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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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Chapter 37 - Sarah's #1 Fan

"Sarah!" Josh exclaimed, standing up when he saw my dad and me approaching. He seemed more excited to see me than I thought he would if he had already moved on, but he didn't sound quite as excited as he had the last time I talked to him. Something had changed, or someone.

His girl stood up next to him, and I couldn't help but notice that she was very attractive. Like Josh, she had brown hair and brown eyes. She was also skinny and dressed very well, and appeared to be a year or two younger than both Josh and me.

The jealousy I felt at seeing her was surprising to me. Josh and I had only been on one date, and we hadn't had much contact with each other afterward. But he was my first love, or at least my first crush. It hurt to have him taken away before anything ever really got started.

"Hi, Josh," I replied. I hoped it wasn't too cold.

"Sorry I didn't get a chance to call you this week," he continued. "Things got...complicated."

He glanced over at the girl, and I followed his gaze. She seemed to be excited about something, but she was holding it in.

Josh turned back toward me and saw where I was looking.

"Sarah, this is Amanda," he said nonchalantly. "Amanda, Sarah."

"It's nice to meet you," I told her, holding back the venom from my voice. She looked like she wanted to say something, but her words seemed to be escaping her at the moment.

"Hi, Amanda," Dad said from beside me. "It's nice to see you again."

Amanda looked over at my dad, and seemed to find her tongue. "Hi, Mr. Campbell."

My dad knew this girl?! I didn't know what to think about that. But then, an even worse thought entered my mind. Had Dad set them up to keep Josh away from me?

No, he wouldn't, I hoped! We had a good relationship going, Dad and I. He better not have gone and screwed it up again!

"Have a seat, Sarah," Dad said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "We've got about 20 minutes before they'll start boarding, and sitting here will keep the riff-raff away."

Riff-raff, huh? I highly doubted that sitting down would make this girl go away. But I did sit, anyway. That's when I understood what Dad was talking about. Looking around the terminal, there were a lot of people looking at us. I had to assume that most of them were looking at Josh, but that didn't mean I couldn't be eye candy for some of the guys staring our way.

"Now that you two are here," Josh said. "I really need to use the restroom. I didn't want to leave Amanda alone. I'll be right back."

That certainly made my day even better. Now he was going to leave me alone with her.

Josh turned to walk toward the sign indicating the Men's Room, but turned back after only a few steps.

"Behave yourself, Amanda," he said before turning and striding away.

Dad sat down next to me, and with a slight frown, Amanda sat down on the other side of him, a couple of seats away. The farther the better.

"Mommy please!" I heard someone say close by. "It's Sarah Carerra! Let me go!"
I looked around, trying to place the small voice that had uttered my name. My eyes landed on a young blonde girl, perhaps eight or nine years old, struggling to get out of the grasp her mother had on her arm. They were sitting on the bench opposite where Dad and I had sat down, on the other side of the small partition between first class and coach. It seemed like her mom was trying to prevent her from approaching me.

"Please," the little girl pleaded. She looked up, and we made eye contact. She froze instantly. She looked horrified that I was watching her struggle against her mother. I glanced to her mom, who was also now staring at me. With a smile, I nodded at her. She let go of the girl's arm, but the girl seemed to have lost all desire to approach me.

I heard my dad chuckle at the scene from beside me. I personally didn't think it was a laughing matter.

"Don," I said. "Picture?"

"What?" he replied, startled at my question. "Oh, right."

He reached for his small carry on and unzipped one of the pockets before pulling out a publicity photo of me. He thought it would be prudent to have some with us in case someone wanted an autograph.

He handed me the photo and a marker, and I stood up and approached the partition.

"Hi," I said to the girl. She looked scared and nervous now. "What's your name?"

She mumbled something, but I couldn't make out what she said. I stepped over the partition and moved closer to where she was trying to hide next to her mother. I sat down next to her, watching her shake slightly at my closeness.

"I'm sorry," I said to her. "I couldn't hear you."

"Megan," she said slightly louder, allowing me to hear. I smiled instantly.

"That's a beautiful name," I told her truthfully. I was slightly partial to that name, for obvious reasons. "Are you flying to Salt Lake City too?"

She nodded, but she started to look less afraid as the realization that I was talking to her was starting to set in. "We were visiting Grandma, but now we're going home."

I smiled at her. "I'm going to sing my first concert there tonight."

"Can I come?" she asked immediately, and then turned to her mother for an answer.

"No, honey," her mom said almost instantly. "We have to unpack and go to the grocery store and everything."

The girl turned sullen nearly as quickly as her mother had rejected her request. I really wished there was more I could do for her. But there was one thing I could do.

"Maybe next time, huh?" I said to her. She looked up at me and smiled a small smile at that hope.

"Can I have your autograph then?" she asked.

"Of course," I smiled at her. "I just happen to have an official autograph picture right here for you."

I held up the picture for her to see, and her smile widened some more. I then placed the picture on my knee and uncapped the black marker.

"To Megan, my #1 fan," I said while writing the same words on the photo. I then signed it and recapped the marker before looking at the girl again. "Do you know why you are my number one fan?"

She shook her head while saying, "No."

"It's because this is the first autograph I have ever given to anyone," I said to her. "And nobody else has ever recognized me in public, either. I'll never forget you."

I then handed her the photo, and she took it from my hand like it was something so valuable it shouldn't be touched. "Thank you," she whispered in awe.

A flash broke my concentration and I looked up to see Dad taking a picture with his camera. I smiled and leaned into Megan, who did the same. Dad took another photo before sitting back down. The little girl's mom was next, and took a picture of the two of us together.

After she had sat back down, I slipped my hand in my purse and pulled out one of Dad's business cards. He'd given me a small stack in case I wanted to give somebody a way to contact me without giving them my direct phone number. I held the card out to the girl's mother.

"This is my agent's card," I told her as she took it. "I want you to call him when you get a chance and he'll help line up some tickets to a concert. You two might not be able to make it tonight, but I'd love to see you guys at one in the future."

"You don't need to do that," I heard the girl's mom say, causing a small gasp to come from her daughter's lips. She obviously didn't agree with her mother's words.

"It's the least I can do," I told her with a grin. "She really is my number one fan, and I'd like to make sure that she gets to see me sing in person sometime."

Megan’s mom grinned for the first time. I think she finally understood that I was being sincere. She also took the card and placed it in her own purse.

"Thank you," she said genuinely.

"You're welcome," I replied.

"You're the best!" little Megan stated before wrapping her arms around me, causing me to chuckle.

"There you two are," a masculine voice broke our moment. "Are you ready to get some food?"

Megan let go of me and we both looked up to see a man approaching us. I assumed that it was her father.

"Dad!" Megan confirmed my assumptions. "Look, It's Sarah Carerra!"

He looked at me, but there was no recognition in his eyes. He obviously didn't share the same interest in my music that his daughter did.

"Nice to meet you," he said curtly before turning back to his family. I noticed that there were two teenage boys standing next to him, and both seemed shocked to see me in person. "We need to hurry if we want to eat before the flight."

"But..." Megan said.

"Come on, Megan," he said sternly.

"It was nice to meet you, Megan," I offered, helping to diffuse the situation. "Make sure to have your mom call and get some tickets. I look forward to seeing you again."

"Okay," she said in a downcast tone. She really didn't want to leave. "Bye."

She waved at me as her dad took her other hand. I waved back, and soon they were out of sight in the crowd. I turned back to where my dad was sitting and stepped back over the partition, sitting down beside him once again.

"You really are something else, Megan," he whispered in my ear. I chuckled at his statement.

"You have got to be the best celebrity ever!" Amanda said while plopping down next to me, ruining the great feeling that I had been sharing with my first fan. I looked at her coldly.

"What did I do?" she asked, sounding hurt.

"Nothing," I replied curtly.

Dad chuckled next to me. I don’t know what he found funny about the situation. I mean, he knew how much I liked Josh. Why would he be laughing at my misfortune of having to talk to Josh’s new girlfriend?

"Sarah," he said with just a trace of amusement. "Amanda is Josh's sister, not his girlfriend."

"Sister?" I asked, looking at her again. She was nodding her head. "Oh."

I could see the family resemblance now. I didn’t know how I had missed it before. They looked a lot alike.

"Who did you think..." She started, before a big grin spread across her face. "Oh my gosh...you DO like him!"

"No I don't!" I shot back immediately. The last thing I needed was for Josh to know how I felt about him.

"Yes you do!" she said too loudly. I was afraid that too many people were listening in to my love life now. A second later, a frown spread across Amanda's face before she spoke again. "I'm truly sorry."

"Why?" I asked. She hadn't really done anything. It was I who had jumped to conclusions. Or did she know why he hadn't called me?

"Nothing!" she said immediately and then turned away. It was obvious that she felt she had already said too much.

"What?" I asked, maybe even begged. I had to know now. "He's met someone else, hasn't he?"

"I'm sorry," she said again, but turned toward me. She looked really upset now. I don't know if she was worried about telling me or if she truly felt sorry.

"Who is it?" escaped my mouth before I even realized it. I was starting to stress out.

"I don't know," Amanda said. She looked like she was struggling between her desire to tell me and whatever loyalty she had to her brother. "I shouldn't say."

"Please," I truly begged this time. I couldn't stand it anymore. Who was taking Josh away from me?

Amanda struggled in indecision for another moment before she seemed to come to a decision. Then, she looked guiltily at Dad. "He won't stop talking about Don's daughter, Maren."

I was shocked! I was speechless! I was...I don't know what I was.

Dad just started laughing. He laughed hard and loud. I could only sit there in shock as he continued to laugh and laugh and laugh before he finally started coughing from laughing too much. I was still speechless.

"You mean Megan?" he asked a moment later after he had caught his breath. Then he started laughing again. I was still shocked.

"He said her name was Maren," Amanda reiterated.

"Yeah, well," Dad said before shaking his head and chuckling again. "I've only got one daughter, and Josh apparently still hasn't learned her name. I think they only met briefly once."

He looked at me, and I nodded, hopefully imperceptibly.

I'd lost Josh. I'd lost Josh to...myself. How did that even happen? That made absolutely no sense at all. How could he have fallen for the real me? He'd been in our house the night that he had told us about the concert, and he was there for less than half an hour. How could he have fallen for someone that quickly? How had he fallen for ME that quickly? More importantly, why had he called Sarah the next day if he had already fallen for Megan?

"I'm sorry," Amanda said again. She didn't know the irony in the situation. I'd finally come around to realize that I wanted something more with Josh, and I'd lost him. He couldn't be Megan's boyfriend, because that would be too close to exposing the secret if we were ever seen in public. Eventually, someone would put two and two together and realize that I was Sarah Carerra if that happened.

I could tell him the truth. No, that wouldn't work. Dad would scream at me if I did, and then there would be someone outside of the trust circle with knowledge of my dual identity. That was a bad idea. Even if he signed a non-disclosure agreement, the relationship could only end one of two ways. Even if I thought I might love him, I wasn't naive enough to think that it was likely we would remain a couple for long. We were young. We were trying to figure out who we were. That was especially true for me!

"Are you okay?" Dad broke through my reverie. I glanced up at him. He looked really worried.

"I guess so," I replied, but I wasn't sure if it was the truth. I really could have used a hug right then, and Dad, bless him, seemed to realize it. But we had to maintain the secret. All I got was a nod.

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The rest of the wait for boarding was pretty uneventful. I talked with Amanda to help pass the time and tried to avoid Josh. I think he realized soon after returning from the restroom that Amanda had let slip certain information. He seemed upset with her and tried to avoid me too. He and Dad talked a lot.

Amanda, on the other hand, was awesome. She was a huge fan of Sarah’s. Apparently the excitement I had first seen in her when we were introduced was because she was meeting me. She had seen me with Josh at the Tween Awards, and had naturally become curious about the girl her brother was dating. Josh then passed on my song to her, illegally I might add. But legality aside, she really enjoyed it, and had gone out and purchased the single on iTunes later.

Amanda lived with the rest of Josh's family in Salt Lake City. I hadn't realized that he was from The Crossroads to the West, and it made more sense now about why he actually had a whole VIP section at the concert. If his family and friends lived there, it was only natural that they would want to come and see him perform. Josh also spent most of his time in Salt Lake City when he wasn't recording or performing. I was also surprised to learn that he was living with an aunt when he stayed in Los Angeles. He didn't have his own place. He was just an average teenage boy rooming with relatives. Although...they did live in a five million dollar home and his room was the size of a small condo.

Amanda had flown out to surprise him last Sunday. She was probably one of the reasons Josh hadn't called me all week. She apologized for her part in his realization that I wasn't the girl for him, but I wondered if Josh would have called Sarah instead of thinking about Megan if she hadn't come out. I guess that was a question I would never know the answer to.

Eventually, it was time to board. Only the four of us were standing in the first class line, and I was really starting to become upset. We'd had to get a later flight for Mom and Austin because the flight was supposed to be sold out. I highly doubted that there were only four seats in first class.

But, despite my ire our tickets were checked and we were led down the ramp toward the plane. Once we were on board, my irritation started to increase again. There were 12 seats in first class, three rows of two on each side of the aisle. Where were the other eight people? Why couldn't Mom and Austin come with us?

I slipped into my seat by the window on the middle row of one side of the plane. I was expecting Dad to sit down next to me, but he offered the seat to Amanda instead, and she eagerly jumped at the chance to talk to me longer. I was pleased, because I had really started to like Amanda.

Dad sat across the aisle next to Josh, who was sitting in the other window seat. He couldn't get much farther away from me without heading back to coach.

I settled in, placing my purse, which was my only carry-on, in the proper location for flight and then peeking out the window at the tarmac. They were loading bags into the plane, and I sighed in relief to see my pink suitcase, with the initials SC stenciled on the front, being loaded onto the plane. My stage outfit would be waiting for me in Salt Lake City.

"Worried?" Amanda asked from beside me.

"Not anymore," I said while turning toward her with a smile. "I just saw them loading my suitcase into the plane."

She laughed. "Lost bags are really very uncommon, you know."

"That may be true," I replied. "But my stage outfit is in that bag, and losing it would have been a very bad thing."

"Oh," she returned. "I could see why you would be worried then."

After she had said that, I learned why being seated early in first class could be a bad thing on some airplanes.

On this flight, it meant having the coach passengers walk through first class toward their own seats on the other side of the bulkhead separating us from them. I knew we were in a small plane, and this seemed to be one of the downsides.

I did get to smile and wave at little Megan again when her family boarded and passed us. Her return smile was just as bright as it had been earlier. Her dad's smile was nearly as big. He had apparently been filled in over lunch, and he also gave me a friendly nod as he passed.

We got the occasional oh's and ah's as passengers passed by us. Josh definitely got a lot of attention because he was well known, but there were still plenty of people pointing me out to their traveling companions as they passed. It felt nice to have some recognition. At least none of them tried to stop and talk. The worst part was when one boy about my own age passed by. He stared at me from the minute he laid eyes on me all the way until he had passed behind the bulkhead. It wasn't a good stare, either. It was nothing but lust, and it made me feel really uncomfortable.

At the tail end of the coach passengers, eight more people boarded the plane. They all appeared to be together, and were disappointed to realize the group would be separated by us. They began to take their seats in first class, four in the row in front of us and four behind us.

At least I didn't feel as upset when they were seated. If the seats hadn't been filled, I would have been ready to kill my dad for making Mom and Austin come later.

Not long afterward we were in the air and on our way to my first concert. I was both excited and nervous!

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