Last balloon

My parents sent me 25 orange, purple, and pink helium balloons on my birthday (Jan. 25). While decorating for my party, Danielle untied the balloons from the candy bag that was holding them down to the floor and let them bounce along the ceiling in a happy, celebratory dance. In the next few days some of the balloons began to lose their helium and drift toward the floor. Several days later Josh decided we should have a competition. We all chose a balloon we thought would stay up the longest and wrote our names/initials on the balloons we picked. Jonathan, in particular, tried to test the strength and endurance of each balloon still helium-filled and hugging the ceiling. By the evening of the next day the balloon I chose was already starting to drop below the rest. Bryn's was next to fall and then Jonathan's and Josh's balloons decided to make the plunge around the same time. The last balloon left standing (or floating, I guess) is a purple one with an orange ribbon that nobody chose. I secretly call him AlphaBalloon. It's clear he has the Right Stuff. (If you don't understand that last sentence, read Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff.")