A/N: This is my first Ghost Hunt fic. I'm not really familiar with the anime or the manga, so please forgive me if Naru or any one else are OOC.. :(

Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt, or any of the characters!

Why I Hate Halloween

I sighed.

Halloween was one of the many holidays I steered clear from. Something about holidays made people unbearable to be around, and Halloween was especially one of those annoying times. It gave everyone the excuse to dress up like morons, get hopped up on candy or alcohol and act like complete fools.

One of our former clients was hosting a party on this particular day, and invited me via card invitation through the mail. I took one look at the envelope, with it's gothic writing and childish ghost stickers plastered on the back and immediately decided to decline.

What I hadn't anticipated was Mai to find the unopened invitation at the top of my trash bin.

We had a meeting about it that same day. Well, it was more like they all complained like children about wanting to have fun.

Against my better judgment and Mai's pleading face, I relented to their wishes. I gave Lin a reprieve though. I knew his feelings on the holiday mirrored my own, and I told him to stay back at the office and to let me know if anything came up. I wasn't that much a jerk to make him just as miserable as I was going to be, no matter how much everyone believed otherwise.

Hara-san took it upon herself to take me to the party. Whether she wanted someone on her arm, or was afraid that I would skip this place altogether, I didn't really care to question it. She had painted her face white and her lips in a dark red. She dressed as a geisha, which I suppose isn't far from her normal everyday attire. As soon as we entered, she had hooked her arm with mine and I held back a grimace. I knew of her little crush on me, and I hoped that was as far as it was going to go.

I said my hellos to the generous hosts, thanking them for the invitation and quietly made my way out and away from the popular traffic areas.

There was an impressive crystal chandelier hanging low in the middle of the giant hall, lit with dark red lights instead of white. Marble lined the floors and a thick ghostly fog covered every inch of the ground. Curtains were wide open, a full moon shining down through the windows. This simple added effect gave the whole atmosphere a certain eerie charm that I couldn't help but appreciate.

My eyes followed the cobwebs and grotesque splats of blood along the walls. The place was well decorated for a Halloween party, I thought, and despite my disliking for such activities, I had to give them props for at least making it tasteful.

Even so, it didn't make me want to be here any less than I originally wanted to.

And now, here I was, standing by the large buffet table, already regretting my decision to come. There was a huge dance floor littered with people in costume, and it became increasingly obvious to me that I was the only one who arrived looking normal.

I sighed, occasionally glancing to my right as party goers went for their third, fourth, and even fifth cup of alcohol.

I noticed Hara-san was still at my side, gazing at the couples who were dancing with a look that made me wary. I itched to shrug her off my arm.

"Naru..." she began.

I turned my head away from her, hoping against fate that she wouldn't ask me to dance.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked.

"No," I replied coolly. She looked sad with my answer, and I just wished she would wander off and bug someone else to be her partner for the evening. "I don't dance."

"Oh..." Hara-san gave me a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She bowed her head. "I hope you enjoy yourself tonight then, Naru." And with that, she walked away, leaving me standing here alone.

I scanned the room, spotting my team immediately among the crowd. Matsuzaki-san went as what I presumed to be a widow in mourning. Her costume looked complicated though, it had so many dark frills along the long black dress and she was covered in sheer stockings that looked impossible to get out of. I couldn't see her face, but her trademark red hair was unmistakable.

Monk showed up as a vampire. In typical vampire fashion, he was dressed in a black and red cape. His brown hair was slicked back and tied with a black ribbon. Make up had his face pale and in his mouth came the oversized fangs. Next to him was John. To my surprise, he didn't partake in the elaborate makeup and costume. He wore a simple white dress shirt and black slacks. At least I wouldn't be alone in the mess of mummy wear and green glitter, I mused.

But then...where was Mai?

I frowned, trying to spot the familiar bob of brown hair against the cluster of blacks and reds. I saw a spider, a Frankenstein, a fairy, and an angel, but no Mai.

I narrowed my eyes, finally catching a glimpse of brown. But just as quickly as I spotted her, she slipped back out of my sight, disappearing behind a succubus and a sorcerer. I went forward into the crowd of dancing witches and devils, twisting and turning out and away from bumping into them. I followed her, but to my surprised disappointment, I come to find out it wasn't Mai, just someone who looked a lot like her.

It was well into the night, and it was unusual for Mai to remain absent. Did she ditch the party at the last second? For a moment, my anger spiked. She was the one that brought this to everyone's attention, she was the one that made it a huge deal about wanting to go to this silly party in the first place, so why was I the one that was stuck here?

If that was her plan from the beginning, she will sure as hell hear from me in the morning.

But then she was suddenly in front of me. At first I didn't recognize her as she was practically drowning in purple and pink clothing. She wore a suit that was one size too big for her, a neon green boa hanging around her neck. The makeup was even more atrocious. Her face was covered in orange and yellow glitter, the red eyeshadow was especially over the top; it almost covered her entire forehead. My jaw would have hit the floor if I wasn't grinding my teeth in irritation. She looked absolutely ridiculous.

I composed myself quickly, my brow raising in confusion.

"You're looking..." I paused. I didn't know what to say, really. She sometimes left me speechless. I still couldn't figure out if that was a good or bad thing. "Flamboyant. What are you suppose to be?"

As soon as I asked the question, I knew it was a mistake when her eyes lit up. She gave me a smile that reminded me of an imp.

"Why Naru-chan." Mai twirled, giving me a full view of her elaborate costume. I swear I heard a jingle somewhere in her getup. "I'm surprised you haven't noticed!" she said, fluffing the boa with both hands. "I'm you as a gay transgender cross-dresser!"

I sighed.

This is why I hate Halloween.

End.

A/N: Oh, Mai, you adorable weirdo. Thanks for reading... and review? :D