“I like those kinds of games too.” Noah says, breaking my thoughts out of the tangled web that they were starting to become.

“I saw some of those in the library. What about you Noah? You didn’t want to go out and experience romance and all the things that come with it firsthand?”

“If I didn’t even have friends, what makes you think that I could get involved in romance?” he asks. I didn’t like that it sounds like he was putting himself down.

“It’s okay that you weren’t really close to anyone. I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

“You really don’t? Well you would be the first.”

“Of course, I don’t! Why in the world would I see anything wrong with that? You went through life at your own pace and seemed to do your own thing. I see nothing wrong with that. I actually really respect it and wish more people were able to be that way.” I say.

This was something that I strongly believe in. I feel like people should be allowed to like what they like and live the way they want as long as it isn’t hurting anyone. And people shouldn’t be forced to do things that they really don’t want or don’t feel comfortable doing. I knew that one all too well.

“Thank you for saying that. Or I mean, thank you for meaning it, a lot of people say it but don’t really mean it.”

“Hey Noah, is it possible for a ghost to be able to be seen and solid like a human? Because if it is possible I might just have an idea.”

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She had an idea? Noah had no idea if he was excited or scared. A little bit of both he decided when he saw that satisfied smile on her face. Well, if he were to be honest with himself he would probably be willing to go along with any idea that she brought up.

He had felt a little bit jealous when he saw her start to flirt with Luke. It wasn’t fair, and they didn’t even know each other that well. He knew that he had no claim to her time or attention. But he wanted both.

Noah had never really gotten much time or attention. That thought brought him right back to the kid that he had been before, the one that desperately wanted friends, but always seemed to be on the outside looking in. The one that he was totally not anymore… after all, now he was dead.

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“Hey guys. Umm… It’s my birthday next weekend and I was thinking about having some people over to celebrate it with me. Would you want to come?” Noah says and holds out an invitation to his birthday party.

At thirteen he thought that he was too old to have a birthday, but his mom had actually gone to the trouble to take time off from work to be there with him. To rent movies, order pizza and pick up some video games for rent as well. He thought that it would be a lot of fun. No one had been willing to come the last few years, but he was still willing to try, just this one last time. Afterall, he had been in the hospital for the last few birthdays.

“Hey, I’ll think about it, yeah?” said the boy that Noah was holding the invitation out to, Mikey.

He was the nicest guy in the class, one that was able to get along with anyone. Noah felt good about his response, that he really might come to his birthday! “Do you want any help handing those out?”

“Really, you don’t mind helping me hand them out?” he knew that if Mikey helped him hand them out that people would be much more likely to come.

Noah liked the thought of that, and him helping Noah hand them out made it feel like he had a friend. Noah had always wanted to have friends, but it was hard with how infrequently he was at school.

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered. Do you have anyone specific in mind to invite?” Noah shook his head. He didn’t know who to invite. “Okay then, instead of splitting the stack like I had originally thought we should let’s walk together and I can help you decide who to invite.”

Noah nodded. That sounded good. He didn’t really know his peers very well. He wanted to voice that they should make sure to invite some girls as well, but the ability was far above his current social level.

During their break times Noah and Mikey handed out all of the invitations and the overall consensus was positive. Although he still felt that he was too old for it, Noah was becoming really excited about the thought of people coming over.

Time seemed to fly by and it was finally the day of Noah’s birthday party. Most of the kids that had been invited showed up, gifts in hand. His mother had set up a table for the gifts to go on and indicated it to the kids. Most kids his age would be embarrassed to have their moms around, but Noah just felt glad that she had made time to be there for him.

After pizza, cake, ice cream and the opening of his presents Noah and his classmates all settled down to play video games. If there was one thing that Noah was good at, it was playing video games. He always tried to play them all the way through and unlock all of the achievements that he could. Sometimes the nurses would sit with him and give him high fives for unlocking a new one.

“Dang Noah, you beat me again!” Mikey said and playfully groaned.

This got some of the other boys jumping in and praising Noah for his skills. This led to making jokes and seeing who can get people to laugh the hardest, even if the jokes were overdone or stupid.

Noah hadn’t heard most of them, so he laughed the hardest out of everyone. He laughed so hard that he suddenly wasn’t able to breathe. Noah tried to remain calm hoping it would pass soon, but instead the room started to spin. The other kids didn’t notice it, but Noah’s mom did.

“Everyone get away from him! What, are you stupid? Can’t you see that HE CAN’T BREATHE?” Feeling afraid for Noah, and that if she hadn’t caught him in time the consequences could have been worse, she took it out on the kids around Noah.

She lost track of what she was yelling at them for, and Noah lost track of what she was saying as he struggled to breathe.

Noah’s mom yelled for his dad to take all of the kids home as she had to take Noah to the hospital. While the others didn’t hold this against Noah, no one was willing to come over again, and the thought to invite Noah to their homes never even crossed their minds.