Modern Family: New Life-Chapter 112: Two lovers

On Sunday, October 1st, Andrew uploaded a short video, about five minutes long, to his channel, where he emotionally thanked his subscribers for helping him reach the one million milestone.

In the video, he announced a meetup with fans, aimed at those who lived nearby or could travel. It would take place at a shopping mall farther from his home, to keep some distance, since he didn't want to accidentally doxx himself.

He had already discussed it with his parents, who, though a bit concerned about the logistics, ended up supporting the idea. Cam, in particular, was excited.

To Cam, it felt like some kind of premiere or red carpet event, but for an internet-born celebrity.

The date would be the following Sunday, October 8th, at four in the afternoon, exactly one week after the announcement. The meeting point: the central fountain area of the mall.

The video already had the following YouTube stats:

📺 WE HIT 1 MILLION! | MEETUP WITH SUBSCRIBERS + THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING

👤 Andrew Pritchett-Tucker

📌 1,000,571 subscribers

👁️ 284,112 views | ⏳ Posted 6 hours ago

💬 7,984 comments

Big numbers for just the first six hours, both in views and comments.

Typically, Andrew uploaded two to three videos a week. Two of them were focused on Friday night football:

One was a pre-game video, where he and his teammates analyzed their opponents, made predictions, and showcased pre-game preparations. These videos felt like a mix between a sports blog and locker room talk: serious when needed, but always with that fun edge that came from banter and debate with his friends.

The second was a game recap, with the most exciting highlights, tactical analysis, intense or emotional moments, and even some behind-the-scenes clips from the locker room or sidelines, always with the school's permission, of course.

The third weekly video, usually uploaded midweek, was more personal or lifestyle-oriented. It featured his training routine, nutrition tips, fitness or diet challenges, snippets from his daily life, or just youth-oriented fitness vlogs.

Each video averaged between 300,000 to 500,000 views.

So for this thank-you video and meetup announcement to hit nearly 300k views in just six hours was incredible. Still, it was expected, his previous half-a-million special had also drawn higher viewership and popularity.

But this wasn't the real special. This was just an initial thank-you, a short video to announce the subscriber meetup. The actual special was still on its way, and he already had it all planned out.

'If this video already got nearly three hundred thousand views in six hours... I can't imagine what the special will pull,' thought Andrew, half-lying on his bed, his back against the headboard and the laptop resting on his legs.

He was scrolling through the comments on his latest video. There were many comments. Some were pure excitement, others asking questions about the meetup, others wondering if this was the special or if he had something else planned, etc.

[Comment Section]

@Clarence77: I'll be there, even if I have to take two buses and walk over ten blocks. It'll take me almost two hours.

@Tom92: My little brother's going wearing a shirt with your face on it. He says if you sign it, he'll never wash it again. Be afraid.

@Benchwarmer89: I'm just going to watch. If Andrew tries to make me run, do push-ups or something, I'm dropping to the ground and faking a hamstring injury.

@StatMan89: almost 300,000 views in six hours. The special's gonna break records.

@JustJoey: Who else is gonna be at the mall? Maybe we can meet up before the event.

@MaxTorque: Imagine being at the same school as him and watching all this happen in real time. It's like witnessing the rise of a legend.

@monkeyD (replying to @MaxTorque): Bro, we are witnessing it in real time thanks to the videos.

@Oldschool69: Back in my day, quarterbacks didn't vlog. They did push-ups and busted their teeth out of respect.

@QBQueen69: IF I SEE YOU, I'LL DIE. I'M GOING WITH A SHIRT THAT SAYS "MARRY ME" AND I'M NOT JOKING 😍🔥

@AndrewFanPage1: I've been following Andrew since he had 2,000 subs. This feels like a personal victory. See you there!

@Niceguy777: I'm about to skip my girlfriend's birthday for this. Sorry, Sophie, but Andrew is Andrew.

@EaglePride67: Damn! I can't go, I'm across the country, but I'll watch the vlog as soon as it drops.

@WillSBW27: I don't get the hype. He's just a high school kid making videos. So what if he has a million? There are kids his age in better divisions who actually train and don't just put on a show.

@Kiraman52 (replying to @WillSBW27): A show? Dude, he broke division records and got the CIF to move him up in his first year of high school. And if you don't like it, don't watch.

...

'I'll be okay... right?' thought Andrew, his expression a bit strange as he kept reading the comments on his laptop.

The message from @QBQueen69, saying she was going to wear a shirt that said "MARRY ME," still had him processing. It wasn't the only intense comment, but it definitely took the prize.

"Why can Captain America hold his own against Iron Man?" asked Pippa suddenly, without taking her eyes off the comic she was reading.

She was also lying on the bed, but in the opposite direction from Andrew, deeply focused on one of the many comics Andrew had in his collection.

Normally she wasn't that into them, but this time she'd picked one out of curiosity... and maybe also to share a bit more of Andrew's world.

When she didn't get a reply, she frowned slightly, turned a little, and noticed Andrew was still absorbed in his laptop screen, not registering that she had spoken.

She tapped his arm twice with her foot. "Hey. I'm talking to you," she said in a friendly tone.

Andrew blinked, as if waking from a trance, and turned his face toward her. "Huh? Sorry... what did you say?"

Pippa raised the comic and gave it a slight shake in the air, like it was evidence. "I'm reading this part where Captain America fights Iron Man, right in the middle of the street, and he's kind of beating him," she said, pausing to glance at the illustrations.

"I don't get it. Iron Man's got a multimillion-dollar suit with high-tech weapons, boosters, sensors, lasers... and Steve just has a shield and some extra strength, and he wins?" she added, adjusting her position on the bed.

"Civil War, right?" asked Andrew, and Pippa nodded.

"Cap doesn't just fight with strength. He has a lot of experience, instinct—more than Tony. That's why he can go toe-to-toe with him," said Andrew.

"Tony doesn't need a PhD in battle experience to beat him. He could just fly him into space and leave him without oxygen. Or drop him from five hundred meters in the air. Or just melt the shield with a laser. Why doesn't he?" said Pippa.

"Well... the shield can't be melted with the tech Tony has. It's made of... vibranium, a special metal. Comes from Wakanda," Andrew replied.

As for the other battle tactics Pippa had suggested... they were harder to counter.

"Waka-what?" repeated Pippa, slightly frowning.

"Wakanda. It's... well, you're gonna have to read a few more comics before things start to make sense. And meet the other heroes too. Civil War has many characters and several ongoing conflicts from earlier stories," Andrew replied.

Pippa looked at him with a mix of resignation and amusement, "This is more work than I thought."

"Understanding the Marvel comic timeline is a full-time job," Andrew joked, closing his laptop and turning slightly toward her, "And that's not even counting multiverses, alternate versions, time-line altering events, crossovers with other universes..."

"Multiverses?" Pippa repeated, half incredulous, half overwhelmed. "This sounds more complicated than school assignments."

Andrew laughed.

"It does. But with my custom-made guidance, I can make it easy, and even fun. Well... fun if you're into this kind of stuff. You never really were a fan of superheroes or comics... What sparked the sudden interest?" he asked, looking at Pippa with curiosity.

Pippa lowered the comic a bit, resting it on her stomach, and looked at him without replying right away.

They had been dating for a while now. In fact, they were close to hitting their one-year mark. It didn't seem like much, but for a first teenage relationship, it felt like forever, especially compared to most guys their age.

Their relationship wasn't based on sharing the same hobbies.

Andrew was football, video games, YouTube, and comics.

Pippa was science, philosophy, history, and deep debates on topics Andrew sometimes mixed up with NFL player names.

And that was okay. Neither of them expected the other to like what they liked.

Still, they shared what really mattered:

The same sense of humor, a critical view of the world, the ability to laugh at anything together, binge-watching movies that were neither too serious nor too dumb, and a chemistry that didn't need shared hobbies to make sense.

Pippa held his gaze for a moment before speaking.

"I don't know... maybe I just wanted to see what makes it special," she began, her tone calm. "And I saw you talking to Willa the other day. About comics... You looked really into it."

Andrew nodded slowly, remembering the moment.

"Yeah, but we were talking about Star Wars. And it's not the first time you've seen me talk like that about comics. You've seen me do it with Leonard, with Howard. So why now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at her curiously.

"Because this time, you were talking to a girl. And let's be honest, it's rare to see a girl as geeky as Willa and also... that pretty," Pippa replied.

Her answer was more honest than jealous.

Andrew opened his mouth to respond, but only managed to say, "Oh..."

For a moment, his mind flashed back to their first fight, and the scene Pippa had made about Regina. Getting into that kind of argument again would feel like a step backward.

But Pippa, as if reading his mind, spoke up immediately, her words coming faster, like she wanted to get everything out in one breath, "Is it jealousy? Probably, a little, but not the dramatic kind, nothing like what happened with Regina. I'm not going to make a scene... It just hit me differently, you know?"

Before Andrew could say anything, Pippa was already speaking again, even faster now, as if she wanted to make it clear that it wasn't childish insecurity but something more... observable.

"At our age, it's common. They're brain impulses. Intense hormonal changes, especially in the amygdala and limbic system, which interfere with rational judgment. Add to that the oxytocin and dopamine released when you're near someone you care about, and that messes with your emotional perception and triggers reactions like this. The teenage brain is chemically unstable, it's not my fault. Technically speaking, what I felt is a spontaneous emotional response caused by the fact that I'm in love with you."

Silence.

Andrew, who had been leaning back against the headboard with the laptop on his lap, slowly sat up. He set the computer aside. "Did you say you're in love with me?"

Being in love with someone isn't the same as just liking them. Many teenage and even adult couples can simply like their partners, a more superficial feeling.

But being in love is a much more intense emotional state, characterized by deep attraction, a strong emotional connection, and a desire to be with that person. It involves emotional commitment and the wish to build a lasting relationship.

Pippa froze. Her eyes widened just a bit... and then, without a word, she lifted the comic she had resting on her stomach and covered her entire face with it, turning slightly to the other side.

"No. You misheard," Pippa replied, her voice muffled behind the pages.

Andrew leaned in, now sitting right in front of her.

"I heard your whole scientific explanation perfectly, complicated and full of difficult words..." said Andrew with a smile, "And you know what was the clearest part of it all?"

He placed a hand on the comic and gently lowered it from Pippa's face, revealing her completely flushed cheeks.

"That you're in love with me," he added.

"Well... it was an accident of language. It was not programmed," Pippa replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, really? Well, let me tell you, I am programmed to feel the same way," said Andrew with a slight smile, leaning in a little closer.

Pippa finally looked at him, half surprised, half skeptical, "Yeah? Well, I don't believe you."

"Why the doubt? I'm being honest," Andrew said, pretending to be hurt. He wasn't lying.

"Because I've never seen you jealous," Pippa replied, as if it were the most logical thing in the world.

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything to do with it. Of course you'd get jealous if you're in love. I'm in love with you, and I've already had, let's call it, two jealousy attacks... One with Regina and now another with Willa, when I saw you talking alone with her in your room the other day. I'm handling this second one better. I don't want our relationship to fall apart over insecurities or silly things," Pippa said firmly, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"I'm trying to be mature. Not the typical clingy girlfriend who makes a scene about everything. But it would be nice... I don't know, to feel like you could feel something similar," she added.

"It's not that I don't feel jealous, Pippa. Of course I do. But... you're always in your own world, you know? And besides, our friend group is small and shared. It's hard to feel jealous when I see you talking to Zach, Kevin, or even Leonard," Andrew said honestly.

Pippa nodded, understanding.

"I get your point..." she said, then raised an eyebrow with fake malice, "But tell me, how would you react if Howard tried using one of his 'foolproof' flirting techniques on me?"

Andrew couldn't help but laugh, "Honestly? I'd find it hilarious. Especially because it'd be interesting to see how many seconds it'd take you to destroy him verbally."

"Depends on how sexually inappropriate the line is," said Pippa with total seriousness. "But I'd say between six and eight seconds. Ten if I'm feeling patient."

"But seriously... I would get jealous if you ever met someone else. A smart guy... my Achilles' heel," said Andrew, his tone turning serious again, though it faltered slightly at the end.

"Achilles' heel?" Pippa asked.

"Yeah. You know I'm not exactly the brightest in the class when it comes to history, philosophy, or all those things you love. My thing is more football, video games, comics... I don't think I'm an idiot, but I'm definitely not an academic," Andrew said, shrugging.

Pippa stayed quiet for a moment, looking at him with a soft expression, no teasing, no condescension.

Then she placed her hand over his and spoke in a calm voice, "I don't need you to be an academic to be in love with you. And even if one day some super smart guy shows up, someone who understands all my readings and tries to flirt with me by talking about existentialist philosophy or ancient history... I'd never look at him that way."

She paused, smiling faintly, "Because he wouldn't compare to you. Because you're smart too, just in different areas. You know about nutrition, training, sports history. Even with comics and video games, you can wipe the floor with Leonard or Howard in nerd debates, and that's saying a lot considering Leonard has a sky-high IQ."

"Mm, thanks," Andrew said with a small smile, glancing at Pippa's hand resting on his.

Pippa noticed his thoughtful look, so she made sure her words really sank in, "And you don't need straight A's or to read scholarly books to be intelligent, Andrew."

"Intelligence isn't just academic. For example, you make brilliant decisions every game. Your mind works fast. You read plays in seconds, adjust formations, spot holes in the defense like you've got radar. That's intelligence too. It's vision, logic, making decisions in the heat of the moment, strategic thinking under pressure."

Andrew looked at her in silence for a few seconds, processing her words.

"I get it... So now that you know I could get jealous if some super-intelligent stranger showed up around you... do you believe I'm in love with you?" he asked, looking at her.

Pippa held his gaze, more confident now, "Yes. We're even. Emotionally balanced. Two jealous people, but functional," she said softly with a smile.

"I like the sound of that," said Andrew.

"I know. I'm brilliant."

"And modest."

"Another one of my many virtues," Pippa replied, lifting her chin expectantly, waiting for a kiss.

"Is that your subtle way of asking for a kiss?" Andrew asked, leaning in slowly toward her.

"No, a shameless one," Pippa replied with a slight smile, and Andrew kissed her.

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