I Funny: A Middle School Story

As Jamie waits for his turn on stage, which will be last, he talks to the other contestants and finds that most of them have more experience and training than he does. One girl, Judy, even claims to be working with Disney. A boy named Shecky, who is dressed in a plaid suit with combed-down hair, comes up to Jamie and starts telling jokes about people in wheelchairs. Jamie feels trapped and tolerates the affront, and when the boy tells Jamie that he will lose and will not garner any sympathy for being in a wheelchair, Jamie doesn’t reply.

Shecky continues to mock Jamie and then moves on to his new friend, Judy. Through the veil of humor, Shecky calls Judy untalented, stupid, and ugly. The other kids watch him in disgust. When Jamie’s Aunt Smiley comes in with some water, he is surprised by her concern, but when she implies that he will probably lose, he realizes that she is more worried that he will be humiliated.

Shecky receives a horrible response from the audience and is dragged offstage when he goes over his time limit. Jamie is next. He arrives onstage to loud applause from his family and friends. When Suzy winks at him, Jamie feels energized and confident enough to roll right into his routine. He begins with a couple of self-deprecating jokes, but then he starts making fun of the Smileys’ lack of laughter and Stevie’s bullying. He is surprised with himself to have found the confidence to point out Stevie’s behavior for all to hear, and he also decides to talk about the people he loves.

Jamie makes fun of Uncle Frankie for his hobby with the yo-yo and describes his habit of showing off his skills at the diner. He mocks his friends for being “nerdy” and strange and tells everyone about the time when Suzy asked him if he could pee. While most of the audience laughs, all of Jamie’s friends and family sit in stunned horror. Jamie doesn’t notice this at first and celebrates his success when the rest of the crowd cheers.

As people cheer, Jamie is announced the winner of the contest. He will be moving on to the regional championship. Jamie holds his trophy up proudly, but in the whimsical illustration, the trophy reads, “Grimm is #1 at treating pals like #2!” (251). Suddenly, Jamie’s mood shifts from elation to shame.

Jamie approaches his friends and family and sees the sullen looks on their faces, and the outright anger on Stevie’s. He realizes that he has hurt them by using their private moments and personalities as a source of mockery, and he feels disappointed in himself. It occurs to Jamie that the trophy is not worth winning if he has to hurt others in the process, and he resolves never to use his friends and family that way again.

On the ride home from the contest, the car is quiet at first, but then Stevie’s little sister tells Jamie that his jokes were funny. His aunt and uncle agree, and they all start laughing as they think back on it. Jamie realizes that they do have a sense of humor after all; it is just a delayed reaction. They also reassure Jamie that they were not offended by his jokes and were glad to have a reason to laugh. When they get home, Jamie is surprised by a celebration with all of his family members and friends in attendance. All seems forgiven, and Jamie has one of the best nights of his life.

The next night, Jamie and Suzy go to the boardwalk to stargaze and talk. They talk for hours about anything and everything, and Jamie feels comfortable with Suzy. He reveals that there is an experimental operation that could allow him to walk again, but it could also paralyze him further. Suzy wonders if the operation could paralyze his lips, and Jamie admits that he doesn’t know. She gives him his first kiss, and Jamie knows that he will never forget it.

On their way back home, Jamie finally decides to tell Suzy about what happened to him and his family. He reveals that on one rainy night, they were driving through the mountains on a particularly dangerous and winding road. A truck came toward them and was swerving. Jamie’s father attempted to get out of the way, but he crashed into the fence instead. This caused the car to bounce back toward the truck and slide underneath it. The crash killed Jamie’s parents and his younger sister. Jamie was the only one who survived because he was thrown out of the car, and he now considers himself to be lucky.

Jamie goes on to say that several paramedics and police officers arrived on the scene. He was somewhat delirious at the time, but he recalls the man in the truck pacing frantically and apologizing over and over. Jamie asked for his sister, but when a police officer told him that she didn’t survive, he blacked out, and he doesn’t remember what happened next. As he recounts this experience, Jamie cannot hold back his tears anymore, and he and Suzy cry together as she holds him tightly. Jamie feels that it is a hug he has needed for a long time.

Jamie feels better after telling Suzy everything, and he is also relieved that he doesn’t have to discuss it anymore. At school, he discovers that everything is back to normal, with the exception that Gaynor is now always asking to be included in his act, and Gilda has started helping Jamie to perfect his craft. At home, the Smiley family is warming up to Jamie, and they even laugh at his jokes now and again. Jamie feels like the luckiest person in the world.

One morning, all the commuters (depicted as zombies) carry Jamie to school and tell him that he is hilarious. He jokes, saying that thankfully, zombies do not like the taste of comedians.

Jamie experiences newfound fame when he goes to the diner and finds a huge line and many of his friends there. Everyone wants to hear his jokes, and Jamie sees Mr. Burdzecki telling everyone how funny he is.

On the weekend, Jamie, Suzy, and the Smiley family take a trip out to the Hope Trust Children’s Rehabilitation Center. This is the place where Jamie spent a year of his life after the accident, recovering physically and emotionally. While there, Jamie runs into some old friends who remind him of the power of hope. One girl, Carly, has a disease that should have ended her life years ago, but she continues to fight. A boy named Derek was unable to walk or speak after the accident that injured him, but he is now walking with a cane and talking. Jamie shows Suzy the library that holds all the books that helped him through the darkest point of his life. Comedy books and joke books filled Jamie’s days and gave him something to look forward to. He believes that laughter has helped him to survive.

Over lunch, Jamie looks around the hospital and sees kids, parents, and staff who are tired and downtrodden. He asks to be hoisted onto a table and breaks out into a comedy routine to try and share some of the joy of laughter with people who remind him of himself a year before. Jamie tells jokes about his experiences in recovery, such as being lifted in and out of bed and having to use a freezing cold bedpan. Slowly, the crowd starts to laugh. Jamie points out that the center’s unfortunate nickname, “Hopeless Hotel,” is not entirely fitting because when he looks around, he sees children and parents filled with hope. He also sees staff that work hard to fuel that hope. Jamie reveals that a nurse once wrote on his cast, telling him to always keep trying, and Jamie ends his routine with a message about hope. He feels like his life cannot possibly get any better.

Stevie approaches Jamie, who is sure that he is about to be punched. Instead, Stevie shakes Jamie’s hand. He tells Jamie that this gesture does not mean that they are friends, and Jamie understands. Jamie knows that no matter what Stevie does to him, he will always get back up and keep fighting.

Jamie looks ahead to the future. Although he is not sure what will happen, he hopes to go to the regionals and has already begun preparing his new material. He predicts that he might kiss Suzy, and maybe even Gilda, and that Stevie will want to punch him again. He knows that even if he does not win the contest, he will always keep trying, and that comedy is his future. Jamie feels like “the luckiest kid in the world” (303).