. >> reporter: mark bryant has represented andersen from the beginning of his career. he's also a mentor and father figure. >> i guess i'm probably one of the biggest collector of chris' stuff. i guess i'm kind of that giddy family member that collects this stuff. >> reporter: he was touched by young chris's big heart and hardscrabble texas roots. >> chris grew up in a -- a boy's home for several years. his mom got him back. he had a tough childhood down there. >> reporter: but the birdman may never have faced anything as treacherous as the tender trap about to snap on him and paris. >> i ended up receiving a direct message from him on facebook. >> reporter: do you remember what it said? >> i think it said, like, "hey, i see you're a fan." >> reporter: and what did you think? >> a little skeptical that he would just write, but being 17, i was an excited girl. >> reporter: so excited, she can hardly believe it's him, and maybe she shouldn't. their conversations quickly jump from facebook to e-mail, texting, and most convincingly, selfies. >> and then, that's the first o