1 week turned into a month of Sehun always being by Aileen’s side. He was so devoted to her helped with her nightmares and constant worries. He always held her and told her to take each day at a time. She learned to trust him and depend on him just like she trusted Demi. She started liking him a lot but not sure of his real feelings for her. But today she had to put that aside because today was Demi’s birthday and no matter how she wanted to be happy about Sehun, depression crept in. It was so vivid today that nothing could make her truly happy. Ellie tried though. Ellie knew that this day would be difficult for the girl so she begged her to come outside to the quad to just hang and talk. She tried making the younger girl by 5 months smile at least. It was going pretty well till Carrie showed her ugly face.

“Hey Aileen. I’m truly sorry about your friend,”

“What do you want Carrie?” asked Ellie as she stood up to stand in front of Aileen

“I just want to apologize about my behavior to you Aileen. I should have never said those terrible things to you and I’m ashamed,” she smiled at Aileen but Ellie wasn’t buying it

“Ok you’ve said your peace, now go,” Ellie tried to shove her away but Carrie would not budge

“Stop Ellie, jeez. I’m trying to be civil. I mean I guess I should since Sehun is always around you. You guys have become fast friends,”

Aileen looked at the girl at the sudden mention on Sehun’s name. Carrie smiled for she knew she finally got Aileen’s attention.

“Yeah we are cool,” she simply said

“Well that’s nice. I mean I feel we should be cool too since now me and Sehun are a couple,”

“What,” Ellie was shocked and Aileen looked intensely at Carrie

“Yes he didn’t tell you? That’s odd,”

“You’re lying?” said Ellie

“I’m not. In fact he voiced his opinion of you very clearly. I was shocked at first and I knew you wouldn’t believe me but I recorded it just so you can hear it. It’s very shocking but I feel you have a right to know,” Carrie played the recording of Sehun and her cousin talking.

 

Brady: So you’re telling me that you don’t like her one bit.

 

Sehun: As if I would sell my other kidney to her. Well that’s a bit harsh but no I don’t like her. She’s needy and whiny and always needs attention. It’s pathetic.

 

Brady: But you two seem so close.

 

Sehun: No we are not. She’s the one always following me. Hey can you do me a favor and tell her to stop. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

Brady: It’s going to be hard to do that.

 

Sehun: Try.

 

Brady: Are you totally sure.

 

Sehun: I don’t like…Aileen

 

Ellie heard the last sentence Sehun said and to be honest it sounded a bit off.

“That’s bull. He would never say those things,” yelled Ellie

“Well she doesn’t feel that way,” Carrie pointed to Aileen who was halfway across the field walking towards the school at top speeds.

“You’re such a . I don’t normally cuss nor am I a hostile person but what you did there was so uncalled for. That recording is so fake,”

“Don’t talk to me about fake. It’s totally true,”

“You are pathetic. You will stop at nothing to get what you want!”

“Well if I can’t have Sehun, no one can. Um you might want to check up on your friend. She seemed suicidal just now,”

SMACK!

Carrie was clutching her face with her hand.

“You better not ever say that again or I will tear you apart, you got that,” Ellie ran after Aileen to make sure she was all right

 

Whiny? Needy? Pathetic? Each word pierced Aileen’s heart. So it was true. Sehun didn’t even like her as a person, let alone someone in the romantic scene. She had a huge lump in and tears were blurring her vision as she climbed many flights of stairs to get to the roof of the school. The roof used to be the place where she could think about Demi; a place where she could find some sort of peace; a place where she once found Demi herself.

 

FLASHBACK

 

“Hey I got your text. What are you doing up here?”

“My parents are getting a divorce,” she hugged Aileen as the tears streamed down her face, “I can’t believe my father cheated on mom. It’s pathetic and so very wrong. I thought my parents would be together forever; you know till death do us part. But I was wrong and I was wrong to trust in love. Love that could beat anything. It’s all a lie,”

“I love you,” Aileen smiled at her, “And I would never cheat on you,” Demi laughed, “You’re my best friend and I’m always here for you,” they hugged each other as they felt the breeze in the air

 

END OF FLASHBACK

 

Aileen made it to the roof. Just as she closed the door behind her, she collapsed as she held her chest.

“We said we would always be there for each other but you broke that promise. How could you leave me here Demi! I loved you. I would have died for you, but you’re gone instead. Why did you leave?” she whispered the last part

Ellie was frantic trying to find Sehun first. She finally found him in one of the classrooms goofing off with his friends Luhan and Baekhyun.

“Hey Ellie…” Sehun stopped when he saw her face

“Have you seen Aileen? I thought she would have come here to confront you even though she isn’t the type to do that,”

“What are you talking about?”

“Today is Demi’s birthday and I knew she would feel down so I took her outside to get some air and talk but Carrie showed up and was trying to be nice to her. I knew something was up but then she said that you and her were a couple,”

“I would never say that. In fact just yesterday I told her cousin Brad that I thought she was whiny and needy and just plain pathetic,”

“Omg,” all the color drained from her face

“What?”

“Carrie had this recording of you saying those things only she made it seem like you were talking about Aileen,”

“How the hell would she do that?”

“Did you mention Aileen at all to Brad?”

“Yes I told him I adored her and she was the best thing that has happened to me even though it’s only been a month,”

“We have to find her. She was distraught. I think something bad is going to happen,”

“Don’t say that,” Sehun was nervous, “Boys let’s split up, ok,”

“Yea sure,” said Baekhyun

“We’re going to find her,” said Luhan to a very worried Ellie

Sehun was frantic as he searched everywhere he could to find Aileen. He looked in the art room. He looked in the auditorium. He even looked in the girls’ bathroom. He didn’t care. He had to let her know that Carrie was lying and he did care about her; a lot. He even thought that he may be in love with her. It was totally too soon to tell but he got that sick feeling in his stomach once he learned that she was in pain and because of someone who was trying to hurt her.

Ellie and Baekhyun looked outside on the football field, the lacrosse field and even the quads outside but they didn’t find her either. Ellie was to the point of tears by now and Baekhyun was trying to comfort her.

“We are going to find her. I promise you,”

“I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to her. She has changed so much in this month. I mean she smiles and laughs and has fun. Sehun has done that to her. I think he really loves her and I know in my heart he would never hurt her…” she sobbed, “…Nothing can…” she just so happened to look up, “OMG!” she screamed and the people who were near hear looked up as well

 

Aileen felt at peace. She felt alive. She felt…she looked down and gulped. To jump or not to jump?

“Nothing will bring you back to me Demi. I miss you so much and now I’m alone for sure. I have no one,” she took a few steps closer to the edge, “Will it be quick? Will l feel pain?” she chuckled as she wiped her tears, “I feel pain now. Sehun was my last hope. He dug me out of my cold dark hole. I even started to love him but it was all a lie Demi. He didn’t keep his promise, just like you. I’m sorry Demi,” she closed her eyes as she was about to let go…..

Aileen felt strong arms around her waist. She felt wet tears dripping on her cheek and she heard panting sounds. She turned her body to find a scared looking and angry Sehun staring at her.

“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU GOING TO DO?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!”

“Why are you even yelling at me?! Why the hell do you care what I do? You have Carrie,”

“I told you to never believe a word that girl says,”

“You can’t talk yourself out of this one Sehun. I hear what you said,”

“It was fake recording. Brad asked me about her yesterday and I told him I thought she was all those things. Not you. He must have copied and pasted that message. I would never say that about you. Don’t you believe me?” he was crying

“I…I don’t know. I was just so angry and hurt and it’s Demi’s birthday today and she’s not here and I felt like you were leaving me too and my heart had a big hole in it and I felt since no one seemed to care about me, I just wanted to let go,”

“That’s not true. I do care about you. I love you,” Aileen furrowed her brows

“It’s only been a month,”

“I know it’s fast but now that I truly think about it, I think I’ve loved you all along. Underneath all the hurt and pain, you are really a great person. I know you love people with all your heart and I know you’re an amazing singer,” she smiled, “And I know why Demi made you her nightingale. You’re a fierce friend and she knew that. I don’t think we’ll never know why she ended her life but instead of crying for her, let’s celebrate the life of girl who was strong and brave and tough right til the very end,”

Sehun closed the gap between them as she was engulfed in his arms. Aileen cried even harder; not tears of sadness but tears of joy that Sehun saved her life. He was her nightingale now.

 

5 years later

 

“I have finally finished the song,” said a pregnant Aileen

“Took you forever,” Sehun rolled on his side to face his wife in bed, “Can I hear it? The whole thing?” he wrapped his strong arms around her

“Anything for you sweetie,” she smiled at him

 

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

 

 I don’t know what I'd do without you

 Your words are like a whisper, come through?

 As long as you're with me here tonight, I'm good

 

 Can you be my Nightingale, feel so close I know you're there

 Ohhhh Nightingale, sing to me, I know you're there.

 Cause baby you're my sanity, you bring me peace, sing me to sleep

 Say you'll be my Nightingale

 

Sehun and Aileen smiled at one another as he leaned up and kissed his wife.

“It was beautiful. I loved it,”

“Do think little Demi will love it when she’s older?” Aileen rubbed her belly

“Yea and I think Demi would have loved it too,”

“Yea I think she would too. I love you Sehun,” she smiled with love in her eyes

“I love you too,”