Gemotions

He paced the cramped apartment, each footfall a drumbeat against his mounting ire. The phone pressed to his ear, he repeated, for the tenth time, "Yes, I know it's at the same time." His voice held a forced calm, a thin veneer over a growing tempest. It was his brother, Michael, reminding him again about the joint birthday bash. Joint. As if sharing a birthday wasn't bad enough, now they were sharing guests!

He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the pressure build. He'd envisioned a refined whiskey tasting, an intimate gathering of close friends. Michael, however, was planning a karaoke night. He imagined the off-key caterwauling, the spilled drinks, the inevitable drunken arguments.

He let out a long, slow breath. "Look, Michael, I'll be there," he managed, the words tasting like ash. "But I'm starting to think this whole thing was a terrible idea."