Masks and Costumes

Fall was always a beautiful time of year in Amity Park. From the way the red and orange leaves drifted around in the wind like snowflakes to the acorns that would crunch under your footsteps as you walked. The small businesses would begin to smell of spice and pumpkin, and the rich aroma would scatter in the breeze, so the air always smelled of crisp and spice.

Costumes would began to dot the shelves in stores. Bright and colorful, with their reds and greens and yellows appealing to the eye. The sunsets were always prettier, the red and pink streaks blending in with the orange backdrop and the dark purple wisps of clouds.

It was like a picture. A picture that the residents of Amity Park lived in for three months.

Unless you were in school that Monday morning. The excitement of Autumn didn't extend to the teachers and students of Casper High. Rather it made the students restless, to the point where they would gaze out the window and wish that they could jump in the giant piles of leaves that would gather in people's yards and enjoy the crisp weather.

"And students, I'll be proud to announce that the tenth annual costume contest will take place at this Friday's Halloween Hop. The best costume there will win a prize, and bragging rights." Mr. Lancer finished, sitting down behind his desk. "Any questions about this week?"

"Yeah," Mikey spoke up. "When is Math Club meeting? I forgot to write it down..."

"Tuck!" Danny hissed, tuning out Mikey. "Did you hear that?"

Tucker took a pair of headphones out of his ears. "What?"

Danny leaned over, rather annoyed. "Did you hear about the contest?"

"No, I was jamming to my beats back here," Tucker smirked. "It's Homeroom. The only class where we aren't required to do anything. I'm going to enjoy it."

"Well, there's a costume contest at the dance on Friday."

"And your point is?" Tucker raised an eyebrow.

"We need to win that contest."

Tucker smiled. "Haha, very funny. We suck at winning Danny, remember? Especially at costume contests."

"Yeah, but that was ages ago! Like, first grade ages ago," Danny protested. "We're Sophomores now."

"Alright dude. But you are gonna do this on your own," Tucker slipped his headphones back in. "I'll be relaxing."

It was Thursday night. Danny had been working on his costume day and night, to the point he found himself asleep on the living room floor the next day. But it was worth it.

He rubbed his sleep-deprived eyes and grinned wildly at his handiwork. It was definitely a personal best for his costumes. The stitches were even and straight, the cloth didn't stick out in weird places, even the sleeves were even.

"Definitely the best monster ever," he grinned. "Oh, I'm so winning that contest!"

His self-congratulation was interrupted when he hiccuped a wisp of smoke.

"Darn it," he groaned. "It better just be the Box Ghost, or I'm going to be mad."

He transformed, grabbed the thermos off his desk, and phased through the window. Just to get blasted back through the window.

He groaned, and pushed himself to his feet. "Hey buddy, how about a warning next time!"

"The Ghost Zone's greatest hunter does not give warnings!"

Danny groaned again. Skulker. "It might give you more of a good hunt if your prey is on the run," he argued.

Skulker squeezed himself halfway through Danny's broken window before going intangible. "But a sneak attack is always fun."

"Dude, you couldn't have just gone intangible before you broke the rest of my window?" Danny said, annoyed.

Skulker looked sheepish. "It makes the hunt more worthwhile..?"

"Right."

"Of course it does, Ghost Child! And-" He faltered, staring at something behind Danny. "What is that?"

Danny's costume laid limply on the floor. "That's a Halloween costume, man. You know, when you dress up and run around the neighborhood, asking for candy?"

"I know what Halloween is!" Skulker snapped. "But why make a costume, when you have the best costume any human could have?"

"What are you talking about?" Danny crossed his arms.

"You're wearing it right now," Skulker jabbed a finger at Danny's chest. "A ghost costume."

"Oh. Duh!" Danny facepalmed. "Why didn't I think of that four days ago?"

Skulker rolled his eyes. "If you are done admiring your own stupidity, can we go back to fighting?"

"Nope," Danny grinned. He uncapped the thermos and quickly sucked Skulker inside. "You can stay there until Halloween is over."

"What! No fair!" Skulker's tiny cry sounded through the thermos. "I wasn't ready!"

"Dude, you broke my window," Danny shook the thermos for good measure. "This is revenge."

Danny nervously fingered his skintight jumpsuit. People were already casting him sideways glances, and some huge grins, and it made him feel uncomfortable.

He showed up as Phantom. He had done a lot of work on his hair so it looked like it was dyed white rather then naturally white, and he was wearing fake-green contacts rather then letting his naturally green eyes glow. His skin still glowed faintly, but he was planning on using his parents as an excuse for that.

"Danny," Someone hissed behind him. "What the hell are you thinking?"

"Sam?" He turned around. There was a cheerleader that looked an awfully lot like Sam glaring at him, hands on her hips.

"Wow! You look-"

"Like a cheerleader! Yeah, that's my costume. But why would you show up as-" She paused, glancing around the room to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "As Phantom?" she whispered.

"I had a conversation with Skulker last night," Sam rolled her eyes.

"No! It wasn't witty banter, he broke my window-"

"Alright! Keep on going."

"He said I had the best costume already. I have the best ghost costume, Sam." He grinned. "See?"

"I see," She replied. "But I also have a feeling that this is gonna get bad."

"It won't."

At that moment Lancer walked onto the stage. He tapped the mic, and feedback buzzed over the speakers.

"That's my cue," Danny grinned. "Wish me luck!"

"Students, I'm proud to announce that the winner of the costume contest is," Lancer looked down at his hand.

"Danny Fenton! Fenton, please come up here."

Danny stepped up. His skin glowed under the LED lights. Whispers broke out when people got a good look at his costume.

"He looks almost exactly like Phantom!"

"Is his skin glowing?"

"He looks like he could fly off at any second!"

"Congratulations, Fenton!" Lancer smiled, abaft the whispers. "If I may ask, how exactly did you make your costume look so realistic?"

"It's quite simple, Mr. Lancer," Danny took the mic and faced the crowd. "Hair dye, green contacts, and something that my parents invented. It's similar to a spray tan, only it's more ghostly. It's a spray-on glow!"

Danny paused. The kids were grinning now.

"It also allows me to do this," Danny closed his eyes, and pretended to concentrate. He floated a few inches in the air.

The students gasped, then applauded. Danny smiled again, and stepped off the stage.

"Fenton! You rock man!"

"Can you do it again?"

"What is it like?"

"When does the glow wear off?"

"Can I try some?"

Maybe this was a bad idea. Danny thought as he pushed himself through the crowd. Oh well.

Haha