Missing Assignment

Chapter 3

We start walking a few streets away from the high school to a cheap fast-food place we like, passing by another school on the way, it's not a rival school since nobody goes there, it's been shut down since the new school opened up. The old school now is just a graffiti-covered husk being reclaimed by the plants nearby.
"You ever wonder what happened there?" Faith asks, gesturing towards the old school.
"They built the new school, and everyone transferred to the new building. It's not much of a mystery, honey." October responds next to her.
"I heard from Hazel May that they shut down cause some of the people were using kids as test subjects, mutating kids to try and make super weapons!" Chris said mischievously, obviously trying to scare his little sister.
"Just cause she's a grade below us doesn't mean she's that gullible dude." I reply.
"Apparently, Hazel was that gullible." Chris says back, shrugging his shoulders. Then he starts walking backward in front of me as he continues, "they say some of the kids who went there were never found again!" He uses a cliche spooky voice on the last line, wiggling his fingers at me.
"Haha, dude, that's so dumb!" I say, laughing at his antics. We all laugh some more as a branch hits him and makes him stumble.
"That's why you don't walk backward dingus." Faith mocks him by wiggling her fingers on the last word. He sticks his tongue out before turning around to walk forward again. We make it to KickBurger a few minutes later.

The other customers stare at us as we walk in the door, for a second I wonder why before remembering we're still in wet clothes from earlier.
"What're you lookin' at?" Cody asks pointedly as a man in line turns to watch us.
"Relax, Cody, we do look like we just crawled out of a lake, dude." Mars reminds him.
"Oh, right, sorry, random guy!" Cody apologizes to the stranger who still doesn't speak to us. We order our burgers and pool our money to pay, then sit at a table to wait for our food.
"You guys wanna just chill here the rest of the day? It's already past lunch. By the time we eat and get back, the day will be close to over anyway, might as well, right?" I ask, knowing it's not worth it to go back with so little time.
"Trying to drag us down with you while you fail, huh?" Chris jokes.
"Hey, I'm not failing all my classes! I do fine on the tests! It's just Mr.Marlow won't get off my ass!" I correct him.
"He's right about the time. Going back would be a waste at this point. I can fix the absent mark on the records since it's all digital nowadays." October adds to my point, already pulling her computer out of her backpack.
"Could you fix my grade too? Turn my grades to all C's or something so I don't have to sit through the same shit next year?" I ask her.
"I could try to bring up a couple of grades, but making them all the same thing is suspicious. Not to mention, any teacher who is paying very close attention to you would likely know if the grade changed. Someone like a history teacher who won't get off your ass for example." She tells me, not looking up from her laptop. Fuck, I guess that plan's a bust.
"The guy cares too much, he should just let you cheat the test and move on." Cody defends me.
"Yeah, he gave me an extra credit project to boost my grade, I guess now I actually have to do it." I reply, not looking forward to doing the work.
"What kind of project? I could help if you need help." Mars offers.
"I gotta research our town, make a project about something that happened here. He thinks I'll like it more if I pick what I make and what topic I do." I tell them, "I plan to make him regret it."
"Learning about our town could be interesting, maybe you'll find out our ancestors did something cool!" Faith says with joy in her blue eyes. Her brother's matching eyes get that devious glint again.
"Maybe you'll learn about how they did horrible experiments on little kids at the old school!" Chris says, bringing back the spooky voice.
"Maybe there were mob people here back in the day!" Cody says excitedly, ignoring Chris's teasing.
"Maybe we'll find out your ancestors burned people at the stake and that's why you like fire." Mars mocks him.
"Cool!" He replies happily. Of course, Cody would think burning people was cool. Before anyone can continue the conversation our number is called and we get up to grab our food.
"If we aren't going back to school can we go home? I'd like to get into some less damp clothes and not get stared at so much." Faith asks, Chris holds his eyelids open with his fingers and looks at her.
"That sounds like a great idea dear." October replies, putting her computer in her bag and wrapping an arm around Faith. They laugh as Chris walks around them still holding his eyes open.
"So, where to?" Mars asks as we walk out the door with our KickBurger meals.