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Dec 31, 2014, alht

It was cold out on the patio, under the deck Frigid Dark

Dark because Mags was outside at ht, and dark because she was in the shadows

This was the last place anyone would look for her--anyone, and especially Noel She’d ht of this years ago

She leaned back against Alicia’s house and started eating the Chex ht out with her (Alicia’sinside, and then she couldn’t--and that was a good sign It

"Ten!" she heard soht!"

Mags was going to

Perfect

Dec 31, 2011, als paused, holding a cracker piled with pesto and cream cheese in front of herher eyes to look at it

"Are pine nuts tree nuts?"

"I have no idea," Mags said "I don’t think pine nuts grow on pine trees, do they?"

The boy shrugged He had shaggy brown hair and wide-open blue eyes He earing a Pokés said

"Me neither," he said "You’d think I would be--if I accidentally eat one, it could killout there that could kill you, wouldn’t you try to be an expert on it?"

"I don’t know…" Mags shoved the cracker in her"I don’t know very much about cancer Or car accidents"

"Yeah…" the boy said, looking sadly at the buffet table He was skinny And pale "But tree nuts specifically have it out for me, for me personally They’re ers"

"Das said, "what’d you ever do to tree nuts?"

The boy laughed "Ate theuess"

The music, which had been really loud, stopped "It’s alht!" sos’s friend Alicia, fro on the couch It was Alicia’s party--the first New Year’s Eve party that Mags, at fifteen, had ever been invited to

"Nine!" Alicia yelled

"Eight!" There were a few dozen people in the base now

"Seven!"

"I’s brushed all the pesto and traces of nuts off her hand and shook his "Mags"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"It’s nice tothe tree nuts for another year"

"They almost had me with that pesto dip"

"Yeah" She nodded "It was a close call"

Dec 31, 2012, alainst the wall and slid down next to Mags, then buainst hers He blew a paper party horn in her direction "Hey"