It is quiet in two Invercargill households.
The family of Nakita Strange, who was killed in a car crash in central Dunedin on July 29, say they are missing terribly the bright, bubbly, chatty girl who used to ''pop in and pop out'' between the homes of her dad and nana just round the corner from each other.
Coping with her death was ''bloody hard'', her dad Mark Strange said.
''I remember her laughing and talking. She was always talking. You would hear her voice before you saw her.''
Her nana Ivy Strange said she would remember Nakita's love of music and her helpfulness.
''She was never any bother. She was here with me for the last six months of her life and would do anything you asked her to do,''If any of her friends or uncles needed her, wanted something done, she was gone to do it for them. She was always helping others.''
Although unemployed, Nakita (18) had begun volunteering at Invercargill's Te Wharekura o Arowhenua School and had talked about going back to secondary school to learn to speak Maori, Mrs Strange said.
''She told me she wanted to get a job but she didn't have time because there were too many people who needed her. Her death was just a waste. She was taken long before her time.''
Born and raised in Southland, Nakita lived in Invercargill and on dairy farms at Riversdale, Otautau and Riverton. In 2006, she and her mother moved to Christchurch, where her father and three brothers were already living.
She went to Hornby High School before moving back to Invercargill with her dad in 2013.
She was on her way to Christchurch to pick up a friend when the crash happened.
Nakita's younger brother Quade said he would never forget that night.
''I was sleeping in the lounge and Dad's partner came in and told me I needed to get up right now, but she wouldn't tell me why. I went up to Dad and the police to ask what was going on but no one would tell me. Then Dad said, 'Nakita's gone'.
''I said, 'Do you mean, has she left?' And he said no, that she had passed away.''
Quade said he had lost not only a sister but the person he trusted ''most in all the world''.
''I could say, 'Hey, this is happening, can you help me', and she helped me. Now she's gone I don't [have] my best friend ... It's just not going to be the same.''
