flyboy

“Hey, I never said it would be awful,” Wren reminded him, trying not to laugh at his reaction to the joke. “That’s actually one of my favorites. I like the ‘spooky-themed’ jokes.”

“Yeah? I’m guessing that Halloween is your favorite holiday then — going along with the whole SPOOKY thing.” Hal asks as a smile forms on his face.

“The nerve of that shithead guy! To use our beautiful mother nature as if she’s some big ole fuckin’ trash bag is an unforgivable crime! And I think that means a lot comin’ from me!” Ah, a Kimmy Quinn tangent. Filled with curse words and lots of random angry sounds.The blonde had just finished an argument with a trash-hurling stranger which ended with her foot meeting his behind and his face meeting the ground. Clearly, she still wasn’t too happy about the encounter and needed a few more moments to blow off steam. Some students walked past giving her a glance and a giggle while others knew it was best to not even acknowledge her. The attention, or lack thereof, didn’t stop her from continuing to ramble on. “The nerve of you people!” she shouted as her gaze landed on cans and crumpled pieces of paper laid out across the quad. “There is a trashcan right there! You can’t move your lazy asses a few more steps?! The Earth is dying!” she picked up the litter with a huff and a shake of her head. “Idiots, all of you.”

Hal looks up from the magazine in his hands at where the noise was coming from. He can understand since it doesn’t make sense for why people don’t pick up their trash. He rolls up the magazine to put it in the back of his jeans before heading over to the girl. “Did you want help cleaning up?”

“-and I just wham. Right to the nose. I think I broke it, to be honest. But he totally deserved it. At least, I thought so. You’re with me, right?”

“It depends. I’d be did something to hurt you then you were in your right to do so.” 

Wren reflected on his own fathers jokes, trying to filter through them within his mind. “Why did the skeleton burp?” He paused for a moment, “Because it didn’t have the guts to fart.”

Hal waits for a moment, ever patient to hear this. He laughs after Wren tells him the joke. “Now that’s not completely awful, I enjoyed that one”.

“Dad jokes? Not so sure - I’ve heard plenty of lame jokes, though. Those would probably be considered dad jokes if, ya know, dads tell them.”

“Lame jokes are also good. Tell me the worst one you know.” Hal asks with a grin, arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh, please, no. Steve has practically perfected that art, I’d love to never hear more of them.”

“Ha! I’ll spare you then, can’t take the thunder away from him. What about normal jokes then?”

“I don’t think any good dad jokes exist. They are all so lame.”

“Oh, I don’t know if it’s disgusting or not. I just can’t actually eat it. Which is the part that sucks.”

“Listen, I can teach you how to fly a plane.” Carol sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “But, I need you to be sure. Like willing to sign a waiver kind of sure.”

“I know how to fly a plane, was just wanting to tag along because it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been in one of these.” Hal says with a grin as he looks at the plane then back to the woman. 

“Seriously. There are, like, way more valid things to hate on. Like non-kosher pizza. Non-kosher pizza sucks.” 

“one of them fancy james bond drinks, honestly.” he shrugged. “you got that…lumberjack kinda vibe about you. maybe a whiskey on the rocks or somethin’ manly like that.”

“You’re good at reading people, that’s what I usually end up getting.” Hal replies with both a laugh and a shrug of his shoulders. 

tommy took the money, nodding dramatically at the older male as he began making his drink. “you look like the kinda guy to get something a little more fancy than some lemonade and vodka..but, hey, i love surprises.” the silver-haired bar tender grinned, dropping two ice cubes in the glass before sliding it over. 

“I’m honored just by the fact you think I look like someone who orders fancy drinks. I’m switching it up today though.” Hal says as he takes the glass from the bartender. “What did you think I was going to order though? I’m curious.”

“if you’re not gonna buy any drinks, you better tip me.” he huffed, leaning against the bar. “this is gonna shock you, but i ain’t getting paid to stand ere and look pretty.”

Hal laughs a little, feeling OLD, but he lays down some cash on the counter. “Give me a vodka mixed with some sprite.”

“I don’t think people, like, ever stopped hating them. That’s valid, I guess, but like, I think they are nice.”