Harold barely stifled a laugh as the teacher kept talking about Uranus. He glanced towards Melvin, his newly growing friend who also sat right next to him, and tried to catch his eye. When he did, Melvin merely cocked his head to the side and gave him a questioning glance, completely stone faced against Harold's bubbling laughter.
"Uranus" he whispered to him while still trying not to laugh, trying to explain to Melvin what he was laughing about. Melvin didn't look any less confused, and whispered back,
"I don't get it. It's just science, Harold". With a shrug, he turned back to paying attention to the lesson, taking dutiful notes.
Harold just stared at him in mild shock, and then went to doodling the planets, trying to figure his new friend out.
Something similar happened later during lunch time, when Harold had a piece of Laughy Taffy in the lunch his mom packed for him. Taffy stuffed in his mouth, he read the joke on the wrapper and started laughing so hard he almost choked on the candy. Melvin, who had started to sit next to him at lunch (which neither of them commented on, but it made Harold happy), gave him a mildly concerned look from the other side of the table, and Harold just knew that he had to share this joke.
Melvin read over the wrapper, then turned back to Harold with the same expression from earlier on his face, saying once again, "I don't get it. Is this supposed to mean something?"
"Huh" questioned Harold, taking the wrapper back from Melvin and reading it over again, "But this is so funny!"
Melvin just took a bite of his sandwich, shrugging. Swallowing, he concluded, "I suppose it just isn't to me".
At recess, when they both sat at their table and drew / designed (Melvin had attempted to explain the difference to Harold several times, but it still just seemed like fancier drawing to him), Harold couldn't help but ask, "Melvin, have you ever laughed at anything?" He had been thinking about this ever since lunch, trying to remember if he had ever actually heard Melvin laugh before. He'd seen Melvin smile - he often did when they learned something "interesting" in class or while he was working on a blueprint - but he had never heard him laugh.
Melvin paused, setting down his pencil to consider this, brow furrowed in concentration. "No" he answered after a moment, "I don't believe so." Looking slightly concerned, he asked in return, "Is that wrong?"
"I dunno" replied Harold honestly, "I don't think so". Thinking, he carefully added, "It's kinda sad though. There are so many funny things. Like Uranus" he couldn't stop himself from giggling again. Melvin didn't so much as smile, and instead had a strained expression as he turned almost violently back to his blueprint.
Harold looked at him worriedly. He didn't mean to hurt his friend's feelings. Breaking their status quo, he looped to the other side of the table and sat next to Melvin instead of across from him. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings" he said honestly. Melvin didn't look up but did stop furiously sketching. "It's ok that you don't laugh." Brightening, Harold grinned, promising, "I can just laugh for you!"
"That doesn't make any sense" snorted Melvin, but Harold could tell he was smiling. That just made his own smile a little wider, and he laughed, making sure to be extra happy about it. Even though Melvin didn't laugh, he could tell that he felt the same way.
And another one. Once again, I have no explanations. Just hope that you enjoyed.