Missing Assignment

Chapter 5

I wake up on the rough carpet of the floor, and it takes me a minute to remember why I'm not in my bed. Shit, what time is it? I get up and look around at the mess we made. Snacks are scattered around the room, a pile of movies surrounds the TV and Chris is still asleep, leaning against the couch with his hand in a bucket of popcorn meanwhile, Mars is sleeping spread out across the back of the couch like a cat. I walk to the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal and find the rest of my friends, Faith is leaning on the counter, eating a pop-tart, while October and Cody sit at the table eating cereal. I pour myself a bowl and grab a couple of packs of pop-tarts before heading back to Chris and Mars. I toss one pack at Mars and the other at Chris as I kick him to wake him up, being careful not to tip my bowl.
"Ow! What the hell, why'd you kick me?" Chris asks.
"Cause it's time to wake up and eat." I reply. Mars flops sideways, landing on the couch cushions before sitting up.
"You didn't kick Mars." Chris says back before yawning.
"Guess it's payback for leaving your porn tabs open." I reply, sitting on the couch next to Mars to finish my cereal.

Once everyone is done eating and getting dressed, most of us into the same clothes we wore yesterday now that they're dry and there's no time to go home to change, we run outside and catch October's bus to school just before the doors close. It's a good thing she's a later stop on the route, I really don't feel like walking all the way there this early. Once we get there we casually walk around the halls as the group starts splitting up to go to classes, Axel throws a soda can at us and I give him the middle finger while Mars picks it up and drinks whatever is left. Of course, in the end, I'm the last one to get to class, not that I was in a rush anyway. Everyone's attention turns to me as I enter late.
"Zackary, late again, I see. You should get an alarm clock!" Mr.Marlow says happily. I consider decking him in the face.
"Maybe I'd get here sooner if you didn't give me extra work to waste time on." I reply, using my project as an excuse.
"Maybe if you did more work in class, it wouldn't take up so much of your free time!" He replies. I take my seat and wait for the bell to ring.

When class ends, I walk up to Mr. Marlow to tell him what I chose for my project.
"Have you got any ideas yet about what you want to research?" He asks before I have to say anything.
"I do, I know exactly what I'm gonna do my project on." I tell him.
"That's great! So what did you pick?" He asks me excitedly, I can't wait to watch that excitement turn to horror.
"I'm doing my project on the missing person case that happened here. That seems like a pretty interesting event." I tell him, his face shifts slightly.
"Are you sure? That's still somewhat recent and-" He starts, but I cut him off.
"And recent history is still history." I reply, finishing his sentence for him in a different way than he had intended. His ever-upbeat attitude falters, if only for a moment. It comes back all too soon, though.
"Well, I'm glad you found something you find interesting. Don't forget to turn it in before the end of the year so you can present it! The last day is coming up sooner than you might think!" He says with his usual smile. I walk away, annoyed but victorious. I got that smile to fall.

The rest of my day goes slow as usual. I talk to Mars during Mrs. Kline's art class, I doze off during Mrs. Glass's math lesson, I pass notes to Chris while Mr. Cortez teaches poetry, and I get in a fight with Axel in Mrs. Patterson's science lab and end up in the hallway where I can conveniently get lost instead of going to the gym to listen to Mr. Ballard bitch about his wife again. I meet Cody as I turn a corner.
"Sent to the principal again for your lighter?" I ask, already predicting the answer.
"Not that I'm going, having shit confiscated is a bitch." He replies, knowing he doesn't have to answer.
"Wanna get out of here?" I ask back.
"Hell yes! Geometry can suck it!" He excitedly replies.
"I'll let the others know we're at your place if they feel like joining us later." I reply, pulling out my phone and texting the group chat while we walk to the door behind the library.
"Yeah, your place reminds me of the principal's office." He jokes, it'd be funny if he weren't so right.