The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor)

Then, as Taylor walked away, he suddenly pointed at her, teasing, "Babe, you on top tonight?"

Charlie: "..."

Inner Devil: 'Bullshit. He's all talk, no action.'noveldrama

Guardian Angel: 'Shut up!'

"Really, Charlie?" Luke reacted. "You've stooped this low?"

Not in the mood, Charlie turned to Luke and gave him the finger. She retorted, "Oh, shut up! I don't care what you think."

***

Charlie arrived at The Nook & Brew Café at six in the evening. She quickly found Tristan and his friends setting up their instruments.

Before the performance, she learned that the three of them, Tristan, Victor (a freshman in the College of Business), and Kevin (a third-year engineering student), had met at the same therapy center and formed the band together.

Playing at The Nook & Brew Café had been Victor's idea since his uncle was the

owner.

"Charlie, I'm so excited!" Tristan fidgeted in his seat. "I've practiced these songs for days. I hope Taylor makes it."

"You'll be playing two sets, right?" Charlie asked. "He will miss the first one, but he'll be here for the second. Don't worry, I'll record everything!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have special guests tonight! Please welcome The NeuroBeats!" one of the cafe staff announced.

Tristan and his friends took their places, Victor on the keyboard, Tristan on the guitar, and Kevin on a small electric drum set.

But just before they could start, the café door swung open, and a familiar group entered.

"Oh, isn't that the freak? Victor?" The voice belonged to Archie, Sofia's boyfriend. He was with Luke, Regina, Tom, and a few other players of the Wall Street Warriors.

"What are they doing here?" another one of Luke's teammates asked.

"Oh, look, it's Charlie. What is she doing here?" Tom asked.

Luke's group found seats behind Charlie's table and began ordering food and drinks. Charlie, on the other hand, just ignored them.

Soon, NeuroBeats began to play. They didn't have a vocalist, but their combined instrumentals created a beautiful symphony of sound. They performed several modern songs that many people recognized, and some even sang along.

Amazed, Charlie completely forgot about Luke and his friends. She excitedly recorded the entire set while occasionally giving Tristan a thumbs-up. Behind her, she could hear Luke's friends whispering, but she remained unfazed.

When NeuroBeats finished their first set, the cafe erupted into loud cheers and applause. However, Victor's response was not typical. He covered his ears and frowned.

Seeing this, Regina scoffed. "How rude. People are praising them, and they don't even appreciate it."

Charlie turned, glaring. She said, "It's not what you think! They have ASD. They tend to have sensory sensitivities."

"ASD? You mean they're freaks," Archie said, smirking as laughter erupted from their table. He pointed at Victor, who was flapping his hands. "Look at that guy. He's dancing like a duck!"

Charlie was shocked. She never knew Archie was this much of a jerk! The worst part was how Luke said nothing to warn his friend! Sure, they had a few drinks, but Charlie could tell they were not completely drunk.

Fortunately, Tristan had not noticed the bullying. He was simply overjoyed. He approached Charlie with a wide smile. "Charlie, did you like it?"

Charlie's expression immediately softened. She turned to him and said, "I loved it! And Taylor's going to love it too!"

"Why are you with them, Charlie?" Luke asked. "And who is he to Taylor?"

"Taylor's my brother," Tristan quickly replied, still smiling.

"What?" Archie reacted. "Taylor has a brother?"

"You know my brother?" Tristan excitedly stepped closer to Archie, not recognizing their dislike.

"Yeah, we know your brother," Tom said sarcastically.

"My brother bought me this guitar," Tristan proudly shared.

"Tristan?" Charlie tried to pull him back, but Tristan still moved closer to Archie's table.

"This isn't just a regular guitar. It's a

Gibson hummingbird!" Tristan

shared flashing it proudly. "Gibson

guitars are known for their distinct

tone and quality! It's made out of solid mahogany."

"Dude, who cares?" Tom muttered.

"He's so annoying," Regina commented.

"Looks like Taylor turned Charlie into a babysitter for his freak of a brother," Archie sneered.

“I'm not a freak. I'm special and smart,” Tristan said, defending himself. "I'm very good at playing the guitar too. I can play again. I'm talented. Do you want to hear?"

Tristan began strumming another song, eager to prove himself, but Archie's irritation spiked.

"We don't want to hear it, freak! Get lost!" Archie snapped.

"Tristan, leave it," Charlie urged. "Come back to sit with me."

"But-"

"Get that fucking guitar out of my face! It's so annoying!" Archie yelled.

Before Charlie could react, Archie grabbed the guitar and smashed it to the ground, breaking it into pieces.

"No!" Tristan screamed. He scrambled on the floor, picking up what was left of the guitar. "This is Taylor's gift to me!"

Meanwhile, Charlie's hand formed into a fist, her blood boiling!