She Could Make Hell Feel Just Like Home

Aria led the band across the campus quickly, keeping an eye out for Maddie and other girls who were after only one thing.
“Vic!” Squealed some girl from behind them; Aria turned and swore under her breath as she spotted Maddie running towards them as fast as she could in huge stilettos.
“Fuck, Tony, Mike, Jaime, you guys run straight towards that building.” Aria pointed at a building in the distance. “Do not stop running until you are inside that building. I’m going to take Vic and head a different way to lose Maddie.” Aria said. Mike, Tony and Jaime nodded, then they ran off, Mike bouncing a few times as he ran, leap frogging off of Jaime’s shoulders. Aria turned towards Vic.
“C’mon.” She said, grabbing Vic’s hand and darting backwards, running straight past Maddie and running into a building. She pulled open a side door to some old looking stairs and charged down them, releasing Vic’s hand as they pounded down the stairs. “Hurry.” Aria hissed, hearing the door above them opening. She yanked open another door at the bottom and ran down it, Vic close behind her. Aria looked behind her and grinned at Vic, slowing down a bit so she was behind him.
Laughing as she saw Maddie behind them, she ran faster, grabbing Vic’s arm and pulling him into a smaller corridor, they rounded the corner at a split and Aria yanked Vic into a closet off to the side, clicking the door shut silently behind Vic, pressing up against him in the small room. They both stood still, breathing in the stale air, listening for Maddie. Vic shifted, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer, away from the shelving her back was against. Heels clacked by them, moving quickly.
“Ssh.” Aria giggled and Vic covered her mouth, trying not to laugh with her. The heels faded and Aria eased the door open, peeking her head out around Vic. The hallway was completely empty and Aria slipped out, pulling Vic with her. “Come on.” She said, heading back the way they came, trying not to laugh as she heard Maddie calling their names. As they went back up the stairs, Aria couldn’t contain her laughter. Vic started laughing too, unable to hold it back anymore. He stopped, holding his stomach as he laughed.
“Move!” Aria laughed, grabbing his hand and tugging him, not getting very far from how hard she was laughing. “I want to see this hypnotist too!” They both collapsed on the floor, giggling uncontrollably. Vic stopped laughing, looking Aria in the eye.
“I’m already hypnotized.” He said as Aria’s laughing died away. He put a hand on her cheek and ran a thumb over her lips. “You hypnotized me the moment I met you, and I can’t get out of this trance.” He whispered, leaning in closer to her. Aria rested her forehead against his and smiled.
“You know that’s not true.” She said.
“I’m not lying to you. You’re just, so different than everyone else. You’re so open but closed, and so at ease around us. Normally, girls cry and scream and dance and faint around us, but you just offered to cook for us and you laugh with us like we’re people too.” Vic said, moving closer to her.
“I’m nothing special.” Aria whispered.
“You’re wrong.” Vic whispered, kissing her softly on the lips, then pulling away a little. Aria pulled him back to her, kissing him, pulling him closer, wrapping her arms around him. Vic eased back from her after a moment, then giving her one more kiss. “That was special.” Vic laughed, then helped her up. “Let’s go before the others start panicking.” Vic took her hand in his and let Aria lead him out of the building and out into the light. They both moved quickly towards the auditorium, entering through a backdoor.
“Ssh, come on. The hypnotist started already.” Aria whispered as they headed down a hallway. They came to a door with a piece of paper that stated this was where Pierce the Veil was. Aria knocked, then swung open the door.
“What the hell you two?” Tony exclaimed as soon as they walked in. “We’ve been waiting for you for the past twenty minutes!”
“We couldn’t shake that girl. We were hiding in a closet.” Vic explained, then leaned back out the door. “We’re going to go watch that hypnotist dude.” Vic said. “Are you gonna join us?”
“Are you kidding me right now? What are you, five?” Mike snapped. “We go on next, and you want to go sit and watch some guy?”
“Mike, there’s set up time. We’ll be fine. We’ll use the normal set and we’ll be just fine.” Vic said, pushing off the doorframe.
“Wait! I want to watch!” Jaime yelled, jumping up and running after him. Tony shrugged and turned to Mike.
“Wanna come?” He asked. Mike threw his hands up in the air, muttered something about not knowing what he was doing with his life and joined Tony as they followed Vic, Aria and Jaime, who was forcing Aria to walk like a penguin by leaning on her shoulders.
Suddenly Aria and Vic went crashing to a halt. Jaime smashed into Aria and Vic stopped her from falling by sticking his arm out. They all hushed their snickers as they looked around. Tony and Mike walked up behind them.
“What’s the other way to get into the audience without going on stage?” Tony whispered, peering around Vic. Aria shrugged as Mike peered over her head. Jaime let out a sigh and pushed through them, slipping onto the stage and calmly walking and sitting down in the first aisle of seats. Mike followed suit, only he just walked out and sat down, not bothering to try and be stealthy like Jaime. Tony followed and Vic grabbed Aria’s hand and pulled her onto the stage and sat down on the floor, pulling Aria into his lap. The hypnotist paused, startled by them walking out from behind stage and sitting down.