Andrew had made up his mind. Before heading to the airport to pick up Pippa, he needed clarity. And for that, he would ask each mber of his family for advice, one by one.
A crazy idea, perhaps, but at least he'd get every possible perspective.
From all the advice he received, he'd decide which one was the best.
"I want your advice on sothing... important," said Andrew, who was having breakfast in the kitchen with Mitchell and Cam.
Cam and Mitchell exchanged a look, then turned their eyes to Andrew.
"Is it about football?" asked Mitchell, raising an eyebrow.
"Or your YouTube channel? Did you get a sponsorship offer? Nike? Adidas?" added Cam, visibly excited, already imagining all kinds of things in his head.
Andrew shook his head while taking a sip from his glass of water. A few weeks ago, he had received his first direct sponsorship from a sports shoe brand. They paid him $1,500 to feature the shoes in one of his videos.
Of course, he didn't make a whole video just about the shoes, wasn't his style.
He included them naturally in his usual routine: went out for a run like always, showed the shoes at the beginning with a few well-frad shots, briefly comnted on how they felt on his feet, the comfort while running, etc. all while continuing his workout.
He showed the exact model and brand, and left the store link in the description. He also praised them, obviously, saying they were comfortable and stylish. It wasn't a lie, he wouldn't promote a product he didn't like.
And it worked. The video got quite a few clicks on the link.
The brand even ssaged him afterwards, thanking him and saying they hoped to work with him again.
"It's about Pippa," said Andrew.
There was a brief silence until Cam reacted, way too enthusiastically for Andrew's taste.
"A love problem!?"
"I never thought this day would co!" exclaid Mitchell, equally surprised, straightening up in his chair.
"I thought I'd have to wait until Lily was older to have a talk about love and finally give so real advice!" Cam nodded, growing more and more excited.
Andrew looked at them cautiously, wondering if this had been a good idea after all.
[Mitchell and Cam's Comnt]
"When Andrew said he wanted to talk about his relationship... it was like the gates of heaven opened. Finally... sothing not related to football or video gas," said Mitchell with a smile. He could finally help his son with sothing teenage and emotional.
"It's true. Even though I thought Andrew would never ask for love advice, I've been preparing just in case the mont ca. I'm ready!" said Cam with a confident smile.
[End of comnt]
"Tell us, what's the problem?" said Cam, calming down and ready to listen attentively. Mitchell nodded and stayed quiet, waiting for Andrew to lay it all out.
Andrew, knowing there was no turning back now, began explaining the situation as quickly as possible, while making sure they understood the key points.
That he and Pippa had their first fight, and the root of the conflict was that Regina had been joining Andrew on his runs a few days a week. And Pippa wasn't happy about an older student going on runs with him during the holidays.
Andrew told her Regina was just a friend, and to fix the situation, he invited Pippa to co run with them so she could see there was nothing weird going on.
Pippa agreed, and ran with them for a few days. She saw there was nothing strange, it was just friendship, but still didn't feel at ease, even though she never told Andrew she was still upset.
And although she didn't say anything else, over the next few days her behavior changed: she was distant, moody, and their last argunt, before she left on vacation with her family, was confusing, bitter, and with no clear reason... though Andrew knew it still had to do with Regina.
Mitchell and Cam exchanged a side glance. No longer with the confidence they had a few minutes earlier.
"Oh..." they both said in unison.
"So? How do I fix it?" Andrew asked, waiting for an answer.
"This is more complicated than I thought," Mitchell whispered, leaning closer to Cam.
"Yeah, yeah..." Cam nodded.
[Mitchell and Cam's Comnt]
"This wasn't what I had in mind. I thought it was sothing like... I don't know, a bad date, a silly argunt, a clumsy kiss..." said Cam, stroking his chin as he tried to think of a possible solution.
"We're a gay couple. Do we really know how to handle a teenage straight jealousy crisis? One that involves a super popular and attractive cheerleader?" Mitchell asked out loud, his brow slightly furrowed.
[End of comnt]
Cam and Mitchell watched him in silence, both deep in thought about how to respond.
Cam's toast sat forgotten on his plate, and Mitchell's coffee was already going cold.
Andrew was about to speak, but stopped when Mitchell spoke first.
"Andrew, I know this might sound extre... but if this whole thing with Regina is causing that many problems with Pippa... maybe you should consider it. Is it really worth continuing to see her? She's just a girl you run with."
"I disagree! What kind of ssage is that, Mitchell? 'Stop seeing your female friends because your girlfriend doesn't like it'? That's not healthy!" Cam imdiately cut in, raising his hand like he was blocking a football play.
"I didn't say it was ideal. I said it might be an option if he really wants to save the relationship. Sotis, you make sacrifices," Mitchell replied, frowning.
Cam crossed his arms, clearly upset.
"Sure, couples make sacrifices, but not like that! Giving up a friendship just because the other person can't deal with their emotions? What's next? Telling him not to breathe near other girls?"
Andrew looked back and forth between them like he was watching a presidential debate that kept growing more intense by the second.
Mitchell leaned on the table, fingers drumming impatiently.
"Regina isn't your best friend. You don't even have that deep of a bond. It's not like she's your soul sister," he said firmly. "Sotis the safest path is the best one. Pippa is your girlfriend. That relationship should co first right now."
Cam opened his mouth like he'd just heard pure blasphemy.
"So that ans he can never have female friends!? What's next? A GPS tracker?"
"Stop saying what's next..." Mitchell muttered in annoyance.
Andrew pressed his lips together to keep from laughing as he watched them get more and more into the argunt.
Cam continued, his tone growing increasingly dramatic:
"And what about Willa? We all know they've beco friends! She's a Hollywood actress! Beautiful, brilliant, nerdy! When Pippa finds out, are you gonna tell him to stop seeing her too? Kick her out of the group?"
"That's different. Willa's in his friend group. She's with Leonard and Howard. It's not a one-on-one dynamic like with Regina. Pippa probably won't freak out because it's not as personal, it's more social," said Mitchell, raising a hand as if to stop Cam's incoming storm.
"There is a one-on-one dynamic with Willa. Who invited Andrew to walk around Comic-Con? She did! Her relationship with him is closer than with the other two," Cam said, pointing a finger at Mitchell.
"Don't point your finger at ," Mitchell huffed, and with calm composure, lightly slapped Cam's finger away like swatting a fly.
Andrew raised his hands in a mix of resignation and alarm, like a referee trying to diate between two wrestlers.
"Hey! I just asked for advice, I'm not trying to start a war between the two of you," said Andrew, raising his hands like a referee trying to stop a fight.
[Cam's Comnt]
"Mitchell always looks at everything through logic. Like life's just one big Excel spreadsheet. Regina gets hurt, Andrew loses a friend. That's a terrible solution! Life isn't a spreadsheet, Mitchell! If Andrew speaks from the heart, Pippa will understand. She's a smart girl! She's probably experiencing jealousy for the first ti, and that's understandable."
[End of comnt]
[Mitchell's Comnt]
"Cam lives in a world where everything gets solved with a Broadway number, a bouquet of flowers, and a hug. Sotis, you have to make uncomfortable and realistic decisions! Of course it'd be great if everyone were friends and nobody got jealous, but that doesn't always work. You have to use your head. Pippa's already shown she's too proud to admit she's still jealous. The best thing is to cut the problem at its root."
[End of comnt]
Mitchell and Cam stared at Andrew intensely, as if he were a supre judge about to deliver a verdict that would declare one of them the winner.
"So... what are you going to do?" asked Cam, leaning forward.
"Will you take the most logical path that solves everything, or the one where everything could go wrong?" asked Mitchell, folding his arms.
"I'm not deciding anything right now," said Andrew as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
He unlocked it and, while both n looked at him in confusion, began typing a note.
"What are you doing?" asked Mitchell.
"Getting organized," Andrew replied.
He started writing, reading aloud without looking up:
"Option one: talk to Pippa emotionally, explain how I feel, remind her again there's nothing going on with Regina, and tell her it hurts that she doesn't trust . Your option," he said, glancing at Cam, who nodded with a smile. That's the winning solution.
Then he added:
"Cons: Pippa might not admit she's still jealous, even though she is. We've already fought about this. She could get even angrier if she thinks I'm accusing her. That's happened before."
Cam bit his lip, worried, but nodded silently.
Andrew continued:
"Option two: cut ties with Regina. That way, I show Pippa I respect her feelings and give her peace of mind. Your option," he said, glancing at Mitchell.
"That sounds reasonable," Mitchell replied with a slight nod of approval.
"Cons," Andrew added, typing faster, "I'd be rewarding control and jealousy. Pippa might beco more demanding in the future. Plus, Regina hasn't done anything wrong. She never flirted with . I'd be hurting a friend over an insecurity that isn't even being admitted."
"Now I'm going to Grandpa's place, for his advice and Gloria's," said Andrew, standing up from his seat.
"You're seriously going to get love advice from my father? My father?" Mitchell asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. Caron nodded in agreent.
"Yes, all opinions will be heard. Who knows? Maybe he'll say sothing super wise just from sheer age," Andrew said with a shrug, walking toward the door.
"Can we co with you? We'll drive," said Mitchell, and Cam looked at Andrew hopefully.
Andrew gave them a wary look, as if he could already see the chaos ahead.
"Fine, but don't interfere at first. I want their raw opinions. No looks, signals, or theatrical interruptions to influence Gloria or Jay's answers," said Andrew.
"Alright! We'd never do that," said Cam with a smile way too big to be trustworthy.
"Zero ddling," added Mitchell.
"I'll go get Lily ready," said Cam, standing up.
Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in front of Jay's house. Andrew rang the doorbell and waited.
-------------------------------------------------
You can read 15 Chapters in advance on my patreon.
Link: s/Nathe07
User Comments
0 comments from readers