Modern Family: New Life-Chapter 102: Competitive gene

Andrew stared at the subscriber count, one million, and still couldn't believe it. Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his sports YouTube channel, the one he had created almost on a whim a year ago, would ever reach that level.

He had launched it more out of curiosity than with any real plan. You could even say his gaming channel had more preparation behind it, since he'd thought it through beforehand and already had a few edited videos ready to upload, only needing that little push from Leonard and Howard at the time.

His gaming channel was still active and had grown well, recently hitting 85,000 subscribers. A number achieved in roughly a year, very respectable for the time.

But nothing compared to his sports channel, which had turned into a viral phenomenon.

Both channels were pioneers in their own way:

On the gaming channel, Andrew uploaded casual commentary gameplay videos of Call of Duty, and occasionally tried out random games.

The editing was simple, with no major technical effort. He recorded, trimmed, and uploaded. His face didn't even appear. It was pure entertainment, with no big ambitions.

The sports channel, on the other hand, had blown up for very different reasons.

Besides being a pioneer in its format, his videos were edited with style, rhythm, and emotion, way above the standards of the time. Almost unintentionally, he had become the first teen fitness influencer on YouTube.

He posted videos showing his workout routines, nutrition tips, physical challenges, and play analysis from his own perspective as the starting quarterback for his school, boasting a level of athleticism that shocked many for his age.

He had led his team to a state championship at just 14 years old, something almost unheard of for a newcomer to high school, carrying the team and breaking records.

And in his videos, he always spoke directly to the camera with natural charisma, showing his face and daily life. That created a unique kind of connection.

His content wasn't just fun for football fans or sports enthusiasts.

His special 500k-subscriber video, where he narrated a summer tournament infiltration story using an alter ego, was a true hit.

With a tone somewhere between documentary and teen spy movie, he described how he secretly entered a 7-on-7 tournament under a fake name, posing as a running back. He ended up winning the whole tournament and revealing his real identity at the end of the video, making it go even more viral.

Even people who knew little to nothing about football watched it for the storytelling, the charisma, and the twist at the end.

It had already surpassed 2 million views.

On the other hand, his channel continued to fulfill its purpose: helping those who wanted to improve their lifestyle, train better, or simply watch something inspiring, fun, and sports-related at the same time.

It was a unique channel: a blend of vlog, sports, fitness, entertainment, and personal growth.

'One million in a year...' Andrew thought, swallowing hard.

Where did that place him in the rankings?

He had to take a second to process it.

With that number, he was easily among the top 10 most-subscribed channels on all of YouTube.

Fred (ranked #1), Nigahiga (#2), and Smosh (#3) were huge names at the time. But all of them focused on comedy sketches, parodies, and family-friendly vlogs.

None of them made content like his.

None of them were teenage athletes, showing their real-life progress as a quarterback, training, teaching, sharing their daily lives, and passion for the game.

There wasn't another youth sports channel with that kind of impact.

Of course, as he got more popular, the format started to get copied.

New channels popped up trying to imitate him: guys filming workouts, games, breakdowns... some even mimicked his video titles or the way he spoke to the camera.

But none of them could truly rival him yet.

First, because very few elite teen athletes were willing to do something like this.

Being a starting quarterback is no easy job, especially with a future in the pros. It takes time, training, games, pressure...

On top of that, you had to record, edit, speak on camera, and have charisma, empathy, and the vision to build a community. It was just too much work.

And those who did it weren't that good players, football-wise.

Because Andrew wasn't just a pioneer or charismatic. He was a prodigy.

He broke records in touchdowns and yards, shining in every single game.

Even in a lower division, his talent caught the attention of coaches, former players, and sports commentators.

Everyone in the amateur football world knew who Andrew was, even without knowing he had a YouTube channel.

'Top six...' Andrew thought, quickly opening a tab to check the current YouTube subscriber rankings.

He was sitting just below the Shaytards: a family vlog channel led by Shay Carl, a charismatic father who filmed daily life with his kids. The channel was beloved for its warmth and consistent uploads. It was just about to hit 1,100,000 subscribers.

And at the very top... was Fred.

The first YouTube channel in history to reach one million subscribers, on April 7, 2009.

Fred uploaded short sketch videos in which he played a hyperactive child with a digitally pitched-up voice, absurd scenarios, and chaotic humor. Behind the character was a real teenager, though it was still unclear whether Fred was just a persona or if the kid really was like that.

Most of the subscribers were preteens, who took the videos at face value without much questioning.

Fred had now reached 1.5 million subscribers.

'That's the number one in the world?' Andrew thought, pressing his lips together.

The competitive fire inside him ignited instantly.

He had to become number one.

And he knew exactly where to start: the one-million-subscriber special.

He was already sketching it out in his mind.

He'd split it into two parts.

The first part was already clear: an open meetup with fans. He'd pick a public spot, film the event, chat with followers, take pictures, and turn it into a fun, heartfelt vlog.

It felt strange to host a fan meetup... but in his past life, he'd seen dozens of YouTubers do that.

He knew how it worked.

And he could replicate it perfectly.

The second part wasn't fully formed yet.

It had to be a video that combined football, emotion, and spectacle.

He had a few loose ideas and knew that once he sat down with time, it would all come together.

But not now.

He glanced at the clock and quickly shut down the PC. Pippa and the others would be arriving any minute now.

He left his room to go share the big news with his parents.

In the living room, he found Cam setting up the space with snacks, sodas, and a few extra floor cushions. Like every Friday, he was already getting everything ready for the arrival of Andrew's group of friends.

"Dad... you know you don't have to do this every time," Andrew said, smiling slightly.

"Of course I do!" Cam replied without missing a beat as he opened a bag of pretzels. "Your friends love coming here, and I like making sure they feel comfortable."

Andrew let out a soft chuckle just as Mitchell appeared from down the hallway. He had just come from Lily's room, she was already asleep. freēwēbnovel.com

"Something going on? What's with the smile?" Mitch asked, noticing the strange mix of excitement and pride on Andrew's face.

"I hit a million," Andrew replied after a brief pause.

There was no need to specify what he meant.

Mitchell's eyes widened a little, surprised, but not entirely caught off guard. He already knew Andrew's channel was about to hit that milestone.

Cam froze for a second, then let out a long, high-pitched, dramatic scream.

"OH MY GOD! WE HAVE A CELEBRITY IN THE HOUSE, MITCH! YOU'RE ON THE YOUTUBE OLYMPUS, ANDREW! THE OLYMPUS!"

"Cam, keep your voice down!" Mitchell scolded with a nervous glance, "Or you will have to put Lily back to sleep if you wake her."

Cam didn't listen. He ran over and hugged Andrew like he had just won an Oscar.

"Oh, please, Mitch! Lily doesn't wake up with how loud Andrew and his friends are, she won't wake up now," Cam said as he hugged Andrew tighter and actually lifted him a few inches off the ground.

"We have a celebrity in the house! I've seen it with my own eyes. When we go to the movies, the grocery store, the park... kids ask for pictures with our son! Teens greet him like he's in High School Musical!" Cam exclaimed.

Mitchell let out a smile. "It's true. I didn't expect you to hit this level of fame... at this age. I always pictured this kind of thing once you made it to the NFL, not now," he admitted.

"It's no big deal..." Andrew said with a modest smile.

"Andrew, yes it is," Mitchell said firmly, pointing a finger. "You're in the top 10 most-subscribed YouTube channels in the world, number six, to be exact. One of the ten biggest channels on the planet."

This wasn't a small achievement, Mitchell knew how hard it was. And not only that, he also knew his son was earning thousands of dollars through his YouTube videos, even making more per month than he did. So no, it wasn't a minor thing.

"Well... yeah, I guess that's true," Andrew said, scratching the back of his head.

Mitchell watched him for another moment, as if reading something in Andrew's eyes that he hadn't voiced yet.

"You want to be number one, don't you?"

Andrew looked up, and for a moment, said nothing.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"It is to me, because I know you," Mitchell replied, a note of satisfaction in his voice, proud of how competitive Andrew was. It was a trait they both shared.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

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