- Aria's POV -

"WAIT, WAIT, I'M HERE!" I yell, running towards my English class.

All of my classmates turn to look at me with startled expressions.

We are going on a field trip today, and my body decided that I needed some extra sleep. Hence why I am breathless, because as you can probably tell by now, I am twenty minutes late.

My class was supposed to leave seven minutes ago. Oh, and did I mention Mrs. Cockroach will be joining us, as well? This is going to be one heck of a trip.

Zoe grabs my arm and pulls me into the line. "Where have you been?"

"Um, in bed. I was up late." I answer, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

A low chuckle comes from behind us.

"Up late doing what, Shortcake?"

I scowl when I hear his voice. Seriously? What is wrong with this idiot?

I whirl around, fuming. I stand on my tip toes to feel taller and more intimidating, glaring at Miles.

"You want to know what I've been doing, Miles? I've been working on a new painting, because someone just so happened to sabotage my old one. But do you know what? I'd love to thank the person who did it, because now my new one is much better than the other, and it's going to win. Still, I wouldn't mind clawing their eyes out." I rant, staring at him with pure hatred. I can't keep myself calm anymore. "Do you have any idea who it was, Miles?"

He flinches when I spit his name at him, every word laced with venom. In fact, he looks scared for a split second. Of me. That's great, actually. It makes me feel victorious.

"Woah, Aria. Chill. What's gotten into you?" Zoe pulls me back, preventing me from attacking the gorgeous creation in front of me.

Right. I didn't tell Zoe or any of my other friends about the painting yet. I guess I just, uh, forgot?

Miles stares at me with his brows raised. Then he goes on and answers my question, "Yup. I do, actually. What's that kid's name again? L—"

"Aria and Miles! If you want to go on this trip, you will stop that nonsense. Otherwise, you can spend the rest of the day in the principal's office. No more talking!"

Our heads snap towards Mrs. Cockroach. She huffs and goes back to the front of the line.

Ms. Hart is the only teacher that makes us come to school and go with her to the destination, like everyone did in middle school. Otherwise, we go there ourselves from home.

"So where are we going, again?" I whisper to Zoe as we walk out the doors of the school.

"Some museum that no one's ever heard of before. I Googled it, it's literally abandoned. It looks haunted, too." She shudders.

Oh. Cool.

"So what was that with you and Miles?" Zoe inquiries, putting her sunglasses on.

Telling her now probably wasn't the best idea, seeing as if she starts to scream at Miles, she probably won't be able to come on another trip again.

"I'll tell you later." I decide, fiddling with Mom's necklace.

She nods and sends a glare towards Miles, but what I don't expect is the kick to the shin she gives him.

"Ow! What the—Zoe!" He winces and stops walking for a brief moment, rubbing his shin.

Zoe grins in triumph and loops her arm with mine. I laugh and shake my head and march along with her until we get to the museum, which isn't too far away. It's only a ten minute walk from the school.

"Why don't we have a girl's night tonight?" She suggests as we come to a stop.

I frown. "I can't tonight. Hailey's coming over to help me with something. Oh yeah, and her dog, too."

"What something?"

"That connects to the issue with Miles." I groan, pushing my hair back behind my ears.

"Ah." She simply nods.

●●●

"What the hell was that sound?" Jake, another one of my classmates, jumps.

We've only been inside the museum for twenty five minutes and everyone's already been hearing strange sounds. The creepiest one, in my opinion, would be the distant screech of some lady, who apparently didn't even exist in this museum.

Other than the class and the two teachers, there were only three other people in the large, rusty warehouse. One being a security guard—I really don't know what he's trying to 'protect' when the place is basically empty. The only artifacts here are soda cans or chewed up gum—and the other two being the owners of the place. All three of them are male, by the way, so that scream kind of did freak me out.

"That was a cat, genius." His girlfriend, Amy, laughs and gives him a side hug.

"Can you blame me? This place is so creepy, Buzzfeed should make a video on it."

Everyone laughs at that, but we're all shut up when a shriek echoes throughout the room.

That shriek came from me.

Why? Oh, because I am falling to my death after tripping over a goddamn pipe. Who the heck leaves a pipe in the middle of a room?

I brace myself by putting my arms out in front of my face, but someone's quick reflexes stop me from landing face first onto the cold floor.

"Falling for me already, Shortcake?" I look up to see Miles' face, his hands still on my waist.

I roll my eyes and push him away from me, turning around to see every single one of my peers' eyes on me. Including the teachers.

Seriously, do they have no life?

Another scream comes from my left, just like the distant one we heard earlier. We all jump at the sound and my heart thumps against my chest rapidly, turning towards the source.

Zoe speaks up, "Uh, guys? I'm not the only one seeing those glowing eyes, right?"

Another screech sends me stumbling backwards and into Miles, but I immediately run over to Zoe like he's got some STD.

He probably does, anyway.

"It's a freaking banshee! This place is awesome, can I live here?" A girl exclaims, grinning wildly with her arms thrown up in the air.

Oh yeah, I forgot she was in this class. Her name starts with a 'J', I think. I think she creeps everyone out, even if it's just a little bit. There was this one time last year where she dressed up on Halloween as a vampire and she was drinking from a bottle with red liquid inside. No one really knew what it was, but we did know it wasn't any kind of juice or alcohol.

Yeah, that didn't help my nightmares at all.

"This is anything but educational!" Another guy yells.

I agree.

"Calm down, students. I'm sure it's just Mitch messing with us." Ms. Hart chuckles, but she still sounds spooked, like the rest of us.

"Does no one else see those yellow eyes?" Zoe cowers behind me, almost repeating herself.

I squint towards the direction she's pointing, and sure enough, there were a pair of glowing eyes staring right at us.

It is also where the screeching is coming from. When Zoe said this place was haunted, I didn't take it that seriously.

But holy mother of cheese, I didn't imagine this.

"Oh dear banshee, what do you wish for? A sacrifice? Please, don't kill us! Spare our lives and take the Cockroach's instead! She's not worth anything to us, in fact, she's a devil! I'm sure you'll find some use in her, though. Come children, we must prepare for the ritual." I wave to my classmates and we create a circle around Mrs. Cockroach.

"Hey! Listen here, you little brat! It's Cockraine, not that disgusting bug. And what sacrifice? Ritual? Are you all out of your minds?!"

"We're sacrificing you to the banshee. So um, have fun?" Zoe says.

The banshee shrieks and everyone jumps once again, breaking the circle. I guess that's our cue.

"Forget the stupid ritual! Let's get out of here!" Miles runs out of the building, and all of us follow after him.

But I think we left Ms. Hart in there. . .