"I have bubble gum."
Tyler chuckled at Josh's attempt to bribe him into coming back home with him and helping him clean his room.
"Josh, I can't eat your bubble gum."
"Oh." Josh sighed and hung his head, slowly lifting it back up. "I still have bubble gum, though."
Tyler laughed and walked side by side with Josh back to his home.
"I want to hold your hand, Tyler."
"I know, Josh. Me too, but you can't."
"I'm sorry, it's my fault."
Tyler stopped and waited for Josh to do the same. Soon enough, the boy with the bubble gum hair stopped in his tracks and turned to face Tyler who stood there, a look of anger washed over his face.
"It's not your fault. I chose to jump, I'm the one who couldn't swim."
"But, you were trying to save me. If I hadn't needed saving maybe we'd both still be here."
"Josh, I want you to listen to me for once and for all. Loud and clear when I tell you this. Everybody needs saving. If a soldier dies at war while fighting for our country, do you blame our entire country for his death? We were the ones that needed saving, weren't we? You see, that's your logic right now and being given any other circumstances, it's completely absurd! So, please, stop blaming yourself. I made that choice out of my own free will, and I am perfectly okay with that. If it weren't for me, you'd be dead. I don't want that. All my life I've stood around watching as people's lives were being beaten and never have I even lifted a finger. I died with a purpose, Josh, that's all I could have asked for. So, for that, I thank you. You gave me a purpose, a purpose I spent my whole life searching for."
Josh was taken aback by the words, unable to form any type of literal speech. He just stood there, speechless.
"It's okay, you don't have to say anything right now. But, now that I think about it, I'm curious to see if you really did have bubble gum or you were just trying to lure me in so I'd clean your room. Come on, I'll race you."
Tyler sped off down the street and Josh turned 180 degrees as he watched him go. He chuchled a silent laugh and wiped a tear from his eye when he began running, trying to catch up with him. For a ghost, he was quite fast. No wonder he caried Josh eight blocks without a problem.