"N—"
Brandon hesitated, the word "No" dying on his lips.
His mind raced, gears turning as he processed his mom's question.
'Wait a minute,' he thought, his brow furrowing.
'If this isn't my original world, then...'
"Mom, can I see that phone for a sec?" he asked, reaching out his hand.
Annie passed him the device without hesitation. Brandon's fingers flew across the screen, muscle memory guiding him to where the familiar search engine icon should be. But instead of the multicolored letters he expected, he found himself staring at a logo that read "Goggle."
'What the hell?' Brandon's heart hammered against his ribs.
'Goggle?' he thought, a bead of sweat forming on his brow.
'Not Google?'
With trembling fingers, he tapped the search bar and typed in [ Daughtry - Start of Something Good ].
He hit enter, his breath caught in his throat as he waited for the results to load.
[ No results found ]
Brandon's mind spun, his grip on the phone tightening.
'No way. That song was huge. How can it not exist here?'
'Impossible,' he thought, his internal voice barely a whisper.
'That song was a hit. How could it simply not exist?'
He tried again, this time searching for [ Chris Daughtry ].
Again, nothing.
'This... this isn't possible,' he thought, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
'Am I in some kind of parallel universe? A world where everything's slightly off-kilter?'
Brandon looked up, meeting the puzzled gazes of his family. Annie's brow was furrowed with concern, Victor's eyes narrowed in curiosity, and Bailey leaned forward, her silver hair falling over one shoulder as she tried to peek at the phone screen.
A surge of excitement cut through Brandon's panic.
On one hand, he was in completely uncharted territory. On the other...
'I have an entire catalog of hit songs that don't exist here,' he realized, his eyes widening.
'I could be the one to introduce them to this world!'
Brandon's thoughts were interrupted by Annie's melodious voice.
"Dear? Are you alright?"
He blinked, snapping back to reality.
"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I was just... thinking."
Annie tilted her head, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"So, about the song?"
"Right!" Brandon's mind raced.
"I, uh, wrote it in my spare time. You know, just messing around with some melodies and lyrics."
'Hehe, I cop— no, borrowed it,' he thought to himself, suppressing a grin.
Victor let out a hearty laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Ha! It's been decades since I've heard any song of quality. You know, your mother here was a globally renowned artist in her day. Her voice could move mountains, I tell you."
Annie sighed, a wistful look crossing her face.
"I retired from the industry because of the trends. Everything has become extremely shallow, without substance. It's all quick money grabs now, just good packaging for clicks and attention."
She shook her head, disappointment evident in her tone.
"The art of storytelling through music seems to have been lost. It's a shame, really. The industry used to be about passion and creativity, not just chasing viral moments."
Brandon turned to Bailey, curiosity piquing his interest.
"Hey, B, what's topping the charts these days?"
Bailey's eyes lit up. She snatched her phone back, her fingers flying across the screen.
"Oh, you're gonna love this!"
She tapped a few more times before handing the device back to Brandon.
The WeTube app filled the screen, a video queued up and ready to play.
The title read: [ Wolfpack - Who Let the Wolves Out ]
Brandon's eyebrow quirked as he hit play.
The video opened on three skinny guys, each sporting a ridiculous wolf hat. They started to dance, and then...
"Who let the wolves out... Owww oww owww!"
Brandon's eyes widened in disbelief. His jaw dropped, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out,
"What kinda gay shit is this?!"
Victor, who had been sipping his coffee, suddenly choked.
Cough… Cough… Cough…
He coughed and sputtered, coffee dribbling down his chin as he struggled to regain his composure.
Bailey burst into laughter, her whole body shaking with mirth.
"HAHAaha~ They're the Wolfpack!" she managed between giggles.
"They're number one on the Billboards right now."
She paused, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Oh, and get this - they're our age too!"
Brandon stared at the screen, then at his family, then back at the screen.
He couldn't believe what he was seeing and hearing.
This was what passed for music in this world?
He felt a mix of horror and... opportunity.
Annie forced a smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
"I guess that's what kids are into nowadays..."
Brandon turned to Bailey, his eyebrows raised.
"Is this what you like?"
Bailey shrugged, her silver hair bouncing with the movement.
"Well, I hardly listen to music, but B, you were definitely better than them!"
Her face lit up with excitement.
"From this day forth, I'm your number one fan!"
Brandon smiled, reaching out to ruffle Bailey's hair affectionately. She squirmed under his touch, giggling.
Annie's gaze shifted to Victor, her expression turning serious.
"Do we still own my old music label?"
Victor's brows furrowed, his eyes distant as he searched his memory.
"Arthur," he called out, "do we still own that media company?"
As Arthur nodded and confirmed their ownership of Blackstone Music Group, Brandon's mind reeled.
'Just how loaded is this family?' he thought, his eyes widening.
Brandon's gaze swept across the dining room, truly seeing it for the first time.
The crystal chandeliers dripped with wealth, each antique piece whispering of generations of affluence. The sheer opulence of his surroundings made his head spin, the reality of his new family's status hitting him like a physical force.
Annie turned to Brandon, her eyes glimmering with excitement.
"University starts in a week. You can major in music if this truly is your passion."
Brandon blinked, caught off guard.
"University?"
Victor nodded, setting down his coffee cup.
"Your application to Noblesse Oblige Academy(NOA) was approved while you were... "
Bailey interrupted, her words muffled by the caviar still clinging to the corners of her mouth.
"Mhmm… Yay, we'll finally be school mates!"
Annie's eyes widened, her elegant features contorting into a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Bailey! For heaven's sake, swallow before you speak, what has become of all those etiquette classes?! And use your napkin, dear. You have caviar all over your lips."
As Bailey sheepishly wiped her mouth, Annie's gaze shifted to Brandon.
"Brandon, darling? Is everything alright?" she asked, concern lacing her voice.
"You've always wanted to get into NOA."
Brandon hesitated, his eyes darting between his family members.
"I... I'm sorry. It's just that my memories are still a bit jumbled after the accident. I'm having trouble recalling some things."
Victor leaned forward, his piercing grey eyes softening with understanding.
"It's alright, son. We're here to help you through this."
His voice took on a tone of pride as he continued,
"NOA's the most prestigious institution in the world, accepting only the students from the top 0.01% globally. And it's been a Blackstone family tradition for generations to go there."
Victor's lips curled into a small smile.
"You and Bailey were both accepted before your... incident. It's a relief to know you'll be able to attend as planned."
Bailey nodded enthusiastically, her earlier embarrassment forgotten.
"It's going to be amazing, B! We'll rule that place together!"