as I looked around the auditorium. I noticed that some of the Chorus members were tired and wanted to go home; but as they watched how hard I was working to prepare myself, they had taken it upon themselves to match my effort. I was proud of them. Even Mark Corbin had kept from complaining...too much.

I turned my gaze to the many students in the seats watching as Kate called out the latest set of things we had done wrong. Many of them were huddled in small groups and talking quietly as they watched, but I found one lone girl watching us with a smile on her face.

I smiled back at Amber Hartfield and gave her a little wave before turning my attention back to Kate.

I was exhausted when Kate called an end to rehearsals for the day. The rest of the chorus seemed just as tired. I smirked at how little work they had done compared to me and the dancers, but I had to acknowledge how hard they had worked. I just hoped they all returned tomorrow.

* * *

"Megan, can I talk to you?" I looked up from my P.E. locker the next day to see Amber standing at the edge of the bench I was sitting on. I took a deep breath, but turned toward her. My body complained, but I ignored it. I was in excellent shape, but it had been about a month and a half since I'd performed a concert and I ached from all the practice.

"Yes," I said, and surprisingly Amber smiled at me. Emily and the other two girls I shared the row of lockers with seemed just as surprised at her reaction.

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry," she blurted out, and I knew she wanted to get this over with. She was embarrassed to apologize to me, but she didn't need to be. "I've been going through some tough things, and I took it out on you. I'm sorry."

I opened my mouth to respond, but found myself speechless! Frankly, I was shocked! I wasn't sure how to respond. Even after I had talked to her as Sarah I never actually believed that she would apologize to me. I knew how much pain she was in. It wasn't an excuse for the way she had been treating me, but I understood why she had lashed out.

"It's okay," I finally managed to say.

"No, it isn't," she replied, "but I guess she already told you why?"

"Who?" I asked, acting confused. This was a time when I was certain that Amber had hoped Sarah hadn't shared the information she had learned at Amber's house. Although I knew what had happened that day, I was going to give her the privacy she wanted and deserved.

"Sarah..." she started, and then looked surprised when I looked at her uncomprehendingly. When she realized that Sarah hadn't told me anything, or so she thought, the tips of her mouth curled upward slightly before she caught herself.

I knew that she was sincere. I knew it in my heart. But I also knew she didn't want people knowing about her parents' divorce and what she was going through.

"It's okay," I told her again. "Whatever it was I forgive you."

Amber stared back at me. I knew that she was carefully studying my face for some form of deceit, but there was none to be found in my expression.

Eventually, she nodded, and without another word she turned and walked out of sight around the lockers. I turned to Emily and gave her a look that indicated I didn't know what had just happened.

But when I turned back to my locker to finish getting ready I discretely wiped away a tear of relief. She wasn't the only one who had been giving me a hard time at school, but at least she was one less.

* * *

The second day of rehearsals came and went with only one person dropping out of the concert. Mr. Benson had given everyone the opportunity to leave if they wanted to, but he had apparently told them that they would not be performing with the Chorus if they did. I was leaving who got to perform in his hands. As long as I had the "important" members of Chorus there that night - the ones who were actually singing solo lines - then he could do what he wanted. I had hoped that they would all be there, but George, the boy who had quit, had never been one of the ones excited about the concert. He had been in Chorus before it was announced that Sarah would be performing with them, and was really only there for a grade.

Kate worked us hard, but not to the point where we would break. I admired her ability to inspire us to keep going and to instill in us a desire to improve. She was very good at what she did, and I was glad to be working with her.

The next week seemed to fly by. Three hours a day was enough to exhaust all of us; yet the dancers, band, and I worked an additional eight hours on Saturday that the Chorus members didn't have to do. Sunday was the only real day of rest we got, and then we were back at it again on Monday.

When Wednesday rolled around I felt that we were about as ready as we could be, and our dress rehearsal had very few issues that we needed to correct. Thursday, when I entered the auditorium for our last dress rehearsal before the concert, I was surprised to see that nearly every seat in the auditorium was filled. Principal Hall had apparently given the teachers the option to watch the final rehearsal instead of holding their last classes of the day. I hadn't planned on performing a second concert for the school, but we'd had a lot of people watching us all week so there was little difference this time.

As the bell rang on the last class of school Friday afternoon I felt a tingle start to permeate my entire body. Anticipation set in and I knew that it was going to be an amazing evening.

I rushed home and changed quickly before once more heading out to my tour bus. My family and my best friends rode with me down to the Nokia Theatre. The bus pulled into the back lot that was created by blocking off most of Georgia Street on the west side. There were already a number of busses and tractor-trailers parked there. My entourage wasn't quite as big as it had been for my tour, but there were still an impressive number of vehicles.

Once inside the theatre I spent a few minutes greeting everyone who was working on preparing for the concert. Many of them were veterans from my concert tour, but there were some new faces hired specifically for tonight, and I wanted to make sure that each of them received at least a "Hello" from me.

Hair and makeup was next before I put on my first costume, the one that matched what every member of Chorus would be wearing to start the concert. Then I found myself involved in the last minute details before my band, the Chorus members, and I gathered in a large room backstage.

"I want to thank all of you," I told the assembled group. "I know that you put a lot of work into preparing for this concert. I know that the last two weeks have been long, and that we are all tired. But I also know that we are going to be awesome tonight!"

There were some chuckles at my enthusiasm. I turned to Amy who was holding the most important thing in the world right now. Taking the band's Carerra Bear that we used before each concert I turned back to the crowd. A smile spread across the lips of my band members and curiosity lit the faces of the Chorus members. Even Ethan was looking on in wonder. He had been to many of my concerts, but this was something he had never been privy to.

"This is a Carerra Bear," I said, and there were a number of nods coming from the Chorus members. The bears had started to become common knowledge, so most people knew what they were.

"This one belongs to the people who perform with me on stage," I continued. "It has the signature of every member of my band on it," I said while turning to Jane and pointing at the new signature that had been embroidered on the bear's tummy. Her eyes lit up immediately and she smiled broadly as she saw her signature.

"These bears mean a lot to me," I told the assembled group. "And we have a small ritual to help give us luck and to help us succeed on stage. I've invited all of you here today because you are instrumental to tonight's performance. Let this bear give you the success you need."

I closed my eyes and hugged the bear tightly. I envisioned the success we would have tonight. I asked for the help and strength I needed to do my best. And when I opened my eyes I felt the rush of emotions and anticipation I felt at every one of my performances overwhelm me.

I turned toward the band and Holly walked over to me, took the bear, and hugged the bear tightly before passing it on to Sophie, who passed it on to Jason, and so on until every member of my band had done the same. Then I pointed at Jane, and she became the link between my band and the rest of the Chorus members. Each of them took their turn. Some of the boys looked reluctant to hug the bear, but one look from me was all it took to convince them, and each of them smiled as they went back to their seats.

"Let's get this party started!" the band and I yelled together indicating we were all ready for what was to come.

I smiled at every single person in that room as they left before following them out to take our places for the concert.

It was time to make the magic happen.

* * *

* * *
Want more Sarah Carerra?
Book 1: I Am A Rock Star is now available for the Kindle! Click here for more information. Become a fan of Sarah Carerra by joining her on Facebook or Twitter by clicking the buttons below.
   

If you've read book 1 I'd love it if you shared your opinions with others. Review the Kindle version at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006IZG49M. :)

---

Editor Note: The images used for this story were purchased and used under royalty-free license* from iStockphoto.com . ~Sephrena
Author Note: Please email me at AngelJediGirl (at) gmail (dot) com before posting this story to any other site. Posting to a pay site is prohibited.

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

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

*  *  *

Sarah Carerra Book 3: Concerto in A-

Chapter 3.37 - A Very Carerra Christmas

The stage was dark. The only noise to be heard was the dull roar of the crowd as they waited. I stood calmly between Jenna and Michelle on the second row of the riser that the Chorus was assembled on. Opposite the riser on the other side of the stage my band was set up and patiently waiting for their time to shine. The dancers calmly stood in their positions in front of us.

The first few notes of 'We Need a Little Christmas' echoed throughout the theatre moments before a spotlight shone down on the stage, illuminating Jane where she stood. Her beautiful voice sang the first part of the song before the lights expanded to include the entire Chorus. We continued to sing together, with a few of the Chorus members singing small solo pieces intermingled between the group.

The song did a good job of showing the different talents of the Chorus members without picking out any favorites. Mr. Benson had been really happy about the song, and I calmly stood with them singing but not drawing attention to myself.

When the song came to an end the crowd roared with applause, and I felt the energy in the Chorus increase tenfold.

Once the roar of the crowd began to subside, the music for the next song started and the Chorus started singing. I counted myself in and when I started singing, I slowly passed Jenna and walked down the steps to the bottom of the riser. I started the first verse of 'Last Christmas' with the Chorus providing backup. As I moved I felt two tugs from two of the Chorus members and I knew that the outfit I had been wearing to match the Chorus members had been pulled off to reveal the red and white dress that Julia had decided to feature for the concert.

But the part that caused me to smile occurred when I approached the end of the first verse. A tenor joined me and Ethan stepped down off the first row of the riser and slowly approached me as we sang together. We continued singing the duet together, and I was so excited to be singing with Ethan on stage for the first time! He was an excellent singer, and I was proud to be able to feature him in one of my concerts.

We ended the song looking at each other, and I could see the happiness that I felt reflected in his eyes for a moment before the lights in the theatre went out, leaving only Ethan's spotlight illuminated. The crowd continued to cheer as he stepped forward and took center stage. I, on the other hand, hurried back to the riser and found my place on the first row. All of the boys had left, and the girls had created a reverse pyramid on the riser with me at the bottom.

Jason's guitar broke the darkness, and 'A Very Carerra Christmas', the first of the two original Christmas songs I had written for the concert, echoed throughout the theatre. Ethan, still the only person on stage who was visible, sang through the first verse. I watched him from behind, cheering him on silently. When I'd had the opportunity to write the song I knew that I wanted to include Ethan in it. Emily and I had "our" songs, which were the ones we had written together. And now Ethan and I had a song to call our own, the one we performed together.

The girls of the Chorus and I burst into the song's chorus as lights burst into existence. The dancers started dancing around, and Ethan calmly moved to the side.

When the chorus finished, I stepped off the riser once more and joined Ethan as we sang through the second duet of the evening. We continued to sing the verses together and I sang through the chorus with the female members of the Chorus.

I really liked how well this song turned out, and as we sang through the last 'A very merry Carerra Christmas' we opened the concert, and the TV special, in earnest.

We held our poses when the song ended for a few moments to allow an overlay to be displayed on the TV before the entire theatre fell into darkness once more. The crowd was cheering, but everyone on stage was moving quickly to get everything ready for the next section of the concert. I knew that the TV special had gone to a commercial, and I could hear the small video start up to entertain those in attendance as I ran offstage and to a small dressing area. I was joined by six other girls in the small area: Jane, Sophie, Holly, Brittany, Jenna and Michelle. We undressed as quickly as we could and put on white dresses that glittered with blue highlights. The dresses reminded me of a winter landscape and would fit in well with what was coming up.

As we were still changing I heard the next song start on stage. The remainder of the Chorus started singing 'The Most Wonderful Day of the Year' for the crowd. I knew it was a very visual number, with some of the dancers dressed up as the misfit toys to help keep the crowd entertained without me on stage. Also, it gave the Chorus another chance to display their talents.

Once I was ready I made my way back to the stage and joined the other girls waiting for our cue to start the next song. We didn't have to wait long.

The stage fell into darkness once more, hiding the members of the Chorus who were on stage. Then the front of the stage was lit in a slightly blue light that gave the seven of us an ethereal look as we walked onto the stage, three from the left and four from the right.

Jane started first, singing the first part of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman' without accompaniment as we walked toward the center of the stage. The other six of us provided some background and harmony as she sang. Then it was Brittany's turn, followed by Michelle's. The band joined us when Jenna started singing her part of the song.

Nearly two minutes into the song I got my turn to shine, and sang my heart out in one of my favorite songs of the evening. Being able to sing this song with these wonderful girls was an awesome experience, and just like when we were in the studio, I knew it would be one of the favorites on the album.

When the song ended most of the other girls stepped back into the shadows near the riser where the rest of the Chorus had been waiting. Only Jane and I stayed in the light.

A soft melody started to echo throughout the theatre, and Jane started singing the first verse of 'Do You Hear What I Hear' with the entire Chorus backing her softly. When she was finished, I sang through the second verse.

The Chorus gave us some vocals between the second and third verse, and then I started the third verse strong, and Jane finished before we sang through the small chorus piece together before the song started to wind down.

Getting the chance to sing a duet with Jane had been one of my top priorities when we were deciding on what songs to sing this evening, and the smile that was beaming across her face was enough to tell me how well I had succeeded. She was an amazing singer, and I was happy to have her on stage with me.

The crowd roared their approval, and as the theatre quieted once more, the lighting changed from the ethereal blue to a more Christmassy red as Jane joined the other girls near the riser. The dancers started moving slowly around the stage as I started singing 'O Holy Night' with everyone else on stage providing a good counterbalance to my solo singing.

The tone in the theatre changed almost immediately, and I felt the wonder, and the magic, of the music as it permeated my very being. The rush that I felt during every performance reached a peak and I channeled all of it into the song. As the lights dimmed once more at the end of the song, illuminating only me in a spotlight as I softly finished singing, I knew this would be one of the most memorable pieces of the concert.

Then the spotlight faded out, and I knew we were in another commercial break.

But it wasn't a break for me. Once more I was back in the dressing room with the same six girls who had been there before. This time, I changed back into the red dress I had worn at the beginning. Sophie, Holly, and Jane also changed into similar dresses, and the three other Chorus girls changed back into their outfits that matched the rest of the Chorus. Unlike last time, however, I had to be back on stage before the commercial break was over. It wasn't nearly as bad as the 30 seconds I'd had for some of the costume changes during my tour, but it was the most hectic costume change of the night. Thankfully, it was also the last.

I was back on stage by the time the short video that was playing during the commercial break was over, and the first notes of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' brought the audience's attention back to me on stage.

For the first time tonight this song felt like one of my performances during the tour. The Chorus was still on stage, but hidden in the darkness and only the band, Sophie, Holly, Jane, and the dancers were visible with me.

This was probably one of my least favorite songs in the concert, but it was also a chance for me to show off some of my vocal prowess as it was mostly a solo. Like every song I sang I did my best to pour everything I had into it. I was rewarded when the crowd started to rock back and forth with the song and some of them even started singing along with me. It was a different concert in the sense that most of the audience hadn't been singing during each song, but I knew they were still having fun. I hoped that the people watching on television felt the same way.

The theater faded into darkness quickly when the song was over, but even through the roar of the crowd a familiar beat of a drum could be heard, and when the spotlight shone down on the far side of the stage, Mark Corbin was illuminated. He began singing 'Little Drummer Boy' as excellently as he had in the recording studio, backed by a small group of the Chorus boys.

The song was definitely slower than what I had just sung, but Mark, despite my best wishes, was an excellent singer. He caught the attention of the crowd and held it the entire song. I might not have been on stage during the song, but the applause he got when he finished was nearly as loud as my own.

Not to be outdone, I started singing 'The First Noel' almost immediately and without accompaniment from the band. The lights that had been shining down on Mark and the Chorus boys faded out to be replaced with lights illuminating me. I also had Sophie, Jane, and Holly backing me, and they were much better than the Chorus boys.

But if our a cappella rendition of the carol wasn't enough to wow the crowd, what came next was.

As I finished singing 'The First Noel', the girls and I moved from the side of the stage we had been performing on to the center of the stage. Then we launched into 'Carol of the Bells'. I normally heard this song as an instrumental at Christmas time, but Scott had brought this piece of music to us from somebody in the record company, and I really liked how our four voices could provide much of the "instrumental" part of the song as we sang. It turned out really well. The band only managed to increase how well the song sounded.

We softly finished the song, and once more the stage faded into darkness before another commercial video started to keep the audience entertained.

I started moving immediately, heading for the side of the stage. I couldn't believe that the Christmas Concert was almost over. There were only two songs left and only one of them would be performed by me.

The riser, that had been a fixture on stage until this point, was moved aside, and the Chorus members spread out across the stage. Jane had gone to change once more, and her outfit now matched the rest of the Chorus.

When they got the signal that the commercial break was over the Chorus started singing immediately. This was my favorite piece that the Chorus was singing tonight. Jane started singing 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas'. Then, as the song progressed, each of the individual Chorus members who had been featured in the different songs over the evening got to sing their small part of the song, accompanied by the remainder of the Chorus.

It was a fitting goodbye to the Chorus members, and they sang it excellently. I was very proud of them, and I was glad that my dad had insisted on inviting them to sing with me for the concert.

It was almost sad when their performance for the evening came to a close, but I saw a smile on every single one of their faces before the lights dimmed once more. I started walking onto stage immediately, and I passed by a lot of the Chorus members as they were exiting the stage. I could feel the buzz of accomplishment radiating from each of them. I smiled, just before a spotlight shone down on me.

"Thank you all for coming this evening," I told the crowd, speaking to them for the first time all night. This was partially because I didn't want to go through the whole concert without saying anything, and also because we needed time to get the stage ready. "Thank you to everyone watching from home," I continued. "Tonight has been very special to me. Not only have I had the chance to share with you some wonderful music, but we have also managed to raise a large sum of money for the Christmas Elves Foundation, which will be used to help underprivileged children across the nation to have a Merry Christmas."

There was some cheering as I mentioned the charity that had received all proceeds for tonight's concert. They deserved it, and I was glad for the opportunity to help.

"I have one more song I'd like to perform for you this evening," I told the crowd when the noise started to die down. "This song is special to me, and one I wrote specifically for tonight. It is easy for us to remember what the true meaning of Christmas is when we are bombarded by presents and material things. But I want you all to remember the 'Forgotten Christmas'.

Stacy's drums echoed throughout the theatre immediately, and the stage lit up to show my band and my backup girls: Sophie, Holly, and Jane. I started singing the second of the two songs I had written for the concert. This song was about all the things that are often overlooked during the holiday season. I hoped that it would make everyone who heard it think past the presents and the dinners, past the sales and trimming the trees and remember why this holiday was so holy. I wanted them to remember the birthday boy who saved all of us.

I had enjoyed performing with the Chorus all evening. I was glad that they had been on the stage with me. And even though I hadn't gotten along with all of them when I had been attending the class, I was happy that every one of them had been part of this special night. Even Mark Corbin had a place in my heart now. It was a small place, but it was there.

As the song came to a close and the crowd rose to their feet and roared their approval, I felt tears stream down my cheek.

Tonight, the magic was real.

* * *

Of all the Star Parties that had followed my concerts, the one for the Christmas Concert had to be one of my favorites. Quite a few seats for the night's concert had been purchased on behalf of children who would benefit from the Christmas Elves Foundation. As such, many of the individuals who had been chosen to attend the Star Party were also those children who could use the help the most. Mom and the other people in charge of finding the right people to come to the party had certainly had an easy time of it when they found out a number of the beneficiaries of the Christmas Elves Foundation were in attendance.

As I gazed into each of their smiling faces I could see how hard their lives had been. I could see how much tonight had meant to them. This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for most of them, and I was glad to be able to provide it. Each and every one of them got a hug from me, and since I had pledged to match whatever donations and proceeds were raised from the concert, just seeing me perform was only the start of the blessings they would receive this Christmas.

After the Star Party was over and the stage was in the process of being dismantled, I met once more with the members of the Chorus. Principal Hall and Mister Benson were also there. All of them had been invited to stay for the Star Party, and I was very glad they had. I knew they had been just as touched with the children as I had been.

But I had more to give tonight. I had sung about the forgotten parts of Christmas in my last song, and the Christmas Elves Foundation would see a lot of money generated because of those parts of Christmas being remembered by the people who saw the concert.

Yet I couldn't have given that gift without the members of my school's Chorus. We'd had our differences and I — as Megan - parted ways with them. But the reality was that they were instrumental in not only the success of the concert, but in the hope for the future that it had brought to those wonderful boys and girls whom I had hugged afterward.

And for that, I would be forever thankful.

"Thank you all," I told them. It was getting late, though not as late as if it had been a regular concert, and I knew they were ready to go home. "I know how much you guys have sacrificed for this concert. I know how hard it has been. The contract for the album is with the school, and that means that the proceeds of the album sales will help to fund the Chorus and other school programs for the foreseeable future. But although you guys don't get a cut of the album's earnings, I want you all to know how appreciative I am for all that you have done. I have a Christmas present for each of you. As you leave tonight, I want you to know that you have made a difference in the lives of many kids around the country. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

I let them leave after that. I let them go home to get the rest they deserved. But not before I gave every single one of them a special gift bag and a hug. A couple of them, like Ethan, even managed to get a kiss on the cheek before they walked out the door.

But the best part was the screams of glee that reached back into the room after they made it out into the hallway and looked into their gift bags. The $750 gift bags that they had each received contained a pair of expensive headphones, a new tablet computer, a camera, a spa package, Stardom perfume and Starlight Cosmetics for the girls, cologne and a watch for the guys, and most importantly a signed copy of the Christmas album.

It was a small price to pay to take the magic they had helped me create on stage and help it grow within their hearts.

* * *

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