Lights, Camera, Action!

Sitting down on the floor Indian style, Bailey looked down at what he held in his all too feminine hands. In one hand was the toy pink Barbie car he got for his birthday, and in the other the Skipper doll that came with it. His new camera was setup on a tripod pointing down to just catch his hands on the toys. Candi had a wonderful idea to continue the video diary with Bailey using the toys as props for the start of the production to tell the internet about how amazing his birthday was. “It is really a shame I didn’t think of this earlier, we could have totally bought a Barbie to be me.” Bailey rolled his eyes at the idea of basically playing Barbies with Candi and doing so on video, not that what he was about to do was much better. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, it would have been an absolute delight! Could you like imagine if we met when we were little and really got to play with our Barbies together? I had like so many and like you I purged them, but I totally wish I didn’t now.” Bailey looked the Skipper doll in its lifeless, smiling face and wondered how much better his face looked with the smile he kept on his face without thinking most of the time. It was a little startling when he first noticed when walking by a mirror the other day to see how happy he looked while dusting the apartment. He sure as heck wasn’t happy, but no one would know by just looking at him. Maybe that was what he was at this point, stuck playing the roll of a doll for Aunt Megan and Mommy. He guessed Candi could also be put in that category with how she had him posing for photos in the shirt that he was getting as a gift for Derrick. One pose had them both sitting on the couch with their legs crossed. Bailey twirling his hair with his left hand, while Candi mirrored him. The second was them standing back to back, their hands forming make believe guns like they were part of Charlies Angels. In the first photo Bailey was sure he couldn't look any more like a ditz unless he was making a bubble with bubble gum, the second Candi lamented not having the time to make their hair bigger. Both were sent off her Dad from Bailey's phone. Both photos had been taken with Bailey’s new camera that Candi was happy to set up and use, much like she was now with the video.

Bailey: Like Hiiii!

Sitting next to him on the couch Candi let him send the text messages, but she told him what to write, saying she was in charge and part of being in charge was making sure Bailey sent the perfect message to win points he really didn’t want to win with her father.

Bailey: So we went to the mall and I got you two shirts I really liked and we decided to model them for you. Tell me what you think! Do you like them?

Derrick: Aww those are cute photos, I might print one of those out for my desk. Did you send those to your mom too?

Bailey: Just you

“Oh my god that would be like so cute on his desk, and like we really should send them to your Mom, she would like die, they are so adorbs.” Bailey didn’t even so much as look over at his friend, just looked down at the screen, waiting for the conversation to end.

Derrick: Too good not to share, I bet she will want to do the same as me.

Closing his eyes Bailey wondered if he could die from embarrassment, it was a brief thought, he knew it couldn’t happen after what happened with the fudging toddler or however old he was that pulled his hair at the park that afternoon.

Derrick: You didn’t have to replace my shirt at all, and you really did not have to get me two.

Bailey: But like I didn’t know if you would like them.

Derrick: They both look great, I’m especially fond of the models though, they both look rather pretty.

“Aww, he is so sweet. Tell him that compliments are like always welcome, no wait. Tell him to stop because it is making you blush.” This time Bailey looked away from his phone screen and just blinked at Candi for a moment. “It sounds like you are trying to get me to flirt with your Dad.” Candi quickly shook her head and gave Bailey a look to show how ridiculous that idea was. “Pfff, not even and ewww. Just like do it, he loves playful banter.”

Bailey: Aww, stop making me blush!

Derrick: If I am making you blush then I will tell you the same thing I told your mother. No, I will not stop, but I do wish I was there to see it.

Derrick: Though I understand you have a date with that Gates boy, I don’t know much about fashion, but I would suggest changing before he arrives.

“Daddy is so bad with names, you are going to have to tell him your boyfriend's name and like more than once really.” Looking up to the ceiling, Bailey took a deep breath and just let his eyes move across the popcorn ceiling in the apartment before he spoke. “He isn’t my boyfriend and like you know that.” He felt her lean into him at the shoulder. “But you want him to be.” She said in a cutesy voice. Giving her a light shove, Bailey went back to talking to Derrick, wishing he could get to making the video. That level of hell would be superior to this one.

Bailey: Yes his name is August and like of course I’m going to change silly!

Derrick: Well you and Candace have fun, but don’t let the boys talk you into something you don’t want to do.

His finger was about to turn off the screen when the device vibrated once more, flustered that the older man wanted to keep talking to who he thought was a teen girl he considered ignoring it, but with Candi next to him decided it wouldn’t work out for him. Looking back at his messages he saw it wasn’t him at all, but a message that said “Mommy” and he wondered if Aunt Megan would be upset or make him change the contact back if he updated it to something less childlike.

Mommy: Hey Pumpkin, those photos of you and Candi are rather cute. Make sure you wash those shirts before you hang them up in the closet.

Bailey: You like don’t want me to put them in the suitcase?

Mommy: I will take care of all of that, we do not want them to get wrinkled.

Mommy: Also before I forget, I did not leave your documents on the table this morning like I wanted. Looks like I left your birth certificate at the office when I pulled it out to double check what it had for your date of birth.

Mommy: Sorry, you will just have to hold on a little longer to get your ID corrected.

Mommy: Do not have time to chat, but I love you and have a good day.

Bailey: K, <3 you 2

With everything going on today, from the discovery, the pool, making sure he did the ballerina exercise that Candi seemed happy to do alongside of him at the pool, borrowing a shirt and doing chores, the ID issue had completely slipped his mind. Now that he remembered it bothered him a little, but now that he had time to cool down it wasn’t a big deal. He was a twenty five year old, even if his brain initially went to eighteen for the correct answer, what did one more year demotion matter? He contemplated that answer as Candi said something to him and left the couch. Difference was between a minor an an adult, it should matter, he just couldn’t work himself up to it at that moment, though he was sure it would flare up again when he was told he couldn’t do something because he was a minor. At the very least he was old enough to go see a rated R movie, something Aunt Megan would tell him he was too young for if she kept him around last weekend. Bailey shuddered at the thought of her threat of putting him a diaper or the little girls bathing suit to play in the sprinklers and was happy to count his blessings that he at least got to be a big girl.

The camera focused on the ground in front of Bailey, just able to his yoga pants encased legs. The pink plastic car rolled into frame, Bailey’s hand pushing it forward till it was right in front of him. Opening the little car door he had the skipper doll, that was dressed in a little black sparkly party dress, get out and move it so that its arms were on the roof of the vehicle. With his other hand Bailey tilted the doll's head to the lens of the camera. “Hi, I’m Skipper!” Bailey moved one of the hands to wave at the camera as he spoke in a more chipper voice he imagined Barbie’s little sister using, a fact Candi had mentioned. “I’m Bailey’s best friend and…” The camera picked up a loud voice yelling off screen. “She is not your best friend!” Bailey pivoted the doll's head to look off to where Candi sat watching from his bed and moved the doll's hand to touch its forehead before making it look back to the camera. None of this was exactly scripted, and he didn’t really expect her to try to start a fight with a doll over some imaginary title of bff, but he rolled with it, otherwise he would have to start all over. “I’m one of Bailey’s best friends and I’m here to tell you all about Bailey’s birthday.” The camera picked up Candi still talking to the doll like it was a real person. “And mine!” Bailey moved the doll’s arm to top the roof of the plastic car like it was frustrated at how ridiculous his friend was being. “Hi, I’m Skipper, and I’m here today as one of Bailey’s best friends to tell you about her and her older sister's eighteenth birthday.” Bailey glanced over at Candi to see if she had anything to say about that before he moved on.

Using the doll as the medium to tell the story was an interesting idea, and while he felt stupid playing with dolls it was better than having a camera looking at his face, though the other downside was talking in the extra girly voice that he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to pull off a few weeks ago. “Bailey wrote all this down in her diary, and I would just love to tell you all about it. Bailey shifted the doll back away from the car like it was walking backwards before placing the diary in front of the doll, leaning on the pink car, the book opened to the correct page. Bailey moved the doll's arm like it was tracing the words on the page to get familiar with what it said and giving him a moment to mentally brace himself for what he was about to say. “So, like oh my god so much happened this day, it was Bailey’s birthday! But also like not really because it was just being celebrated so Bailey could share a party with her big sis, gosh she is so lucky.”

“You see, Miss April who is kinda like my ahh.” Bailey paused and turned the doll to look back at him, before having it go back to the camera. “Miss April is like Bailey’s Aunt, but not like related because she is best friends with her Mommy and like works for her and has known Bailey since she was little. Oh yeah and get this she is like Auggy’s big sister. Oh umm Auggy is someone who I am, I mean Bailey is dating and she gave me advice on how to take things further with him and I totally want to.” Bailey paused again, trying to remember to talk as if it was the doll and not himself. “Skipper, I’m dating August, not you.” Bailey said in his normal voice, as he pivoted the doll to the side and had it look up at him then back at the camera before whispering in the doll's voice once more. “She is so lucky.” Saying it like it was a secret just between the doll and anyone watching. “Well anyhow, Miss April took Bailey to a little dress shop that had the cutest dresses that her Mommy went to who knows when to pick out a dress for her on this totally special day. The dress they picked up was black, and had this short tulle skirt that was just fab. Bailey went on talking as the doll and reading the diary entry from it’s perspective. “Well it looks like she had a really full day and I gotta like tell ya I am super jealous, but I at least got my car. I hope everyone out there enjoyed todays Diary Life stories. Tata for now!” Bailey had the doll wave to the camera before bending over to look at the camera sideways and wave the fingers of his free hand to say goodbye and end the video. As Bailey looked up he saw Candi press both her hands together in front of her mouth and the too familiar high pitched sound started as she got excited. “Bailey, Bailey, Bailey that was sooo amazing! Ohmygodifwetagthisforbarbyoucould” Doing a light underhanded toss, Bailey sent the Skipper doll sailing through the air in front of Candi who caught it on reflex and causing her to stop her rambling. “You need to like breath and put spaces between words when you talk. I like don’t even know how you talk that fast or how I understand you.” Looking down at the doll in her hands she poked it in the stomach. “She understands me because she is my bff, not yours.” She looked back up to Bailey with a large smile on her face. “I was saying we can tag your video for…” Candi trailed off for a moment before continuing. “Tagging is like so people can search for keywords on youtube, so like if I put in Barbie, people that look for those videos, yours can pop up. I will help you upload it, but then lets like get ready for our date. I am so excited!”