Jenny slumped onto the couch, tossing her guitar aside. Her shoulders ached from hours of practice, and her frustration bubbled over.
"Jack!" she called out sharply, her voice echoing through the house.
Her younger brother, Jack, popped his head out from the kitchen, broom in hand. His hair was a tousled mess, and the expression on his face made it clear he was mid-chore.
"What now?" he asked, exasperated.
"My shoulders hurt from all that practice," Jenny whined. "Standing under the sun made my head hurt too. Can you make some coffee for me? I really need it."
Jack stared at her, clearly unimpressed. "Oh, so you're the only one who's tired? Guess the house cleans itself, right?"
Jenny glared at him, folding her arms. "I'm serious, Jack. Just do it. Please?"
Jack sighed dramatically. "Fine, but this is the last time, okay? You're lucky I'm nice."
As he retreated into the kitchen, Jenny smirked triumphantly. Her younger sister, Ellie, leaned over from the armrest and whispered, "He's totally going to make it bad on purpose."
Jenny shrugged. "Whatever. Coffee is coffee."
A few minutes later, Jack returned to the living room, but instead of handing Jenny the coffee, he left the steaming mug on the table. Without a word, he grabbed his broom again and resumed sweeping the floor.
"Really?" Jenny asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Take it or leave it," Jack said nonchalantly.
Just as Jenny reached for the mug, the door burst open. In came Mike, their overly enthusiastic neighbor, with his usual confident grin.
"Smells like coffee in here!" Mike said as he plopped down on the couch. Before anyone could stop him, he reached for the mug and took a hearty sip.
The room fell silent as everyone watched him.
Mike's face twisted instantly, his grin melting into a look of utter disgust. He gagged, his lips trembling. "What... is this?!" he spluttered, his voice rising.
Jenny's laughter erupted like a dam breaking. "Hey, idiot!" she yelled, pointing at him. "Drinking random stuff you find? Why don't you try cow urine next time?"
Mike shot her a glare, his face flushing. "Relax, Jenny! It's just coffee! Why are you acting like I stole your life savings? Stop being such a drama queen!"
Jenny was about to retort when Jack finally stopped sweeping. He leaned on his broom, a smug smile playing on his lips.
"What's going on here?" he asked, feigning innocence.
Mike turned toward him, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. "Your sister's gone crazy, that's what!"
Jack chuckled. "Oh, by the way, that coffee on the table? Yeah, I didn't use real coffee. We were out, so I improvised with cocoa powder. It tasted awful when I tried it earlier."
The room froze.
Mike stared at Jack, his mouth slightly open as realization dawned. Then, he exploded: "WHAT?! I DRANK THAT?!"
Ellie doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face. Jenny couldn't contain herself either, and even Jack allowed himself a laugh, pleased with how his impromptu prank had unfolded.
Mike stood up, wiping his mouth furiously. "You people are insane!" he muttered, storming toward the door.
Jack called after him, "Hey, Mike! Next time, maybe ask before you drink something!"
As the door slammed shut, Jenny wiped away a tear and looked at Jack. "You're terrible, you know that?"
Jack shrugged, picking up his broom again. "Maybe. But it's moments like this that make life interesting."
Jenny shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as the laughter slowly faded, leaving behind the warmth of a shared memory they'd never forget.