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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 2: Summer Medley

Chapter 2.17 - Stairway to Stardom

"Morning, Austin," I said when I walked into the kitchen to get breakfast the next morning. It was earlier than I would have expected him to be up. "Are you coming to the video shoot?"

"Morning," he replied. Then he answered my question in a downcast tone. "No, I'm not coming."

"Why?" I asked. "I thought you were going to bring Susan."

"Dad won't let me," he grumbled. "He didn't think that we would enjoy watching you shoot the video. But he said I could bring her to the mall next week."

"Oh, okay," I said. "I know Emily and Ethan got bored when we were recording songs in the studio, so I can see how the music video could be just as bad. She'll enjoy the concert better, anyway."

"Yeah," he agreed, but it was obvious that he still wished he could bring her today.

"Why are you up so early then?" I asked while pulling out a bowl and some cereal for myself. There would likely be muffins and other things at the shoot, but I still wanted to eat something good before we left the house.

"Aaron and I are taking surfing lessons," he told me. "They start this morning. His mom is going to take us down to the beach."

"That sounds cool," I said. I'd never surfed before, but it would be fun to learn. "Maybe you can teach me afterward."

He smiled at the thought, and I smiled back before taking a bite of my cereal.

*  *  *

Once again I had failed to convince Dad to let me drive. Why did we even allow Sarah to buy a car if she wasn't going to get a chance to use it?

With Emily at work and Ethan not answering his phone, only Dad and I were in the car. I was excited to see what kind of ideas that the creative director had come up with. Normally, I would know before we went to shoot the video, but I didn’t have any details because we had changed the song at the last minute.

It took us about 45 minutes to reach the location of the shoot. As we pulled up to the building, I became even more curious as to what the director had in mind. I didn't know what I was expecting, but the short, red brick building was not it.

I stepped out of the car, noticing that the area had been cordoned off and that there was a police car nearby to keep people from coming inside the filming area. I hoped that there wouldn't be a big crowd like there had been at the beach, but I wasn't holding my breath.

"Over here, Sarah," Dad interrupted my thoughts, motioning to an area in front of a gray building next to where we had parked that was covered in a canopy to keep it shaded. I noticed two people sitting there waiting for us. As we approached they stood up and smiled.

"Ms. Carerra, it is an honor to meet you," one of them said, extending his hand. I took his hand, giving it a slight shake before smiling back at him. He was taller than my dad. He looked pretty fit, if not muscular, and had a full head of white hair. He didn't look old though, so I guessed it was probably dyed.

"Sarah, this is your producer and director this morning, Jonothon Smith," Dad introduced us.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied.

Jonothon then turned toward the woman at his side. She looked like she was in her early twenties, probably still a college student. "This is my assistant Katrina."

I nodded to her with a smile. "It's also nice to meet you."

She looked excited to meet me too, but I think her professionalism overcame her excitement because the only thing she did was nod back.

"To start, I thought we'd go over the idea for the video," Jonothon said. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," I replied, and I knew that I had a large grin on my face. "I'm really interested to see what you came up with."

"Follow me," he said and then motioned down the street. We walked in the direction he had indicated until we reached a small alleyway between the drab, gray building we had been standing in front of and the short, red brick building I had seen earlier. Then he pointed to a sign that looked slightly out of place along the road. Printed on the sign were the words 'Stairway to Stardom'.

"The video will start with you walking toward this sign," Jonothon told me. "Then, you'll turn and walk this way when the music starts." Jonothon then started walking down the short alleyway.

After about 10 feet, the alley opened up into a much larger area. It looked like a small parking lot hidden behind the gray building. There was a bunch of camera equipment there pointing toward an iron wrought staircase that was attached to the side of the red brick building. A sign at the beginning of the stairs clearly marked it as the 'Stairway to Stardom' and had an arrow pointing at an angle up the stairs.

"Here, you'll touch the sign almost reverently," Jonothon continued to explain and touched the sign in a motion I was sure I'd be repeating later. "The second part of the opening will start, and then you will head for the stairs. Once you take the first step onto the stairs, the words will start."

He took two steps up the stairs before stopping again. "Here is where you will get hit by the first tomato."

I stared at him blankly for a moment before I could find the words running around in my head. "What?" I exclaimed incredulously!

I didn't like the toothy smile he was giving me. It was like there was some big cosmic joke that I wasn't in on. "This is where you will get hit by the first tomato," he repeated. I must have scowled, because he started laughing. I HAD heard him correctly the first time, but I just didn't understand him. I turned to Dad, but he was laughing too. Either he had been told about the video beforehand and hadn't informed me, or he had already figured out whatever insane idea the director had for the video.

Dad wasn't helping, so I turned back to Jonothon. "Why?" I asked instead. I was not happy!

"Look, Sarah," he said with much more compassion and sincerity than had come with his tomato revelation. "You've been through a lot of adversity the last couple of weeks. I admire and respect how well you have overcome it. Your song talks about that journey and this music video will only reinforce that thought."

"Okay, but I still don't understand what that has to do with tomatoes," I told him. He chuckled again.

"The tomatoes are going to represent adversity," he replied. "The majority of the video will be shots of you climbing these stairs. The struggle and emotion will be evident on your beautiful face. Mixed throughout we will have shots of you and the band performing on the roof. But during the stair scenes, there will be a group of people throwing tomatoes at you. A few reporters, and a few fans - we'll have a couple of people who would try to bring you down and crush your dreams by throwing tomatoes at you."

I sighed. The LAST thing I wanted to do today was to get hit by tomatoes!

“People know what it means to be ‘hit by a tomato’,” Jonothon continued. “Also, there’s a famous expression: ‘If you want to rise above the crowd, expect to be hit by a few rotten tomatoes.’ You have certainly risen above this adversity.”

Then he held up what appeared to be a tomato. "The tomatoes themselves are actually tomato-shaped water balloons filled with colored water. They are designed to burst easily and won't cause any harm to you. They will not be throwing at your face. They will be hitting you below your shoulders, and they will be hitting the railing and the side of the building. The people throwing them are trained professionals, and every precaution for your safety is being taken. Okay?" I still didn't like the thought of going through this, but it was a good idea for the video. Without expression, I nodded to him.

He smiled and then we began to climb the stairs. "While you climb up, we are looking for the same types of emotions that you convey in the song: anger, disappointment, determination and then eventually satisfaction when you realize that you can and will overcome the adversity." He stopped again near the top. "Once you reach this point, the tomatoes will no longer hit you. Instead, they will fall short and hit the wall and the stairs below you. You'll start to look happy and satisfied that you can overcome what is being thrown at you. You'll stand a little taller, and you'll reach the top just as the second chorus starts."

We then walked the rest of the way up to the top of the stairs. I finally understood what Jonothon was trying to accomplish, and I really liked the idea for this video! This definitely had a bigger message than 'Ever After' would have been able to give! It was a statement, just like the song itself.

When we reached the top, I saw that I would be facing the small stage that had been built on the roof. The roof itself wasn't very big, and it would only take me five or so steps to reach the area that my microphone would likely be set up. For now, the roof was empty.

"At the end of the second verse, when the song slows to repeat your realization, you'll quickly take off the outer layer of your clothes to reveal an outfit that is more fitting for 'Sarah Carerra'." Jonothon continued his explanation of what he wanted. "Then you will step onto the stage, where your band will already be playing. When the chorus starts up again, you will sing the rest of the song with them and we'll finish up the video."

Jonothon had a huge smile on his face as he finished his description. It took me a couple of seconds for me to realize that I had the same smile on my own face. This was going to be brilliant!

"I love it!" I told him! I didn't think that his smile could become any wider, but it did at my words.

He nodded in reply, before motioning to the empty roof. "We'll be shooting the roof scenes tomorrow. Today we'll be on the stairs with the tomatoes. If you're ready, let's get you to hair and makeup."

I nodded to him, and we started back down the stairs. The thought of being hit by the tomatoes didn't sound like fun, but I wanted to make this video.

*  *  *

An hour and a half later I was standing on the street at the spot that the director wanted to start the video from. I was wearing a tan khaki skirt, a short-sleeved white button-up blouse, and a pair of sensible flats adorned my feet and covered the bottom of the white, knee-length stockings. A silver chain wrapped around my neck, a matching bracelet rested on my right wrist, and a pair of small silver hoops hung from my ears.

In short, I looked like a school girl. Jonothon wanted me to appear young and innocent before I stepped onto the stairs, and Julia had done a masterful job to comply. The only thing that made me stand out from something that I might wear to school was the makeup that Stephanie had applied. My signature dark eyes and pink lips still adorned my face when I had stepped out of the tent to begin shooting.

"Action!" Jonothon yelled, and I took a step forward. I took a total of five steps before I reached the sign pointing down the alley. I could hear the cameras behind me as I ran my fingers over the top of the sign while turning to walk down the alley. When I was two steps into the alley, Jonothon yelled, "Cut!"

It was the fourth time we had filmed the short scene.

When I arrived at the set this morning, I never expected that it would be so exact. Unlike the photo shoots I had been on, everything had to be perfect or Jonothon wanted us to do it over. Luckily, this time he was happy and we moved on to the next scene.

"Action!" I heard again after Jonothon had given me some instructions. I stepped forward again, into view of where the cameras would be filming most of the video from the parking lot behind the gray building. Once I reached the sign pointing up the stairs, my hand caressed it.

'You Can't Hurt Me' was playing in the small ear piece that had been placed in my right ear. Since the cameras were to my left, and my hair did a good job of covering it anyway, it wouldn't be seen. I followed Jonothon's instructions and walked at what I hoped was the right pace over to the stairs.

I placed my foot on the first step. Then the second step. I knew that I had blown the take when I cringed before the first tomato hit me. When it finally came, I was surprised at how little I could feel it. I felt the cold water more than I felt the impact of the balloon.

"Cut!" Jonothon called. I grimaced immediately. The scene was supposed to continue in one take from the bottom of the steps all the way to the small landing in the middle of the stairs.

"I'm sorry," I yelled immediately in Jonothon's direction. He didn’t become mad when we had to reshoot a scene, but that didn't make me feel any better when I made a mistake.

He was chuckling as he approached me, though. That was enough to raise my own spirits. "It’s okay, Sarah," he said. "I didn't expect you to get it on the first try. Besides, I knew that you would cringe until you felt the first hit. Now you know what it's like."

"But what about..." I was worried about having red all over me for subsequent takes, but when I looked down, all I saw was a wet spot where the balloon had hit.

Jonothon chuckled again. "We will practice with these clear water balloons until you know what we want. Then we'll have you change and shoot it for real, okay?"

I nodded. It seemed like a good way to handle shooting something that would add color to my clothing. It certainly beat trying to clean the clothes or change after every take.

It took us 10 tries before Jonothon was happy with what I was giving him. I was soaked by then, but a quick sojourn back to the dressing tent had me in a clean, dry, identical outfit.

"Action!" Jonothon yelled once again, and I stepped forward one last time. I had followed his instructions enough times by that point that I was able to move up the stairs, giving both him and the cameras the emotional looks that he wanted. By the time I collapsed to my knees on the small landing, I knew that it had been a good performance.

"Cut!" he yelled. "Sarah! That was perfect!"

I was smiling widely as I stood back up and walked back down the stairs. Several people gave me high fives as I walked back to the dressing tent to take off the outfit now stained in red. They would want to use it for the second half of the stairs, so I wouldn't be wearing it while being hit by practice balloons.

We repeated the same steps on the upper half of the stairs, which ended with me taking the step onto the top stair. There would be a shot tomorrow that would pan from me facing the camera at the top of the stairs to include the stage and the band in front of me as I turned toward them. But without the band, we couldn't do that part.

Instead, I climbed back down the stairs and headed for the dressing tent again. The outfit I was wearing was a prized commodity until we finished shooting. We didn't want the stains changing between cuts, and it would be stored safely away for the final scenes that we would be filming in the morning.

When I stepped out of the alleyway, I was surprised to hear people start clapping! I looked over at the noise and noticed that there was a decent crowd gathered to see what was going on. Few, if any, of them would have been able to see down the alleyway, but I knew they would have been able to hear Jonothon’s loud praises.

I gave the crowd a wave and then ducked into the tent. I would have to make an appearance and sign some autographs for them, but I needed to get out of my clothes first.

"Who would have thought such drab clothes would be so important," Julia said once I was inside and out of sight of the crowd. I laughed at her words. The outfit was sort of dull. Only her small embellishments made it worth wearing in the video.

"What will I be wearing tomorrow?" I asked. She hadn't been too forthcoming with that knowledge yet.

"Can't tell you," she grinned wickedly. "It's a secret."

I laughed again and shook my head. Whatever she had planned, it was going to be great. I quickly undressed and handed the outfit to Julia for safekeeping. Once I was redressed in my own clothes, I stepped back outside to face the fans.

We were filming in a business district that catered to offices rather than to stores. As a result, the crowd was mostly comprised of adults dressed in business suits or slacks and polo shirts. I didn't see a single kid in sight as I signed some of the papers that they placed in front of me.

Fifteen minutes later, the crowd had dispersed and I climbed into Dad's car. Running up and down those stairs all day had exhausted me, and I found my eyes drifting closed once again as my dad merged onto the freeway.

*  *  *

I awoke in my bed back at home. I didn’t know how long I had been asleep, but it had been long enough for somebody to remove my wig and put me in some pajamas. The sun was still shining outside, though.

A quick glance at my alarm clock told me that it was 7:30. We had finished shooting around 4:00 in the afternoon, so I had slept for nearly three hours.

I climbed out of bed. I wasn't going back to sleep anytime soon, that was for sure. I was also pretty stiff. The exhaustion I had felt didn't seem like the same thing I had been struggling with since my operation. It was more like what I'd used to feel after a good workout. That gave me hope that I had most of my energy back.

I slightly hobbled down the hall to where I could hear voices in the kitchen. With each step the pain lessened a bit, but I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow. I found my parents eating dinner in the dining room. They looked up when they saw me come in and both of them smiled.

"How are you feeling?" Mom asked me. I was certain she was the one who had dressed me in my pajamas after Dad had carried me in from the car. I felt embarrassed at that thought. I was sixteen, but that sounded more like something that my parents would do for a little child.

"I'm sore," I replied truthfully while grabbing a plate and loading it with the pasta that they were already eating. They didn't say anything else until I had filled my plate, grabbed a drink, and sat down next to them.

"Are we pushing you too hard?" Dad asked before I could take a bite. I could hear the concern in his voice. The look on my mom's face told me that she was just as worried.

"No," I replied. "I was exhausted, but it was because of all the exercise I got going up and down those stairs, not because of the operation."

I took a bite.

"Are you sure?" Mom prompted. I nodded while I chewed. I knew they were worried about me, but I also knew that I was okay. Today had been a lot of exercise, but I didn't feel like I had overstretched myself. I just felt like I'd spent the whole day at the gym.

"Well, if you're sure…," Dad said. I had to nod again. If I had to reassure them one more time... "I do have some exciting information for you then," he continued.

I perked up at that. "What?" I asked.

"We finalized your concert schedule," he replied. The smile that spread across his face prompted one of my own. "Tickets go on sale Friday."

"Really?" I asked excitedly! I knew they were working on it, but I hadn't heard anything about where they wanted me to go other than here in LA and one in New York.

"Yes," he replied and stood up. "Let me get a copy for you."

I tried to take another bite while I watched him walk out of the room toward his office, but it was hard to do. When he came back, I quickly snatched the paper he was holding out to me and started to scan the words.

California, Indiana, New York - I was going on a cross-country trip! Then I noticed something else.

"Some of these are after school starts," I said. It was a half-question, half-statement, but Dad just smiled as I continued to read through the list.

"You'll start with three concerts here in California," Dad explained, looking at a sheet of his own. "Then we'll be on the road for two weeks, stopping in Indiana and Ohio before spending about a week in New York City."

That alone was enough to get me excited! I'd always wanted to see New York, and now I was going to get the chance!

"Assuming that we take the Jive endorsement, you'll also have an appearance at its unveiling that week," Dad continued. "After school starts, we'll be doing weekend trips. Each concert will be on a Saturday and we'll fly out Friday night or Saturday morning. The Utah State Fair is the only exception, and that's because they actually called us instead of the other way around. After your concert in Salt Lake City, you became a big hit there."

I scanned the list of dates again. "Is the Montana concert just so you can see your brother again?"

Dad smirked, and I knew that I had hit on the truth. But it would be nice to have Madison at a concert.

Six of the thirteen concerts were at fairs, one was for a TV show, and six were in some sort of music hall, amphitheatre, or arena. In all, it looked like a very intense schedule, with the first seven concerts happening within a three-week timeframe. It looked like there would be time between each to recover, but that was still a lot of singing leading up to the start of school.

I had not realized that becoming a successful singer would take so much of my time, but it was very clear now that at least the last month of my summer vacation would be dedicated to the concert tour.

Thankfully, I found myself happy with that thought. The last month of my summer vacation would be doing what I loved best: singing on stage. I hoped that I wasn't going to overdose on the rush.

*  *  *