Sarah Carerra - 1.11 - Boy or Girl? That is the Question

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“Campbell!” I heard someone say behind me. I was then spun around out of my control. I ended up face to face with Johnny Crawford.

Emily gasped and my heart skipped a beat! He was staring at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing! He’d made the connection! He knew I was Sarah Carerra!

Sarah Carerra
Chapter 11 - Boy or Girl? That is the Question
by Megan Campbell
Copyright  ©2009 Megan Campbell
Released: December 7, 2009

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.

*  *  *

Chapter 11 - Boy or Girl? That is the Question

My mom wouldn’t let me wear gloves to school Thursday morning. Even though it was late May and the temperature was high, I needed to hide those French tips! If I couldn’t cut them (she wouldn’t let me do that either), gloves would have been the next best option. People would think I was weird, but that wasn’t anything new. It would be better to be weird than to be beaten up for looking like a girl!

Emily and Ethan both laughed when I told them my dilemma while we walked to school.

“Forget about it, Megan,” she said, even though I had been dressed as Brett. I glared at her. “Sorry, Brett. If they think you’re a girl and haven’t beaten you up yet, just go with it. Let them think that you’re a girl. It’ll help next year anyway.”

I guess there was some logic behind her statement, but I didn’t think it could possibly be that easy.

*  *  *

It started during first period. I was sitting there, minding my own business, when this guy I hardly knew leaned over to me.

“Are you really a girl?” he asked. I just sighed and put my head on my desk.

*  *  *

“I knew you were a girl, dude!”

*  *  *

“Hey, you are a girl! I knew it.”

*  *  *

“You go, girl!”

*  *  *

“The tomboy’s finally coming out of her shell, huh?”

*  *  *

“This is ridiculous!” We were eating lunch at our normal table. Ethan, Emily, Kathy, Jane, and Ashley were all laughing at what had happened to me all morning. “Don’t laugh, it’s not funny!”

“It is!” was their reply when they had calmed down.

“But how can they think that I’m a girl? I spent last semester in PE with some of them!” That statement just started them laughing again.

If passing was this hard on my fourth day of school, how was I going to finish the rest of the year?

“I hate to be the one to ask,” Kathy said. “But are you sure you’re not a girl?”

I grimaced. I honestly did not know the answer to her question anymore.

“It’s okay,” Emily said, and she wrapped me in a comforting hug. “Just two and a half more weeks; it’ll be over soon.”

“Not soon enough,” was all I could say.

*  *  *

I was retrieving my books from my locker before the lunch period ended. Emily was with me because we shared our next class together. The others had left to make it to their own classes.

“Campbell!” I heard someone say behind me. I was then spun around out of my control. I ended up face to face with Johnny Crawford.

Emily gasped and my heart skipped a beat! He was staring at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing! He’d made the connection! He knew I was Sarah Carerra!

He started to say something. I knew my life was over! But he stopped short, and his expression changed. Oh no, I thought! He didn’t know, but now he’s figured it out! How unlucky could I be?

“Why the hell are you dressed like a girl?” he asked. Oddly, relief washed over me at his question. He didn’t know! He hadn’t made the connection! I needed to get out of there before he did.

“It’s, uh,” I faltered. “A long story?” It had come out as a question, not an answer.

I stood there, scared to death for six long seconds, wondering if I would be able to run faster than he could. I wondered if I should knee him in the groin before running. I wondered what I could possibly do to live through the day.

He waved off whatever he had been thinking, perhaps buying my lame excuse.

“Anyway,” he said, unsure of himself. “What were your parents doing at my house last night?”

“Having dinner?” I replied meekly. If I was truthful, maybe he’d let me go.

“I know that, you idiot,” he said. “But why? What were they doing there with Sarah?”

At least I knew for sure that he didn’t think I was Sarah. That had helped me relax more than I thought it would.

“Um,” I started, still unsure of myself. “My dad is Sarah’s agent. Your dad asked him to come along too.”

Johnny stepped back. I relaxed a bit more. “Do you know Sarah? Can you get me her number?”

Oh crap! Once again this was even worse than getting pounded to death. There was no way I was going to give him Sarah’s number! My number! It just wasn’t going to happen!

“I...I’ve met her,” I told him. “But I don’t know her number or anything.”

“Look, dude,” he said, looking desperate. “You gotta get it for me. Check your dad’s cell phone or something.”

I was shaking my head before I even realized it. “No way. I enjoy my freedom. He’d ground me for a year if I did that. He’s very protective of his clients.”

Emily nodded her head in agreement with me. Austin had learned that lesson very clearly when he’d tried getting a number before, and I wasn’t in any rush to repeat his mistake.

“Can’t you get her number from your dad?” I asked him, hoping the answer was no.

“I tried, man,” he said, this time with a pained expression. He really seemed to be smitten with her. Too bad he didn’t stand a chance! “He said I wasn’t to go anywhere near her.”

“Maybe you should drop it then,” Emily said. “I mean, there must be a reason your dad doesn’t want you near her.”

I thought Johnny was going to smack her for a second. His glare was pretty intense. “I can’t, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. I have to have her.”

“Have her?” Emily asked. She looked really pissed now. “Girls aren’t “property” for you boys to have, Johnny! If your dad doesn’t want you around her, then stay away! We won’t be helping you to contact her either! Why don’t you grow up?!”

She grabbed me by the arm and pulled me toward class. Johnny was left standing next to my locker with a stunned expression on his face.

*  *  *

“Sarah was there last night?” Emily asked me after we had taken our seats in class. We had a few minutes before the bell rang, giving us time to talk.

“Yeah,” I replied. “I guess Scott is her contact with the label too. He wanted to have dinner with his up and coming female contracts.”

I hated lying to her. She was going to be pissed when she learned the truth.

“I’m glad she was there, though,” I continued. At least this part wasn’t a complete lie. “If she hadn’t been there, Johnny might have noticed me.”

“He didn’t even know you were there?”

“No,” I replied truthfully. Then I had to continue with the half truths. “He never took his eyes off Sarah. He had a fight with Debbie or something, and came home early. We were leaving when he showed up and I slipped out as quickly as I could.”

“Thank goodness for that,” she said as the bell rang. We turned back to our desks and began preparing for class.

*  *  *

“Miss Campbell?” our English teacher asked while looking at me. She was taking roll, and she looked confused. I mean, she had my real name right in front of her, for crying out loud!

*  *  *

“Hey, new girl, what’s your name?”

*  *  *

“Wow, you’re kinda cute!”

*  *  *

School had started to turn into my worst nightmare. I was more than happy for classes to end that day. Someone had even whistled at me while I was walking out!

“It’s over. Forget about them,” Emily had said while we walked home.

“It’s just going to happen again tomorrow,” I argued. She shrugged at that, not really sure how to answer.

We walked in silence most of the way home. Ethan left us at his house and Emily and I continued on to my house.

When we arrived, there was a nice car parked in the driveway. It was a Lexus or something.

It was Julia’s car, I found out moments later. She was talking to my parents in the living room when Emily and I entered the house.

“Oh good,” my mom said. “She’s home.”

Julia looked up at me. She looked confused for a moment, and I realized that I was in boy mode. How would I explain this to her? Mom should have warned me!

“Wow!” she finally said, replacing the confused look with a smile. “You weren’t kidding when you said you were new to the girly thing!”

I blushed and nodded. At least she was still under the impression that I was a girl.

“You don’t even wear makeup to school, huh?” she asked. Her smile was quite large by that point. I got the impression she really liked dressing up tomboys.

Emily looked completely confused. But she was wise enough not to say anything about my true gender. I’d thank her for that later.

“Em, this is my image consultant, Julia,” I told her. A light seemed to go on in her head.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Julia said to her. “But I’m going to have to borrow Megan for the evening. We’re going shopping!”

*  *  *

Chapter 12 - The Pop Star, the Consultant, and the Wardrobe
Coming Soon...
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Comments

Thank you everyone

Thank you everyone for reading my story. It's been great to hear that people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Unfortunately, we are now caught up with the chapters that have been released to date. There's plenty more to come, but it will be at a slower rate. I usually try to post a new chapter every Monday morning.

I hope I can continue to provide a great story and I thank you for taking the time to read it.

Megan

No, Thank You...

...for such a lovely story. I love the characters you've painted for us. The adventures are fun to follow. And, the wordsmithing is of professional quality.

I'll be looking forward to each coming episode.

Stay Pretty,
Linda Jeffries

Too soon old, too late smart.

Linda Jeffries
Too soon old, too late smart.
Profile.jpg

We'll take it

However you can get it out.
The recap of the last chapter is always helpful when there is more than a few days between updates (for us old folks with ADD)

This is worth waiting for

NoraAdrienne's picture

Don't worry about us. As long as we know you are working on this story we can wait for a once a week chapter. It will keep us all on the edge of our seats waiting. LOL

As long as this story continues...

Andrea Lena's picture

...I'll take it anyway at any rate I can. It's actually nice on a variety of levels. First, he's finding out more about how much she wants to be, if that makes sense. The intriguing mixing of personalities to an almost 21st Century of A Comedy of Errors. And finally, it's nice to "meet" a girl who seems to be as confused as I am. Thanks for this great story.
She was born for all the wrong reasons but grew up for all the right ones.
Possa Dio riccamente vi benedica, tutto il mio amore, Andrea

  

To be alive is to be vulnerable. Madeleine L'Engle
Love, Andrea Lena

Addicted

I discovered this story earlier today and now I'm addicted. I have to admit the situation for Megan/Sarah does look like a house of cards that could collapse any moment.

Hugs,

Kimby

Hugs,

Kimby

Multiple identities

Gah, trying to juggle three identities! It is so hard, especially when they start to bleed together, mixing with people who don't know the other person. It quickly just falls apart. I've got three; four if you count the dead one.

I'm mixed up, isn't Julia the Lesbian viper in Hollywood? This could screw everything up. Am I hyperventilating! Gasp, Gasp!

Gwen

Wrong story

Julia is the aggressive lesbian in "I'm With the Band"

I'm sure that

ALISON

'we can all wait,Megan,the story has been an absolute delight so far.Thank you,so much.ALISON

ALISON

This story has been a hoot

This story has been a hoot so far. Nicely done.

Heather

We are the change that will save the world.

Heather

We are the change that will save the world.

As much as it would be nice

to keep getting a new chapter every other day or so, I understand. This story is such a fun ride that I have kept as far ahead as possible over at FM. Now, I'll just have to relax and wait for the chapters as they come.

Thank you for such a great story!

SuZie

SuZie

Other neighbors ?

You can't just keep switching back and forth without it being noticed eventually. However, the only way it will probably be noticed if you have a neighborhood busy-body such as a Mrs Kravitz ( for all of your 'Bewitched' fans out there. )

But take my word for it though, some people have an amazing eye for faces. One time I met a ( to me ) complete stranger at the Renaissance support group in Pennsylvania and I had a totally different hair style - plus I had had hormones since and she claimed she recognized my face from another gender gathering thing.

Apparently I have a memorable face. There was a person who was at my first job post transition to full-time living and 19 years later, he still remembered me. Apparently I struck a chord with a lot of folks there at that plant. Then again I was only 1 of 2 Asian engineers there. It isn't the first time it has happened but funny that they still cared to engage me in conversation rather than just looking at me in recognition. And here I thought I was anonymous there :).

Kim

Oh my, talk about a sexist

Oh my, talk about a sexist remark, Johnny really made one about Sarah when he said "he had to have her". I am glad Emily put him in his place. Megan/Sarah/Brett is seems to be almost at meltdown stage with so much going on regarding hiding identities. Megan just needs to go with the flow about being looked upon and considered a girl who was never really a boy as far everyone seems to believe now. Jan

Caught Up With This Series...

...again tonight -- I'll be glad to wait for more.

I can see where Megan wouldn't want to sweat the small stuff, as the saying goes, at this point, by arguing with her parents or Sarah's handlers. But I wish she'd put her foot down on telling Emily at least. If Sarah isn't successful, it won't matter one way or the other; if she is successful, Emily ought to figure it out as soon as the song's on the radio. (OK, she wasn't there for the audition so she hasn't heard the song before, but it sounds as though she was more familiar with Megan's singing voice than anyone else when this story began -- Megan possibly included -- and Megan's had to mention Sarah too often so far.)

Maybe I'm reading too much into this (or just recalling too many other stories in the genre), but it makes me guess that Dad's going to try to isolate Megan from her current friends, despite the fact that the whole point of Sarah was to give Megan a private life.

Eric

Keep em coiming

I'm really looking forward to the next installment! This story is really fun!

XXX,
Bri

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XXX,
Bri

Of course, if I had been told

by a record label that I had the voice they were looking for, I wouldn't ask any questions. I would just go with the flow. Why is Brett so hesitant? God I swear. If he is going to be Sarah, and Megan when not Sarah, what's the big deal? Oh I just can't wait for the next chapter. And will somebody please tell Megan that Brett no longer exists (if he ever did)? Good chapter, and now we will wait and see too what happens when Johnny learns that Sarah is Megan who is ... Brett? Hmmm very interesting indeed.

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

"With confidence and forbearance, we will have the strength to move forward."

Love & hugs,
Barbara

"If I have to be this girl in me, Then I have the right to be."

The music business

This story revolves around recording in a studio and such but truth is, the music studio is becoming a bit of a rare bird, at least in New York City. Home recordings at very good quality is readily available now due to the power of the PC or MAC. Then using the same PC or MAC, you can start putting at least some teaser works out there on the 'net.

Of course then we would not have the wonderful story we are enjoying, would we ? :)

Kim

Sarah Carerra - Chapter 11

Nice to see how the students react to her now that Brett is seen as a girl.

    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine
    Stanman
May Your Light Forever Shine

Oh, memories...

Zoe Taylor's picture

“Are you really a girl?” he asked. I just sighed and put my head on my desk.
“I knew you were a girl, dude!”
“Hey, you are a girl! I knew it.”
“You go, girl!”
“The tomboy’s finally coming out of her shell, huh?”

Oh geeze, this ressurected a long-forgotten memory from when I was 15, as I was coming out of the boys' room.

"Wait, you're a guy? Um, no offense, dude, but ever since seventh grade I seriously thought you were a chick."
>_>

Another fantastic chapter down! And I'll have to read Band after I'm cuaght up with Sarah :-)

Cheers!
~Zoe


Zoe_anime_CAC.pngReflection.png

~* Queen of Sweetness *~

Become a Patron for early access ♥

Call it a hunch

WillowD's picture

But I think Emily is going to get the full story soon. Good. Megan will have someone to talk to.

Her parents may be supportive

Angharad's picture

but they are total morons and why can't she skip the last couple of weeks of school?

Angharad

Aww,

The iconic shopping scene, fortunately it won't be her money that is spent.