~LIFE IN CONCERT & EXPOSURE~

~Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional~

- Haruki Murakami

Song - Cry me a river by Justin Timberlake

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The sun had just set over the city, casting a warm orange glow over the crowded streets. Aubrey and Sophie were among the throngs of people making their way to the concert venue, excitement buzzing in the air. Tonight was the night – Lil Baby was coming to town, and they had tickets to see him live.

As they walked, the sound of music and chatter grew louder, mingling with the smell of food from the vendors lining the streets. Aubrey and Sophie joined the queue of people waiting to get into the venue, their eyes fixed on the brightly lit entrance.

"Yo, I'm so hyped for this concert!" Aubrey exclaimed, bouncing up and down on his toes. Sophie laughed, playfully rolling her eyes.

"I know, right? I've been listening to Lil Baby's album nonstop," she replied, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd.

As they inched closer to the entrance, the security guards began to check tickets and wristbands. Aubrey and Sophie handed over their tickets, and after a quick scan, they were ushered into the venue.

The first thing that hit them was the sheer size of the crowd. The venue was packed, with people of all ages and backgrounds united by their love of Lil Baby's music. The air was electric, buzzing with anticipation as the crowd waited for the main event.

Aubrey and Sophie made their way through the throng, searching for a spot with a good view of the stage. They finally found a spot near the front, and as they settled in, the lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

The opening act, a local rapper, took the stage, launching into a high-energy set that got the crowd moving. Aubrey and Sophie danced along, singing along to the lyrics.

As the opening act finished up, the crowd began to chant for Lil Baby. The lights dimmed again, and the sound of Lil Baby's intro music filled the air. The crowd went wild, cheering and screaming as Lil Baby emerged onto the stage.

"Cook that shit up Quay!"

He was a tiny figure, dwarfed by the massive screens and speakers that flanked the stage. But as he began to perform, his presence seemed to grow, filling the entire venue with his energy.

Aubrey and Sophie were completely caught up in the performance, dancing and singing along to every song. Lil Baby worked the crowd like a pro, pausing to chat with the audience and throw out merchandise.

As the night wore on, the energy in the venue only grew. Aubrey and Sophie were sweating, their voices hoarse from screaming along to the music. But they didn't care – they were having the time of their lives.

As Lil Baby launched into his final song, the crowd went wild. Aubrey and Sophie were jumping up and down, waving their arms in the air. The music was pulsating, the beat pounding in their chests.

"New car very noisy. Come through and it's roaring. You ain't gotta worry, don't care about your boyfriend. . ."

As the song came to an end, Lil Baby threw his hands up in the air, grinning from ear to ear. The crowd erupted into cheers, whistling and stomping their feet. Aubrey and Sophie were screaming, hugging each other tightly.

As the lights came back up, Aubrey turned to Sophie, his eyes shining with excitement. "That was insane!" he exclaimed, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"I know, right? Lil Baby absolutely killed it tonight!"

As they made their way out of the venue, Aubrey turned to Sophie, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know what would be the perfect ending to this night?" he asked, his voice low and suggestive.

Sophie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aubrey leaned in, his lips brushing against Sophie's ear. "A nightcap," he whispered, his breath sending shivers down Sophie's spine. Sophie's eyes locked onto Aubrey's, a sly smile spreading across her face.

As they walked out of the venue, arm in arm, the city lights twinkling around them, Aubrey knew that this was a night he would never forget.

Suddenly, a figure bumped into him, making him drop his phone. As Aubrey bent down to pick up his phone, the figure rushed closer to him, apologizing profusely.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I'm such a clumsy idiot. . ." The voice trailed off mid-sentence as the figure's eyes locked onto Aubrey and Sophie, who were still arm in arm.

Aubrey looked up to see Emma, his ex-girlfriend, staring at him with a mixture of shock and surprise. She was standing next to a tall, muscular guy with a chiseled jawline, who looked like he had just stepped out of a fitness magazine.

Aubrey's eyes narrowed slightly as he took in the sight of Emma with another guy. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise - he had seen her with another boyfriend just a few months ago, and he had assumed that they were still together.

Emma's eyes darted back and forth between Aubrey and Sophie, her expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like she was frozen in place, unsure of what to do next.

Finally, she seemed to snap out of her trance-like state, and a bright, fake smile spread across her face. "Aubrey! Oh my god, it's so great to see you!" she exclaimed, her voice dripping with insincerity.

"Emma."

Emma's eyes flicked to Sophie, who was still standing by Aubrey's side, her arm wrapped around his. 

"This is my boyfriend, Sky," Emma said, gesturing to the muscular guy standing next to her. "We were just, uh, grabbing some dinner and saw you guys here."

Aubrey laughed inwardly. "Another one?" he asked Emma. Emma blinked profusely, unsure of how to respond.

"What about Alex?" Sophie asked her. Alex had told her that Emma was just a hookup, but she wanted to hear what Emma had to say.

"Hmm, well. . .we broke up. He couldn't get over his ex, so he left me."

Aubrey furrowed his eyebrows and clenched his jaw. What did she mean by, he couldn't get over his ex?

Sophie, on the other hand, exhaled, trying to brush off Emma's statement. She didn't care about Alex, so if he still liked her, then it was his loss.

"It's nice to meet you, Sky," Aubrey said, his voice polite but distant.

Sky smiled, his teeth gleaming in the light. "Yeah, same to you, man," he replied, his voice dripping with bravado.

The tension between the two groups was palpable, and Aubrey could tell that Sophie was starting to feel uncomfortable. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"We should get going," Aubrey said, his voice firm. "It wasn't so nice running into you, Emma."

Emma's eyes flicked to Sophie, and for a moment, Aubrey thought he saw a flash of anger in her eyes.

"So, you two are together now?"

"What's your business?" Aubrey questioned, rather harshly.

"It's just a question, Aubrey. Answer it normally."

"Oh, it dosen't concern you! I owe you no explanation for what's going on in my life. You're just trash Emma, sound familiar? So stick to your boyfriends. . . and leave me and mine alone," Aubrey finished, his voice cold and detached.

"Oh, Aubrey, you're so cute when you're jealous," Emma cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But let's get one thing straight - I'm not trash, and I'm definitely not jealous of you and your little girlfriend here."

Sophie's eyes narrowed, her expression warning Emma to back off. "Watch your mouth."

Emma scrunched her nose at Sophie. "Who's talking to you? Dirty pig."

"Don't-"

"And you're a slimy bitch!" Sophie cussed, cutting Aubrey off.

"How dare you!" Emma exclaimed, attempting to slap Sophie, but Aubrey held her hand, throwing it back down.

"You're embarrassing yourself. Walk away," Aubrey said cooly.

Emma's eyes narrowed, her face twisted with anger. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to launch herself at Sophie again. But then, she seemed to compose herself, a sly smile spreading across her face. 

With that, Emma pretended to walk past them, but as she did, she suddenly snatched the head sock from Sophie's head, revealing her bald scalp.

Sophie's eyes widened in shock and horror as she felt Emma's hand snatch the head sock from her head. She was taken completely unawares, and for a moment, she was frozen in place, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.

As the cool night air hit her bald scalp, Sophie felt a wave of embarrassment and humiliation wash over her.

The people around them gasped in shock, their eyes fixed on Sophie's bald head. Emma's eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she just stared at Sophie, her mouth hanging open.

And then, she burst out laughing, her phone already in her hand as she snapped pictures of Sophie's bald head. "Oh my god, this is priceless!" Emma exclaimed, her voice echoing through the street. "You're really bald, aren't you? I mean, I knew you were ugly, but I had no idea you were bald too!"

Sophie's face burned with shame and anger as she reached up to cover her bald head with her hands. She felt exposed and vulnerable, like she had been stripped naked in public.

Aubrey's voice was a distant hum in her ears as he shouted at Emma, trying to get her to stop taking pictures. But Sophie was too stunned to react, too shocked to do anything but stand there, her hands covering her bald head, as the world around her seemed to spin out of control.

Sophie's eyes welled up with tears as she turned and ran, her hands still covering her bald head. She pushed through the crowd, desperate to escape the stares and whispers that seemed to follow her.

Aubrey shouted after her, calling out her name, but Sophie didn't stop. She kept running, her feet pounding the pavement as she tried to outrun the pain and humiliation that threatened to consume her.

Tears streamed down her face as she turned a corner, disappearing into the night. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she had to get away.

The sound of Aubrey's voice grew fainter as she ran, but Sophie could still feel the sting of Emma's cruel words, still see the shocked and pitying looks on the faces of the people they had passed.

She ran until her lungs burned and her legs ached, until she finally stumbled into a quiet alleyway, gasping for breath. There, she collapsed against the wall, her body wracked with sobs as she finally allowed herself to feel the full weight of her pain and humiliation.

Aubrey finally found Sophie in the quiet alleyway, her body slumped against the wall as she sobbed uncontrollably. He rushed to her side, his face etched with concern and worry.

"Sophie, I'm so sorry," Aubrey whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. "I should have protected you better. I should have stopped Emma before she...before she did that."

Sophie's body tensed as Aubrey approached her, her anger and hurt still simmering just below the surface. She didn't want to be comforted, didn't want to be touched. She just wanted to be left alone to process the humiliation and pain she was feeling.

But Aubrey didn't seem to care. He gently pulled Sophie into a hug, wrapping his arms around her trembling body. At first, Sophie resisted, her arms stiff and unyielding. But as Aubrey held her, his warmth and comfort slowly seeping into her frozen heart, Sophie began to break down.

She felt a sob rise up in her throat, and then another, and another. Her body began to shake and tremble, her anger and hurt pouring out of her in great, racking sobs.

Aubrey held her through it all, his arms strong and steady as he whispered soft words of comfort and reassurance into her ear. He didn't try to stop her tears, didn't try to tell her that everything was going to be okay. He just held her, letting her cry out the pain and humiliation that had been building up inside her for so long.

As Sophie cried, Aubrey's heart broke for her. He knew that she was strong, that she could get through this. But in this moment, she was vulnerable, and he was determined to be there for her, to support her and comfort her in any way that he could.

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