In the early morning, she woke up. She felt refreshed. Her dreams were pleasant. She smiled to herself. She stretched out and sat upright on the bed.

"Good morning," she whispered. "It's the weekend. It's Saturday. Today is going to be a great day. I can feel it."

Eliah took a shower and then ate her breakfast. She was excited about the incoming concert today.

She wore her favorite skirt and top. She chose a pair of comfortable shoes and put on her coat. She walked outside and rode her car to Anne's house.

"Hi, Eliah!" shouted Anne from her window as Eliah arrived. "I'm so glad you came! I was just getting ready to leave. Come on in."

"Thanks," said Eliah. "I'm glad to see you too. I'm really excited for today!"

"Me too!" said Anne. "I hope there is a big crowd. I heard they sold out all the tickets. It's going to be such a great show!"

"Let's find out," said Eliah. "I'm sure it will be packed."

Eliah entered the house and met Anee's husband, Richard. He was wearing a nice suit. It seemed Anne was still preparing herself.

Richard looked at Eliah with an unpleasant gaze. "Hello, Eliah," he said. "How are you?"

"Uhm. Fine Richard, I'm fine," she responded politely. "Thank you. How are you?"

"Well, so so," he mumbled. "My wife is a bit preoccupied with other things these days and she feels so out of it lately. As her husband, it makes me really worried. She doesn't even have time for me anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," said Eliah.

"Oh, so you are sorry huh? You have quite the attitude. As if you don't know that or rather who Anne is preoccupied with..." Richard glared at her. His eyes were cold and hostile. "She's always talking about you. You know that, don't you?"

"Richard..." said Eliah. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Huh? What? Of course, you do. Just look at you. Do you think you can just call her whenever there's something wrong with you, and she'll listen? Do you think she is your nanny or something?"

"Stop it!" yelled Eliah. "Don't talk about that. Please!"

"Ha! So you don't want to talk about it, do you? Well, here's the thing. I want to talk about it. Anne is my wife and she is not doing a very good job of taking care of me. I am her husband, damn it. I deserve to have her attention. She should take me seriously. She needs to respect and listen to me. Not you!"

His gaze was piercing. He was intimidating her. She felt shivers running down her spine.

"Richard," said Eliah. "We're not here to have a fight, okay? Can you please just forget about it? We're friends. We just want to have fun tonight. Okay?"

"You know what?" said Richard. "I think I have had enough of your attitude. I am sick of you."

Then he grabbed Eliah's arm and threw her against the wall.

"Richard! Stop it!" said Anne. "What are you doing? Please, calm down. You are hurting her!"

At that moment Anne walked in. She saw the two of them fighting. Her expression instantly changed from a smile to a frown.

"Tch. Sorry, Anne, I'm sorry," said Richard. "It seems I got a bit too emotional. I apologize." He turned to Eliah with a nasty look in his eyes. Then exited the room.

"Richard, wait...!" Anne tried to stop him, but he left without listening to her words.

"I'm sorry Anne. I-I think I made your husband Richard upset," said Eliah as she looked down.

"No, It's okay," said Anne. "I understand. He gets like that sometimes."

Eliah was confused. She didn't know what to say. She wanted to understand why Richard was angry.

She sighed quietly. She felt so uncomfortable. The entire situation was embarrassing and awkward. She felt sick to her stomach. Not knowing what she did wrong, made her feel even more guilty. She didn't know what to fix so Richard wouldn't be angry at her anymore.

She shook her head and stood up straight. "Can we go already?" she said. "Before he comes back."

"Sure," said Anne. "Come on, let's hurry up."

She led Eliah into the car.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Anne. "If you need to stay home today, I won't mind."

"No," said Eliah. "I'm fine. I promise. Now I'm just worried about the show. Let's have a lot of fun today! I bet it's going to be awesome! And, I'm so glad we finally got to go together. Thank you so much for going with me!"

"Yeah," said Anne. "I'm looking forward to it too. Let's have a great time!"

They arrived at the venue shortly before noon. It was a big stadium. Thousands of other people were already lined up for the show.

"Wow, it looks like this place is packed," said Anne. "I can't believe so many people came."

"Yeah," said Eliah. "This is amazing! It must be a really famous band."

"Hmm. It seems they are called 'Sons of King' or something like that."

"So, uhm, what are we supposed to do now?" asked Eliah. "Where is the entrance?"

"There," said Anne. She pointed to a long line of people waiting to get inside. "That's where we are going."

After standing in line for half an hour, they finally reached the door. The security guard scanned their ticket and opened the gate for them.

Anne grabbed Eliah's hand and guided her through the crowded lobby. They walked along the corridor as far as they could. They saw hundreds of people dancing to the music. There was loud cheering and clapping. Some people were even screaming loudly.

"Oh, it's so exciting," said Eliah. "I can't wait to see the show."

They passed through several rooms filled with tables and chairs. There was a bar and some food stalls. People were drinking beer and eating chips and popcorn. All sorts of snacks and drinks were available for sale. The atmosphere was warm and friendly. It was a lively party.

"Look, there's the stage," said Anne. "And all those lights. Wow, it's so bright."

"Aww, you're making me nervous," said Eliah. "I wish it would turn dark when the show starts."

"Don't worry," said Anne. "Everyone is excited. I'm sure they'll dim the lights once the show begins."

"Great," said Eliah. "Okay, let's go."

Anne led Eliah to the crowd.

The show started right after the opening act finished its performance.

The Sons of King hit the stage with power and energy. They played a few songs. It was loud, wild, and crazy. It was hard not to dance to the beats. The fans screamed and cheered. They loved it.

During one song, the lead vocalist jumped off the stage. He ran towards the audience and climbed onto a table. He grabbed someone's hands and danced with him. Everyone else joined in and sang along. That made the music even more powerful. It felt like everyone was singing out loud. It was contagious.

"Whoa," said Eliah. "That's amazing!"

She looked around and saw that most of the people were having a blast.

"I love it!" said Eliah with her cheeks bright red from excitement. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Yes," said Anne. "It's incredible! I haven't been to anything like this before."

The band played for about forty minutes then took a short break.

"I can't believe how energetic they are," said Eliah. "Those guys are amazing singers and musicians. I bet they are going to play a lot of new stuff tonight."

"I agree," said Anne. "They seem to be really popular."

Anne drank water from the bottle to quench her thirst. She was sweating. Her hair was messy and sticking to her forehead.

Eliah looked at her friend. Her glistening white skin was shiny. As if she was glowing with excitement and happiness. She noticed that Anne was smiling all the time. She realized that she was feeling better than ever. She always had a great time with Anne, but this evening was special.

Eliah felt that Anne was really beautiful today. She was radiant, happy, and full of life. She noticed her sparkling eyes. Those eyes looked so sincere and caring. When she stared deep into them, she felt safe and protected. Her eyes were mesmerizing. They reflected the light from the reflectors. Eliah realized that Anne was always there for her, whenever Eliah needed her. She realized that Anne was really precious, and she cared about her deeply.

She wanted to hold her hand while walking around the venue. She wanted to touch her glistening face. But she knew she couldn't. That would make things weird. Instead, she grabbed the bottle from Anne's hand and drank straight from it. It tasted sweet and refreshing.

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"Hey, it's mine," said Anne as she tried to grab it back.

"Ha! No way," laughed Eliah. "You can't have it." She gulped down the rest of the water.

"Oh, come on!" said Anne.

"It's as if we had an indirect kiss or something," said Eliah. "I can't help myself. This is so delicious!" She licked her lips with her tongue.

"Are you a kid or something? Well, I don't really mind it, just don't get carried away."

"Ugh. You are so boorish. Well, whatever. I guess I am a kid after all. Hehe." Eliah laughed aloud.

"Seriously, what do I do with you, Eliah." She smiled wryly. "Oh, it seems the concert is going to resume soon. Are you ready?"

"Uh-huh," said Eliah. "Let's go."

They moved closer to the front. The band members entered the stage again and performed another song. Then they finished by playing a few more tunes.

The two women exited the building. They walked along the corridor until they reached the parking lot. They found themselves outside the club. The sun was setting behind the buildings. The sky was getting darker and darker. Stars were shining brightly in the night sky.

"Wow," said Eliah. "I didn't expect to have such a great time. They were so good. I can't believe it."

"You were so cute, dancing and waving your arms around like an idiot," said Anne with a laugh. "Did you enjoy the show so much?"

"Of course I enjoyed it!" said Eliah. "But, I think the band was a bit too wild for me. I mean, I don't know. It seemed like they were trying to impress me. Like they were trying to flirt with me. Do you think that was true?

"Of course not, are you an idiot?"

"Haha, just kidding," Eliah laughed back nervously. "Sorry. I'm just talking nonsense. Hey, Anne. Let's go on a date! We can go somewhere nice to eat."

"Well, it sounds like a great idea," said Anne. "I'm hungry too. But, seriously, calling it a date. You are so silly sometimes, Eliah. Hehe."

Do you know any nice places near here?"

"Hmm...let's see..." said Anne. "I know a great spot nearby."

They walked along the streets. It took them nearly five minutes to reach the restaurant. It wasn't fancy. It was small and unpretentious. It was located in a low-class neighborhood.

"This place is perfect," said Anne. "We can just sit down and talk. And there aren't too many people around. Oh, and it has a lot of character."

They went inside and sat down at a table. The waitress served them water and menus.

"What can I get you, ladies, to drink?" asked the waitress.

"Just water," said Anne. "Thank you."

"Right," said the waitress. "Can I start you off with some appetizers?"

"Yes please," said both of them in unison.

"Okay, I'll bring out a little plate of fruit and cheese," said the waitress.

"Thanks," said the girls.

She left the room and returned with the plates.

After eating their share of the cheeses and fruits, they ordered hot tea and coffee. They talked about the show and everything that happened over the last couple of days.

"I'm so glad I met you, Anne," said Eliah. "I feel so lucky to have you as my friend. We have so much fun together. I bet we're going to be together forever. What do you think?"

"I guess, maybe," said Anne. "But hey, you should rather say those lines to your boyfriend. Did you think of finding a guy yet?"

"No," said Eliah. "I haven't met anyone interesting. Besides, I would rather date Anne, than some random guy. They are all sleazy and gross. They don't deserve me, anyway."

Anne laughed and shook her head.

"All right, okay. I guess you just need more time for those things Eliah. Don't worry you will find someone special someday."

"I dunno."

"But, seriously, joking around, like the stuff about dating me." Anne sighed. "You know I'm a married woman. Seriously you say such silly things sometimes."

Hearing Anne's words, Eliah felt uncomfortable. She put her mug on the table and looked up at Anne. She felt embarrassed.

"You know..." Eliah hesitated. Then she grabbed Anne's hands with her own and whispered. "I... I'm not really joking. I want to be with you. I really like you. I can't explain it. It's kind of confusing. Do you understand?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Anne asked with confusion. "Why would you want to be with me? Why are you saying these things?"

"Because... because I care about you, and I'd like to be with you."

"No, no. Come on, Eliah, this is ridiculous."

"Please, listen to me. I... I've never felt like this before. I... I... I think I love you, Anne."

"Love me?" said Anne. She looked startled. "You love me?"

"Yeah," said Eliah. "I love you."

"Ugh," said Anne. "You're crazy, Eliah. How could you possibly say this stuff?"

"Listen. I know it's crazy. Crazy. But I still feel the same way. I love you. Whenever I needed you, you were always there for me. When I was sad or lonely, you made me smile. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm grateful that we are friends. You are the best friend I have. But... But, I realized today, your smiling face, the way you were enjoying yourself at the concert. You were so bright, excited, and happy. And that made me happy too. It made me feel alive again. For the first time in a long time, I felt happy too."

"Eliah, I..."

"I know it might sound strange. I just want us to be together. To hang out all the time. I also want to become your strength when you need it. I want you to be mine. I want to be your source of inspiration and support. Just like what you always did to me. I want to be with you forever." Eliah paused and wiped away a tear that spilled out of her eye. "If you are willing to accept me, I promise I won't let you down."

"I don't know what to say," said Anne. She tried to hide the confusion on her face.

"I love you so so much Anne," repeated Eliah.

"That's impossible," said Anne. "Look, I appreciate that you are telling me these things, but we can't be together like that. I'm... I'm a married woman, and I care about my husband. I would never do anything that would hurt him. So please stop asking me. Okay?"

"I'm sorry," said Eliah. "I just... I don't know why I feel like this. Maybe I am crazy. I guess I have a problem. I don't know."

"No, don't be sorry Eliah, it's alright," said Anne. "It's me who should apologize for being unable to handle this situation properly. Look, I admit I have never experienced anything like this before. I've never even thought about being confessed to by another woman. I don't know how to react to your confession."

"I know," said Eliah. "Me neither. I don't know what to do. I feel so confused and lost. In sorry for bothering you with this."

"No, no, it's fine. You are not bothering me. I'm just... surprised. I can't tell you how relieved I feel now. Now that you told me these things. I feel like I can breathe a little easier. Thank you, Eliah." Anne took a deep breath. "And... I'm sorry Eliah. I'm sorry for being unable to answer your feelings. I can't. I love my husband. I love him very much. And I want to keep loving him for as long as possible. So, no matter what happens between us... we can't be together."

" I see." Eliah sighed with resignation. "Now I just want to forget this whole thing, and pretend it never happened. But I know that isn't possible. I love you, but you already have a family. I guess I don't think we can get together as you said. Not in this life."

"I know it's hard to hear, but you have to believe me," said Anne. "Anyway, I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to confess to me. I don't think it's healthy to keep those feelings bottled up inside. I know you probably need some time, but you shouldn't lose hope. There's always tomorrow. Or the day after, or the next year. Who knows? Maybe one day you will find someone else. Someone better."

"I don't know," said Eliah sadly. "Maybe you are right. I should give myself more time. Maybe it takes a while for me to figure it out. Maybe I'll meet someone new and fall in love with them. I don't know."

"Hey, cheer up, Eliah," said Anne. "Tomorrow is another day. Right?"

After a while, they returned to their own houses. They parted ways in front of Anne's home and waved goodbye.

***