Sehun was careful with Aileen. It seemed she had not had human contact in so long. When he spoke to her she was timid and she refused to make eye contact as much as possible. She didn’t like people touching her either. She was like a little hermit crab scared to be discovered. Sehun chuckled as he thought of her on his way home. There has got to be something that can bring her out into the world again; something that can make her smile again.

The following day they were outside doing an assignment for art class. They were to draw their own version of love. Sehun thought it was silly because he was a terrible drawer. He saved the beautiful portraits to Ellie but he felt maybe he could see the depth of Aileen.

“What are you going to draw Aileen?”

“A nightingale,” she simply said as she took pencil to paper

“Why a nightingale?”

“I was Demi’s nightingale,” her voice cracked as she had tears in her eyes, “I made her happy. I made her safe. She even started to write a song about me,”

“You must have really loved her,”

“I did,”

“Can you sing me the song,” she was startled as he made the request. He suddenly wished he hadn’t, “I’m sorry. It’s probably private,” he went back to coloring in his huge red heart on his paper. Aileen giggled softly as she looked at his picture

“I can try to. I could never sing like her and she never got a chance to finish the song,” she wiped her tears

“I would love to hear it though,” he smiled sweetly at her

“Ok when?”

“After school. My house,”

“You’ll be the first house I’ve been to since Demi,” she said quietly as she gazed at him. He smiled back at her

After school Ellie waved them goodbye as Sehun and Aileen got into his car. They drove in silence; not that he minded. The silence was a comfort.

Aileen was amazed at Sehun’s house when they arrived. It was huge. The house had a beautiful garden in the front with a fall theme reef on the front door and pumpkins scattered on the porch

“My mom is really into seasonal things,”

“It’s nice,”

“We have the whole house to ourselves so you don’t have to worry about anyone disrupting us while you sing,”

He led her to the family room where a huge black piano lay there waiting for them. Aileen smiled as she lightly touched the keys.

“Do you want some water?”

“Yes please,” Sehun ventured into the kitchen as she sat down the bench and took out the sheet music. She set the music as Sehun came in with the water

“Here you go,”

“Thank you,” she took a sip before setting it on the piano. She closed her eyes and breathed out

“Take your time. No need to rush,”

I can't sleep tonight, wide awake and so confused

 Everything's in line, but I am bruised

 I need a voice to echo, I need a light to take me home

 I kinda need a hero, is it you?

 I never see the forest for the trees, I could really use your melody

 Baby I'm a little blind, I think it's time for you to find me

 Can you be my Nightingale, sing to me I know you're there. You could be my sanity, bring me peace, sing me to sleep.

 Say you'll be my Nightingale

 Somebody speak to me, cause I’m feeling like hell

 Need you to answer me, I'm overwhelmed

 I need a voice to echo, I need a light to take me home

 I need a star to follow, I don’t know

 I never see the forest for the trees; I could really use your melody

 Baby I'm a little blind, I think it's time for you to find me

 Can you be my Nightingale, sing to me I know you're there.

 You could be my sanity, bring me peace, sing me to sleep. Say you'll be my Nightingale

Sehun was touched. This song was absolutely beautiful and it spoke about the relationship the two girls had together.

“That was beautiful Aileen,”

“Thanks,” she said quietly

Sehun looked at Aileen. Here was this broken beautiful girl who was still mourning the loss of her friend, her sister. He felt for her but she didn’t want anyone to pity her; so he tried not to but at the moment she was crying and he couldn’t let her be alone. Sehun slowly and carefully put his arm around her. When she didn’t push him away he pulled her to his chest.

“Just cry. Cry as long as you want,” as soon as Sehun said those words the floodgates opened wide. She couldn’t control it. She missed Demi so much and she didn’t think she would ever be happy again. She decided to voice her frustrations to him

“How could she leave me? We told each other everything. Her parents were getting a divorce but she never frowned in front of me. Sure she was sad but she always found a positive side to the situation,”

“She was tough,”

“Yeah she was. She was the tough one and I was the prissy one. But we just meshed, you know. We didn’t go anywhere without each other. I feel like a huge piece is missing and I’m never going to be happy again. Till this day I still don’t know why she left,”

“Some people just let go and even though they have people who love them, they just…maybe feel so sad that nothing can fix it. Maybe she didn’t want to feel like she was burdening you so she just let go. I can’t explain why she did that and I’m sorry I can’t make you feel better but I want to try,”

“Why are you being so nice to me? You barely know me,”

“Because everyone needs someone they can lean on and maybe because from the moment you bumped into me I felt something and now that I’ve had a chance to be around you; even though it’s only been a short while; I don’t want to stop being around you. The same way you were Demi’s nightingale when she needed you; I want to be your nightingale,”