Three big news

After finishing his conversation with Pippa, Andrew enthusiastically left his room.

"Dad!" Andrew called out as he quickly made his way to the living room.

In the living room, he found Cam playing with Lily in her stroller. "What's up, son? Why so excited?" Cameron asked, shifting his gaze from Lily to Andrew.

"Great news!" Andrew responded.

"Well, two… or three?" he added with a confused expression.

"Oh, this sounds big… Start with the least important one," Cameron said, now giving his full attention to what his son was about to say.

"Hmm, least important," Andrew murmured as he quickly ranked the news from least to most significant.

"Okay, YouTube invited me to their program, and I'll be able to monetize my videos," Andrew replied, and Cam, who had been kneeling to play with Lily, jumped up in excitement.

"That's amazing! You just hit 10,000 subscribers, and now you're invited to YouTube's program!" Cam said with a joy that outshone Andrew's.

"Yeah, we just need to complete a form and link the Google AdSense account to my channel," Andrew said with a smile. Soon, he would have money to buy lots of things.

Even though his family was financially stable, he wasn't a spoiled child who could buy everything he wanted. Now, with a new sister, expenses were divided, so earning his own money wouldn't hurt. He could buy things for himself, for his sister, and even help around the house.

Cam and Mitchell were aware of the videos Andrew had been uploading.

Andrew told them when he hit his first major milestone: one thousand subscribers. Telling them earlier would've been a bit embarrassing since his channel wasn't getting much traction back then.

About a month ago, as Andrew saw his channel growing day by day, he decided to talk to Mitch and Cam about monetization. It was highly likely he'd be invited to join the YouTube Partner Program.

It was a long conversation, as it was hard for both parents to believe that uploading gaming videos to the internet could make money.

The way to earn money was through Google AdSense, Google's advertising platform. By being part of the YouTube Partner Program, you could place ads on all the videos you publish. These ads generate revenue based on the views and clicks they receive.

The more views a channel has, the more money it can earn.

By the end of the conversation, Mitchell and Cameron finally understood that what Andrew was explaining was entirely possible, especially considering it involved a multi-billion-dollar company like Google.

Mitchell created a Google AdSense account since Andrew, being a minor, couldn't do it himself. Now, Andrew's YouTube channel would have the option to link the AdSense account and start generating income, which would go into the bank account Mitchell registered with Google AdSense.

"Let's fill out that form and link the account!" Cameron exclaimed enthusiastically, ready to head to Andrew's room and complete everything as soon as possible.

"We need to wait for Father, since it's his account…" Andrew commented as he sat on the couch.

"I have the password," Cam said with a small smile. He knew where Mitchell kept all the important information.

"We can't. Father will get mad if we leave him out and do it on our own," Andrew said, shaking his head slightly.

"You're right. We don't want him scowling through dinner," Cameron agreed, knowing full well that Mitchell didn't like being excluded from these kinds of things. He might even complain about the fact that Andrew hadn't waited to tell both of them at the same time.

"Well, tell me the other two pieces of news. If YouTube was the least important, I can't even imagine how important the other two will be," Cam said, his eyes shining with excitement and his tone making it clear he was eager to hear everything right away.

"Father will be here in a few minutes. We should wait for him, or he'll also get upset because I told you everything first," Andrew said, glancing at the clock.

"Oh, right," Cam said, making an exaggerated grimace as he crossed his arms. He knew exactly what Andrew meant.

Mitchell always complained about being the last to find out about important news because he worked.

"I don't want another monologue about how unfair it is not to be the first to know things…" Cam added.

The two of them sat on the couch, staring at the clock in silence. The only sounds breaking the quiet were the rhythmic ticking of the second hand and the soft noises of Lily playing with a rattle in her stroller.

It was only a few seconds before Cameron began to fidget in his seat, unable to contain himself.

"Oh, enough! Just tell me now! I promise I won't tell him you told me first," he pleaded, clasping his hands together as if begging.

"Alright, waiting is boring anyway. Just act surprised when I tell him and pretend you're hearing it for the first time," Andrew said, and Cam nodded repeatedly.

Then Andrew began sharing the two pieces of news. The second most important was about the Friday dinner after the final game of the regular season—a dinner with Pippa, her parents, and her brother.

This was a big deal, as it would be the first time his parents would talk in such an intimate setting as a dinner with Pippa's family.

Up until that point, Mitch and Cam had only exchanged a few words with Pippa's parents during games, but this was entirely different.

Cameron was visibly excited upon hearing the news. "That's amazing! This means your relationship with Pippa is going wonderfully," he exclaimed, clasping his hands in front of his chest melodramatically.

"Yes, it's important, but it's not like I'm proposing to her…" Andrew replied.

Cam seemed more enthusiastic about the dinner than he was.

"My little boy is growing up so fast," Cam said, ignoring Andrew.

Andrew couldn't help but roll his eyes. "It's just a special dinner, sure, but it's not that big of a deal," he said.

Cam didn't listen and continued, lost in his own monologue. "You've always been such a focused kid—always training, playing video games, or reading those comics. Mitch and I were starting to think we'd have to set you up on blind dates in high school!"

'Don't make this a big deal,' Andrew thought but said nothing.

During his middle school years, Andrew had never shown interest in romance, something that was common for many boys his age. But his lack of interest wasn't just typical youthful disinterest.

Andrew had transmigrated, and in his previous life, he had been 16 years old before his tragic end. This made it impossible for him to feel attracted to anyone between the ages of 11 and 14, keeping him away from any kind of romantic relationship.

Even now, in his first year of high school, romance wasn't a priority for him.

However, everything changed when he met Pippa. From the very first moment, Andrew was captivated—not just by her looks, but also by her intelligence and charisma.

Pippa was brilliant, with a quick mind and a unique personality that constantly challenged and inspired him. She fascinated him in a way he had only experienced once in his previous life.

Over time, as he spent more time with Pippa, Andrew realized that being around her was not only pleasant but also exciting.

For the first time since his transmigration, he seriously considered that romance could be something meaningful and valuable.

"Alright, what's the last and most important news?" Cam asked after calming down and stopping his rambling.

Andrew stared at him, his eyes reflecting hesitation. He knew this news was going to trigger an even more exaggerated reaction than the last one. Cam had already rambled and dramatized enough about the dinner—telling him this would be like lighting a rocket.

"Well… I'm not sure if I should say it," Andrew said, debating whether to share it or not.

"What? Of course, you should say it! Come on, Andy, don't leave me hanging! What could possibly be more exciting than meeting your in-laws at dinner or the YouTube thing?" Cam pressed.

"It's just… I'm worried you'll get too excited. You know, like earlier…" Andrew said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Me? Get too excited?" Cam exclaimed indignantly, raising his tone and placing a hand on his chest.

'Here we go…' Andrew thought.

"Alright, I'll tell you. Just don't overreact, okay?" Andrew said, cutting him off before he could continue complaining.

Cam nodded solemnly, raising his hand as if taking an oath in court. "I promise, son. Tucker's word."

Andrew took a deep breath and said, "After the game, I'm planning to… officially confess to Pippa, in front of everyone. I want it to be special, something hard to forget."

There was a moment of absolute silence in the room. Cam blinked a couple of times, processing what he'd just heard. Then, as Andrew feared, he exploded.

"What?! A public confession?! Andrew, this is huge! This is straight out of a romantic movie! The popular quarterback confessing to the smartest, prettiest girl in school! Pippa is going to be the envy of every girl!" Cam shouted, jumping out of his seat and grabbing his head with both hands.

Andrew facepalmed, clearly regretting saying anything. "I knew I shouldn't have told you…" he muttered under his breath. Lily paused her games for a moment and glanced at Cam.

"I'm so proud of you, son! Do you already have everything planned? A speech? Flowers? Balloons? An epic soundtrack? Oh, we need to plan this together! We don't have much time!" Cam continued, pacing around the room in excitement.

Andrew raised his hands, trying to calm him down. "Dad, it's not a spectacle. It's just a simple confession after the game. Something from the heart, not a Broadway production."

"But still, it's your first big declaration of love! Can I at least be nearby to record it? What if we use the good camera?" Cam asked, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Andrew.

"Fine, record it if you want. But just that," Andrew agreed, preferring this over turning his confession into a spectacle with flowers, balloons, or an epic soundtrack.

"I promise, I'll just record it, and Mitch will take photos. Pippa is so lucky to have you," Cam said, looking at his son with a proud smile.

To Cam, teenagers of this generation weren't romantic at all. Most had quick, fleeting relationships without the special touch of grand gestures or memorable moments.

An easy example was Haley. In the past two months, she had broken up and gotten back together with Dylan three times. They were currently separated, but everyone was wondering when they'd get back together again.

Cam kept asking about the confession—how Andrew planned to do it, if he had a speech, and countless other questions. Luckily for Andrew, Mitchell arrived, and it was time to share the three pieces of news with him and then link the Google AdSense account.

When Andrew told Mitchell the news, everything started smoothly. The first announcement about YouTube was met with genuine surprise from Mitchell, and while Cam was visibly excited, he managed to keep a believable performance.

However, when the dinner with Pippa's parents was mentioned, Mitchell began to grow suspicious. Cam's reaction was too measured, lacking the enthusiasm he would normally show for something like this, raising the first doubts.

Finally, when Andrew revealed the third piece of news—his plan to formally ask Pippa to be his girlfriend—Mitchell's suspicions were confirmed. Cam, who would have normally burst with excitement, tried to feign a more restrained happiness, but it was so forced that Mitchell immediately knew he had already heard it.

Mitchell decided not to show any annoyance, as these were very good news from his son. Then he and Andrew went to the computer to complete the YouTube Partner form and link the Google AdSense account, while Cam took care of Lily.

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