Teddy Duncan-Walsh bounced up on her tiptoes for a second as the rest of her family gathered around her in her parents' living room. Though she was now well into adulthood, the anticipation was making her feel like a little kid again. "Happy Birthday" had been sung, cake had been consumed, and well-wishes expressed towards the birthday children - Charlie and Toby - and now it was time to give them their presents.
But Teddy didn't have just any present to give her sister this year. No; this was the year. This was the year that Charlie was turning sixteen. This was the year that Teddy was finally going to give her sister the video diaries that had been such a part of her own life since she herself was sixteen.
Even now she tried to make one once a week, because even though she had moved out of her parents house over a dozen years ago, life was still very… interesting sometimes. Sometimes - even with a husband and two children of her own - she still felt like she needed someone to hand her an instruction manual for her life and point her to the page and paragraph, saying, "Okay, here's what you do." And maybe the video diaries that she had made would be something like that for her little sister. At least she hoped so.
Once Charlie and Toby had opened up all of their other presents, Teddy turned to Charlie and declared, "Hey, hold on a second, you've still got one more gift, sis."
"I do?" Charlie glanced around, trying to spot what Teddy might be talking about.
"Yeah," Teddy held up the DVD that she had kept in her lap. "Right here."
Charlie leaned forward from her place on the floor and accepted what Teddy was holding out towards her. "Thanks," she said, looking at it curiously. She read the title that had been written onto the disc with a Sharpie. "'Survival Guide: Duncan Style'" She looked back up at Teddy. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Teddy opened her mouth to answer the question, but her Amy Duncan responded before her daughter could, suggesting, "Let's put it in so that you can see for yourself."
Charlie shrugged and got to her feet, making her way towards the DVD player. "Okay."
A few clicks later and there a very young Charlie was on her family's silver screen, while Teddy was crooning, "Hi, Charlie. There you are, nine months old, and look how cute you are!" And then the camera was flipped so that it was pointing at Teddy. "And look how cute I am!"
A few of the people watching the video diary laughed as Teddy continued her monologue. "It's your big sister, Teddy, here, and I'm making this video diary to help you survive our… special family."
As the camera panned back to the little, now-food-covered Charlie, the teenage one smiled as she watched the video.
"Hey," on-screen Teddy declared, "It looks like Dad taught you how to eat bananas! Oh, and there's Mom, looking lovelier than ever this morning."
When in fact the version of Amy that was captured on camera was covered in baby food and looked exhausted.
"Not in the mood." on-screen Amy declared, glare piercing through the camera lens.
As they continued to watch, poor Amy tried to convince Charlie that she was going to like sweet peas by trying them herself, and then she promptly spit them back out.
At that, the camera panned back to Teddy as she left the kitchen while informing the camera with a wag of her finger, "Very smart. Always make Mommy try it first, 'kay?" And then, "Oh, and there's your brother, PJ, doing today's homework at the last minute as usual."
On-screen PJ looked at Teddy like she was slow in the mind as he informed her, "This isn't today's homework; this is yesterday's homework."
Teddy turned back to the camera with a smirk on her face, declaring, "There's a chance you two will be in high school together." Then she moved on to another member of the family. "Oh, and there's Dad, preparing to do another day's work. He kills bugs for a living."
On-screen Bob instantly threw his head back, protesting, "Honey, come on, we've been through this. I don't kill bugs, I am a-"
The entire Duncan family that was watching the video joined in with the Bob that was on the camera as he said the words, "Bug control specialist."
Bob laughed at them all, but particularly himself, at this show of… affection, maybe?
"Either way," the Teddy on the TV was saying, drawing a finger dramatically over her neck and making a dramatic noise in her throat. Then she smiled. "Now you've met the whole family."
"Forgetting somebody?" Gabe was heard sighing dramatically as the camera panned to him standing on the stairs.
"Gabe!" On-screen Teddy yelped. "No, no! I didn't forget about you; I was just saving the best for last."
Gabe looked as horribly unconvinced as he did unimpressed.
Teddy turned the camera back onto herself, explaining, "Charlie, that was your younger, older brother, Gabe." She turned the camera back onto Gabe, asking, "'You wanna say something to Charlie?"
Gabe smiled unconvincingly and leaned towards the camera, declaring, "You ruined my life."
The camera was turned quickly back onto Teddy as she offered another explanation. "Okay, so, it's, uh, taken Gabe a little bit longer to get used to you; you were kind of a surprise."
Teddy laughed a little before Gabe turned the angle of the camera back onto himself and said, "I thought surprises were supposed to be good."
"Harsh!" Charlie objected, looking first at the on-screen Gabe and then at the one currently sitting across from her in the living room.
"I'm sorry;" Gabe said, trying not to smile. "I love you, Charlie."
Charlie narrowed her eyes, teasing him.
"At least I do now," Gabe amended, wrinkling his nose a little.
As Teddy came back on the screen, she looked away from the camera, looking as unimpressed as Gabe had only a moment before, and said, "And cut."
With that the video diary entry ended and the screen went black.
"Cool!" Charlie declared. She turned to Teddy, asking, "Are there more of these?"
As her answer, Teddy nodded towards the television screen. Charlie turned back towards it in time to see another video diary entry begin.
At the end of the story that Teddy told in the entry, she said, "Oh, and, uh, one more thing: When you're my age, and you meet a cute boy… do not, under any circumstances, ever, ever… bring him home. 'Cause if you do, well," Teddy smiled wickedly and laughed before uttering the immortal words, "Good luck, Charlie."
As the screen once again faded to black, Charlie looked over at Teddy and thanked her again, "These are gonna be really awesome; I can already tell. And very useful. How many are there?"
"A lot." Gabe answered for their sister.
Charlie looked to her mother, and asked while thinking of her busy schedule, "Will I be able to finish all of them?"
"I sure hope so," Amy answered.
"And if not," Teddy added with a shrug and a smile, just because she could, "Well then, good luck, Charlie."
A one-shot that I wrote for a couple of my cousins. Enjoy everybody! Reviews make my day!:)