It was just supposed to be a field trip. That's what everybody was told. Just a field trip to Rome for everybody that donated over a five hundred dollars raised with their own method.

But that's not what it was.

That's not even close to what it was.

***

Elliot shifted her bag on her arm, trying to get a better angle to read with. "The Hunger Games," one of her absolute favorites of all time. She reread it almost every year, and the airport was the perfect place to do it. Elliot had raised over five hundred dollars for charity, and, being one of the first thirty do to so, won a field trip to Rome from the school. She was so excited, knowing how much she did about Roman Mythology.

Elliot grabbed her luggage, wheeling it into the line with her, along with the rest of the students right behind Jayed and Quinn, two of the other students traveling on the trip.

Face still in the book, Elliot took another small step forward, stepping on Jayed's shoes. He turned around.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed, much louder than she meant to. She picked up her book, suddenly embarrassed by her action.

"It's fine, it's fine," Jayed answered. He then turned back around to Quinn, and Elliot stuffed her face back into her book.

"Which seat do you want to sit in?" Quinn asked Jayed. He shrugged. 

"I don't mind. And sure, you can have the window seat. I know you want it." It was true, Quinn did want to sit next to the window. It was a great place for him to just think and maybe even write a little.

Jayed rolled his luggage a little further down the aisle, listening to the people in front of him. He didn't know who they were, but he did see that one of them was male with light brown hair and was much bigger and taller than the girl he was talking to, who had auburn hair.

"God, William, what is wrong with you?" The girl asked playfully. Jayed quickly turned his head away, instead looking at Quinn.

"You gonna take notes on the plane?" Jayed asked. Quinn nodded.

"If you see anything interesting, tell me." Jayed nodded in agreement.

The students started walking into the plane, and the two boys followed, thinking of what seats to take. They weren't going to take the front seats because it would be far too loud, and in the middle there were little three-person seats available. There weren't many people going on the school trip, which means a smaller plane, which means less open seats.

Jayed and Quinn walked further down the aisle, looking at all of the possible seats they could take. When they got near the back, Jayed noticed Hedi, a boy from a few of their classes, sitting next to a girl named Kenzie, whom they barely knew. They weren't talking, Hedi instead reading a book and Kenzie talking to her brother, who sat right in front of her.

"Here," Jayed suggested, pointing to the seat across from Hedi. Quinn went in first, then Jayed. Once they were settled, however, Jayed noticed Quinn smiling.

"What?" He asked.

"Did you pick this seat just so that you can study your boy crush?" Quinn teased. Jayed hushed him, blushing a little.

"No, i-it's just a nice view."

Quinn looked at him doubtfully, playfully shaking his head. "You're not even next to the window."

"Just hush," Jayed snapped. Quinn grinned, grabbing his notebook from his backpack. Jayed's face was all pink, trying not to look at the seat across from them. It was only for second, for when he looked up to his right he didn't see Hedi but Lanier NightWill, a kid he barely knew from school. Hedi was talking to him a little but for the most part Lanier kept to himself, making Hedi talk a little more to Kenzie. Jayed looked away, trying to keep a straight face and pulling out his math homework to distract him.

***

Ty sat near the middle, right near the window so that they would have the best view when they took off. Ignoring the other students filing in, they opened their book, flipping through the pages and trying to obtain the information on the pages.

"Hey." Ty turned around quickly to see a boy with slick brown hair, much taller than them, standing in the aisle and holding his suitcase in his hands. Ty immediately recognized him as Nico O'Keel, a boy in their freshman grade. They had talked a few times, but not a lot. "Is this spot taken?"

"Um," Ty started, moving their backpack to under the seat in front of them and putting down their book onto their lap. "no." Nico smiled a small smile and sat down in the middle next to Ty. He smiled at them, hoping to get some sort of verbal response. Ty didn't like talking to people all that much, not because they were shy but because they just liked being by themself most of the time. They definitely didn't expect anybody to sit there with them.

"Ty?" Nico asked. He noticed that they had been staring at the seat in front of them for a while, something Ty didn't even notice they were doing and they jerked their head toward him.

"Hm?" They asked. Nico wasn't prepared to answer, so he just made something out on the spot.

"What do you think you are going to do in Rome?"

Ty pondered for a second. They hadn't really thought of what they were going to do there, but they thought about all the options and finally decided on one. "Maybe the museums. I've heard they are fascinating." They shrugged, not very confident in their answer.

"Cool," Nico said, partially fake enthusiasm but he just wanted to keep the conversation going. "I want to try all of the exotic food." Ty nodded, trying to show their interest even if it was little. They plugged their nose back into their book, Nico pulling out his phone in response.

***

In the very back sat Zeke and Orion. They were talking to each other, Orion signing a message and Zeke cracking up about it. Orion showed a huge grin, even blushing a little.

"Just wait till we get to Rome," Zeke said, excited. Orion nodded his head in agreement. He had already been when he was in elementary school but he was still excited and anxious about seeing it again, while Zeke was mainly excited about flying in a plane over an ocean for the first time. He had never been out of the state of North Carolina, much less across the world.

You're going to love it, Orion signed. It's got great scenery, and the food is fantastic.

"That's good to hear," Zeke replied, smiling wider than ever.

Let's just hope you don't move there, he signed. Zeke playfully hit his arm, Orion returning the favor. They were best friends, knowing each other since sixth grade. By then, Orion had gone mute from a failed surgery and Zeke took an online ASL class to learn how to communicate with him. He didn't treat him differently because of it, and neither did Orion act different.

They had always been friends, and they didn't care if one couldn't speak.

"Hey, Zeke." Zeke turned around to see Liam Parker, a boy that Zeke knew from some of his classes. "Can I sit here?" He motioned to the third empty seat by the aisle.

"Course!" Zeke exclaimed. Liam smiled, sitting right down. "Do you know Orion?"

Liam shook his head. "I don't think so." He looked at the boy with ginger hair that sat right next to Zeke. "I'm Liam."

Orion smiled awkwardly. He signed hello, leaving Liam confused. "Don't you speak?"

He shook his head, and Zeke explained to him that he was mute. "Oh, alright." Liam shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Orion was used to that reaction. Usually people didn't know to act around him, and ended up just ignoring him completely, with the occasional questioner. Liam was neither. He mostly talked to Zeke, Orion occasionally signing something and Zeke translating it to Liam, but while he was a little uncomfortable Liam didn't really show it.

"Attention, students," A voice said over the loud speakers. Liam and Zeke stopped talking and Orion stopped signing, and they all listened. "prepare for takeoff. Destination: Rome."

***

A/N

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! If your character was not mentioned yet, don't worry. I promise they will be soon. I can't mention all twenty characters in one chapter, plus the side characters.

Anyways, thank you for reading! Hope it wasn't too boring, its going to get a LOT more interesting later.