Try To Change Me

Chapter 11

Ebony, like everyone else, spun to stare, mouth agape, at the figure at the end of the hall. The man took a step forward, a challenging grin of his face. He was tanned, broad shouldered, and decked in jeans and a leather jacket. Thick sunglasses pushed his black hair out of his face, and he winked.

"Hold the applause." His voice was gravelly, and Ebony wondered if he smoked. As if on cue, he pulled his jacket aside, grabbing cigarettes from the breastpocket of his T-shirt. From his back pocket, he produced a worn green lighter, and was soon breathing the fumes into the corridor.

 Mr Irving struggled to his feet. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Carefully manoevering out of Carissa's reach, Austin smirked. "Well, he's not a suit."

The man's attention flickered to the boy, and he looked him up and down. "Hell no, mate, I'm no suit." he flicked his jacket to the side, revealing the firearm hanging from his belt. "But i'll be damned if i'm not 'gun-wielding'."

"Austin," Mr Irving cautioned as the boy snorted, waving him back. The teen ignored him, returning the man's appraisive look.

"Like what you see?" The man teased, pursing his lips. 

Austin shrugged, "I'd like it better with a name."

His expression fell. Glancing quickly at each of the students, he sighed. "Hazmat."

Mr Irving sunk back onto the chair, still frowning, but looking pale. Ms Smith stepped up to his side, slipping a hand onto his shoulder as she cast him a concerned look. Hazmat's eyes lit up, noticing her for the first time, and he raised a brow.

"You," he drawled, smirking, "Can call me Haz."

Ms Smith frowned at him, not seeing Mr Irving's more ferocious glower from behind her.

"Well, Haz," he snarled, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Austin snorted at his teacher, "I have a better question; how'd you earn a name like Hazmat?"

Taking a deep puff of his cigarette, Hazmat dragged his eyes from Ms Smith. "Equally long and intricate stories. At this point, I'm uninclined to explain either to you." He shrugged, as his pocket buzzed. pinching his cigarette between his lips, he dug a phone out of his pocket, glancing quickly at the screen.

"I showed you mine..." he muttered.

Exchanging a glance with Phitz, Austin smothered a laugh with a cough. "What?"

"Name, mate," Hazmat sneered, "what's yours?"

"I'm Anthony," Mr IRving cut in, still glaring at him, "This is Austin, Phitz, Finnegan, Carissa and Ella."

Ebony sighed in the shadows, eyes flicking to the ground. In front of her, Austin cocked his head to the side, casting his teacher a bemused glance. he stepped back, to her side, and met her eyes.

"And this is Ebony," he added.

Mr Irving didn't seem to notice. He staggered to his feet again, brushing Ms Smith's hand aside with a polite smile. He stepped forward, grinding his teeth.

"If you know why those 'suits' are outside," he said, his eyes cold, "You need to tell us. Who are you? Who are they?"

"They're your worst nightmare."

Phitz laughed, he couldn't help it, but bit his tongue when he saw Hazmat was serious. "Dude..."

"You think this is a conicidence? All of you being here together?" Hazmat laughed again, letting out a puff of smoke. "they engineered this."

"Who's they?" Mr Irving snapped, "Why'd they want us?"

the other man scowled at him. "No you," he said scathingly, before swinging his head to Ms Smith, "Or you, darling."

He pointed at Phitz. "Eric Phitz, born June 8 1997 to Mary Phitz. member of the state soccer team, is failing each subject bar HPE."

His hand moved to Carissa. "Carissa Faulk, born July 2 1997 to Edward and Candice Faulk. modelling contract confirmed 2010."

"Austin McWells," Haz smirked at him, "born June 30 1997 to Clark and Sandy McWells. State soccer player, team captain, holds 100m national record."

Finnegan winced preemptively. 

"Finnegan Watt, born July 19 1997 to Delia Franks and Martin Watt. Parents died in 2004, has been admitted to hospital 17 times."

"Salena Hill, born 5 June 1997 to Mariah and Kevin Hill. Parents divorced 2006, mother remarried, has highest ever recorded NAPLAN results, A+ student."

Hazmat glanced around for a minute, finally squinting at Ebony. "Ebony Ellis, born 23 June 1997 to Lindsey and Cameron Ellis. Father disappeared in August 2002."

Each of the teenagers were frowning now, and Carissa's mouth was hanging open.

Hazmat scanned the room, meeting each of their eyes. "That's only the bare minimum of what they know. They know who you invited to each of your birthday parties, who you spread rumours about in kindegarten, what you pizza you ordered last wednesday." he looked at a teen pointedly as he spoke; Phitz, Carissa, Austin. "This is only the beginning of what they can do.'

Everyone was silent, staring at the leather-wearing, cigarette-smoking stranger. 

"That's not right," Ebony said suddenly, and they turned to stare at her. Haz raised a brow. "He went missing in 2003, not 2002, and he didn't disappear...he was killed."