"Incoming tickle attack!" Jackson yelled, dodging a giggling green glob that zoomed past his ear. He giggled, scrambling behind a big oak tree in the park. "You can't catch me, Goobert!"
Jackson loved playing in the park, especially now that they were moving to a new house near this one. He loved the swings, the slide, and especially the big, climbable trees, perfect for a boy with robot arms. But best of all, the park was where he met Goobert.
Goobert, the giggly green glob, wasn't from Earth. He came from Planet Zorp, a place where everything was bouncy and everyone spoke in silly rhymes. Goobert had landed in the park by mistake, his spaceship powered by giggles instead of gas.
"Almost caught you, Jackson!" Goobert chuckled, his voice like bubbling soda pop. He shape-shifted, turning into a bouncy green ball that boinged around Jackson's tree. "You can't hide forever!"
"Maybe not," Jackson laughed, his robot arms whirring as he climbed higher into the tree. "But I can climb higher!" From his perch, he saw his grandma coming, pushing his baby sister in the stroller. "Hey Grandma!" he called, waving.
Grandma smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Having fun, Jackson?"
"The best!" Jackson shouted back. "I made a new friend!"
He pointed to the bouncy green ball, but Grandma just chuckled. "That's nice, dear. Now, come down and say hello to Mrs. Peterson. She just moved here too!"
Jackson scrambled down, wondering if Mrs. Peterson liked giggling green globs. He decided to ask later.
As Grandma chatted with Mrs. Peterson, Jackson whispered to Goobert, "This is my grandma. We're moving soon, to a house right by this park."
"Moving?" Goobert squeaked, deflating a little. "Does that mean you're leaving Earth? Will you live on a planet made of cookies?"
Jackson laughed. "No, silly! We're just moving to a different house. It's not far from here."
"Oh," Goobert said, sounding relieved. "That's good. Because I'm not very good at baking cookies. I always mix up the sugar and the space slugs."
"Space slugs?" Jackson's eyes widened. "What are those?"
But before Goobert could answer, Grandma called, "Jackson, time to go!"
"See you tomorrow, Goobert!" Jackson whispered, waving goodbye as he ran to catch up with his grandma.
The next day, Jackson hurried to the park after they finished unpacking boxes. He couldn't wait to tell Goobert about his new room, which had a secret hiding spot perfect for storing space treasures (if Goobert had any, of course).
He found Goobert near the swings, looking worried. "Jackson! I have a problem," Goobert said, his voice quivering. "My spaceship needs more giggle-power to fly back to Planet Zorp. And I've used up all the giggles in my giggle tank!"
Jackson thought hard. "Don't worry, Goobert! I'm good at giggling. And I know someone who's even better!" He grabbed Goobert and zoomed over to where his grandma was pushing his baby sister on the swings.
"Grandma," Jackson said, "Goobert needs our help! He needs to laugh to power his spaceship!"
Grandma raised an eyebrow at the green glob, but she had a twinkle in her eye. "Well, then," she chuckled, "Let's give him a show!"
Grandma started telling funny stories about when she was a little girl, stories about runaway pigs and talking parrots. Jackson chimed in with silly songs and made funny faces. Even the baby giggled, clapping her chubby hands.
The park echoed with their laughter. Goobert grew bigger and brighter, his giggles mixing with theirs. Finally, he was glowing so brightly, he looked like a little green sun.
"This is it!" Goobert cried, his voice full of joy. "Thank you, Jackson! Thank you, Grandma! You're the best giggle-friends a space glob could ask for!"
And with a loud POP and a shower of sparkly green glitter, Goobert blasted off into the sky, leaving behind a trail of giggles and the promise to visit again soon.
Jackson and his grandma watched him go, their faces aching from smiling so much. Moving to a new place might be a little scary, Jackson thought, but as long as he had his grandma and his imagination, he knew he'd always find adventure, laughter, and maybe even a giggling green glob or two along the way.
