Gemotions

The blaring news on the television only added to the internal storm brewing within Ethan. He was already stressed about a deadline at work, and now his roommate, Sarah, was sitting opposite him with a smug grin. "Guess what, Ethan? I got us a bird! A little canary!"

Ethan's shoulders slumped. He envisioned the incessant chirping, the constant mess, and the overall chaos that a bird would bring to his already strained life. He needed order, quiet, and predictability. The thought of a pet bird was the antithesis of all of those things.

He rubbed his temples, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes. "No, Sarah," he said, the words barely a whisper. "I do not want a pet. I can't even stand a houseplant." He turned his gaze back to the news, a desperate attempt to find something, anything, to distract him from the impending doom of canary ownership.