wackson

“Other things? Hold up, what other things?” he chuckles. “Actually, no, I don’t wanna hear it. Save it for your jokes or something,” he says and playfully bumps his shoulder into Jackson’s. “I just got hard time readjusting. It’s always like that, sometimes it makes me think I’m not made for so much traveling,” he shrugs. Karl’s been feeling like nothing’s been working out for him lately, like there’s something seriously off all the time but he can’t figure out what. Everyday he hopes for the feeling to go away but it doesn’t and it’s hard to settle back into his life when there’s a voice in the back of his head telling him that something’s up. And he never gets to figure out what this something is. “What, you offering?” Karl smiles back at the other. 

Jackson playfully opened his mouth wide, as if he were about to fire off the longest list of all time, but instead smiled when Karl bumped against him. “I’d kill to travel, but I can’t imagine what it’s like to do it all the time. You’re here one day, another place the next. Living out of hotel rooms and suitcases. You’re really strong, Karl. Like, seriously. Not sure how anyone could do that and keep their sanity — at least from what I’m seein’.” Jackson looked at the man. He could see the worry in his eyes, the confusion and tension that he tried to hard to hide in his face and demeanor. “It’s okay to admit it feels uncomfortable to land in one place, even when that place is somewhere you call home. I ain’t been home in 10 years, but I think you’ve been away from it even longer than that considering home is kind of everywhere for you.” Jackson raised an eyebrow at Karl and seductively wiggled his shoulders. “Oh shit, is this really happening right now?” he yelled, pumping a fist into the air. “Me and Kovey? Damn, I’m a lucky dude.”

“But since you’re the comedian, I’m sure you have all the good ones”

“Yeah, when I’m up on stage. If you asked me to pull a joke out of my ass, dude? I’m the least funny person in the world.”

“I got you —”

“So, a Buddhist walks up to a hot dog stand and says, ‘can you make me one with everything?’“

Jackson snorted, his face contorting into a smile despite him trying hard to fight it. “I gotta be honest, that was a good one. It got me; I love the jokes that make you think, corny or not.”

❝ — for real. i got a space right here actually,” nancy said, pointing to the side of one of her thighs. “i’d actually let you go ham with a gun.”

"nah, you just want to give me an excuse to touch your thighs,” jackson said, playfully squeezing nancy’s leg. “you think you’re so smooth, but i see you, girl. i see you.”

his brows furrowed as he looked at the other, letting his head shake a bit. “i’m not sure i know anything that is even remotely funny. at least not right now in this moment. give me something, though.” 

“Oh, dude, come on. everyone’s got a little funny inside them.” Jackson smiled at him. “Now you’re asking me for a joke? Oh man, I’d say you’re putting me on the spot, but that is what I did to you.” He looked around, thinking about something — anything — he could joke about. “Here’s a funny story: One time, I was laying in the grass with my friend, and we were taking turns guessing the shapes of the clouds. A storm cloud rolled by, and I pointed at it and told my friend, ‘That’s a cumulonimbus!’ I thought he’d understand that I was trying to tell him it was about to rain, but instead he just looked at me and went, ‘That doesn’t look anything like the dude who discovered America!’” Jackson shook his head, smiling. “Not sure if that’s actually funny to anyone but me, though.”

“okay,” vivian thought for a moment before she came up with one. “what language do oranges speak?” dramatic pause. “mandarin.” 

ackson looked at her intently, trying to think of the answer. “You’ve got me stumped on that one.” Then, after her pause, he giggled. “Oh, shit, yeah of course.” He wagged his finger at her. “You know, that was actually kind of a good one.”

“You didn’t hear about the three big holes in the ground? Well, well, well,” Karl says and tries not to laugh, mostly at how shitty the pun is. He’s not even sure where he dug it up from. “Oh my God, I need to walk myself out.”

Jackson smiled, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Oh man, that's incredible. Here's one for you. Did you hear about the three mammals that washed up on the beach? No? Whale, whale, whale, have I got a story for you!” He couldn’t stop himself from erupting in laughter after his own terrible pun. “Don’t you dare leave; I need someone here locked and loaded with bad puns, because it makes me feel like maybe I actually am funny.” Jackson punched Karl’s arm, laughing again.

“ What do you call a fish with no eyes? “ Nate held a long pause, shimmering his eyebrows up and down. “Fsh”. He chuckled to himself, mostly in regards to how terrible his joke was. “Thank you, thank you –– I accept apple pay for payment”. 

Jackson let out a boisterous laugh, mostly at how much Nate cracked himself up rather than the actual joke itself. “Dude, you’re funnier than like half the people who I actually do stand-up with. Maybe stick to book writing, though — not joke.” Jackson fiddled around with his phone for a minute. “Apple Pay, you say? How about I just pay you in friendship instead?”

“Dude, unless you’re ready for a bunch of shitty, dry puns, don’t ask me that ever again.”

“C’mon Karl, you know I love your shitty, shitty puns. No one can make me laugh from something not actually funny like you can.”

❝ — i got one, i got one. it’s - it’s your life,” nancy said, then burst out laughing and mimed a mic drop. “you walked right into that one, bro.”

jackson rolled his eyes, shaking his head a bit. ❝ —wow, you really got me with that one. maybe i should be doing tattoos and you should be doing jokes.”