Open When You Need A Laugh Novels & Stories

“Why would I change when you’ll never stop trying to earn a joke from every situation?” “Isn’t life more fun with jokes? Something to laugh about once in a while. You know, it makes the world beautiful and fun when it’s dark. Studies even say laughter heals faster than herbs do. Lowers pain, strengthens the heart, clears the head. Makes the blood flow freer. In short — that’s why I’m looking younger and living longer. Which of those old people in the pack is as old as me, uh? None. I’m the oldest.”

My eyes went wide as I looked at Roman, waiting for him to finish his another yet stupid-provoking statement of the year. "7E is still open... Oh hell, they open 24/7 for fuck sakes... go buy some chocolate there, okay?" Roman's 'not-so-funny' statement made almost every guy from our college chuckle as they stood there in front of the open’s door. Both Keira and Keisha also laugh a little, as I am trying so hard to contain the evil laugh in me. On the other hand, all the guys that just crashed the party are clearly not amused by this action. Which is why, me, laughing at them would not be a good idea. I could not stand the death glares from them even for a minute!

He was laughing. Not the almost-laugh, not the nearly-smile, not the thing that happened at the edges of his face when conditions were exactly right and Elijah caused it with a flour bag or a well-timed observation about spinach. A full, open, caught-off-guard laugh — the kind you couldn't manufacture, that arrived uninvited when something was genuinely funny and you didn't have time to moderate it.

He casually said as he gestured at the clothes in his hands. In response Maya did something that shocked both her and Jordan - she laughed. Not a little chuckle, but a full belly churning, laugh. The laugh people use when watching a stand-up comedy shows. Uncensored and uncontrolled. "Casper?" Maya wheezed clutching her sides as tears fell from her eyes.

If you're really a Ford, I'll let you use my head as a soccer ball. The room burst into laughter. Mia's face darkened. Her voice turned cold. "Logan, enough. Keep this up and I'm really breaking up with you." My consciousness started fading. My limbs turned cold. Darkness crept into my vision. With difficulty, I turned toward a blurry figure near the doorway. Using the last of my strength, I forced out: "Help... me..." Aaron burst out laughing. "Who's going to save you? Your fans?" The crowd laughed as they shoved me back into the liquor again.

The room went dead quiet when I said I would take the prize, but that quiet did not last. A second later, laughter thundered through the air. Lily Smith was the loudest, doubling over with tears streaming from her eyes. "How else could she be the top seller?" she cackled. "A woman like her has to have skin as thick as a rhino." I ignored her snide comments and kept my cool. "Just to be clear," I said, "since the company so generously 'rewarded' me with bathroom duty, that's all I'll be doing for the next three days. Everything else is off my plate."

~Lyra~ Camilla laughed. Not a small laugh. Not a nervous chuckle. I’m talking about a full-blown, head-thrown-back, mouth-wide-open, mascara-smearing, unhinged kind of laugh. That ugly, cackling, teeth-baring sound that makes you instantly uncomfortable just listening to it. She was clutching her side like she’d just heard the best joke of her life, like someone had handed her a script for a comedy special and said, “Here, this one’s about you losing your damn mind in real time.”

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN Various POVs Ocean Storm laughs for the first time on a Tuesday morning in February. Not a full laugh. Not yet. It’s the preliminary version... that bright burst of air and delight babies make before they’ve developed the full machinery of laughter. It lasts maybe two seconds and then disappears, like he’s still figuring out what this sound is for. I’m the one who causes it.

The living room echoes with shared laughter as we embark on a spirited game of charades. Each member of our small gathering takes turns acting out various phrases and expressions, leading to moments of both hilarity and surprise. Kendra, with her animated gestures, steals the show, leaving us in fits of laughter. As the game progresses, the air becomes charged with a contagious energy. Jim, always the good sport, mimics a famous movie scene, earning him cheers and applause. Jonathan's turn follows, and he delivers a spot-on impersonation that has us guessing until the last second.

Charles looks between Richie and me, the color draining from his face. The seriousness etched on his features tells me he knows something crucial, but he’s clearly trying to keep it hidden. He holds onto his serious expression for just a moment longer before he suddenly erupts into laughter… again. The sound echoes throughout the room, filling every corner with his boisterous mirth. His eyes squint shut, and I can see the way his body shakes with each burst of laughter as if he’s losing his grip on reality. I can see the sheer energy radiating from him; it’s not just a simple laugh—he’s howling, practically screaming with joy. It infuriates me, making me feel like a complete fool as he mocks