Noelle frowned but hugged her cousin back tight. She was numb in feeling and had never felt like this before. Before she knew it, she was crying into her cousins shoulder, heaps of sobs and snot. Big alligator tears rolled off her rounded cheeks onto her cousins shoulder. She couldn't believe just like that, Sabbie was gone.

"H-he ... I.... No...." What were words?

Noelle cried until her father came around. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Hope for an explanation as he picked up his daughter like he used to when she was four or five and had cried over a broken toe.

Of course, Noelle lashed out at her dad, saying he should be happy her best friend is gone and it was all his fault.

The party was still to be held that next day though.

The barn had been lit and the cooler was brought out, a huge hog roasting on it. A long table of food sat in the barn, magicked to stay fresh until guests arrived. Music was playing in the background. Some of the neighbors had already showed up.

Noelle was still tucked in her room, hiding under the covers. And she wasn't coming down.