All the Lateness

"Should we tell her?" whispered the little blond hair girl. She wore a fluffy blue dress that reached just to her white socked knees. "Should we tell her she's not safe?"

"No!" the girl's mirror image whispered harshly. She looked around frightened before turning her attention back to the woman walking down the hall away from them. "She can't know. If we tell her, we'll get punished!"

"But we can't just leave her like that...can we?" A boy looked around the corner, his age being no more than sixteen. He looked down at the young twins that were at least eight years younger than him, if not more.

"What choice do we have?" asked another girl as she appeared next to them. She, unlike the others stood out in the center of the hallway, her hand on her hip. She looked completely unconcerned for anything. This made the young teenager smile.

"Well you can always go and have your stupid tea with her." He teased. This made the young girl's face go red.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" She snapped before disappearing. This made the teenage boy laugh as he gripped his stomach, not caring that the woman down the hall was trying to enter her room unsuccessfully.

"We don't like this." The first twin said as she watched the woman struggle.

"We don't like this at all." said the second twin as they both began to shake their heads. They both two faded away, leaving the boy alone. This made his calm down and look towards the woman. She had tried her key for the tenth time, but it would still not work. Finally, thinking to herself that this would be the last time, she tried again...and the door opened.

"Don't go in there." The boy called, but the woman did not hear him. She did not see him. She did not heed his warning.

Letting a sad filled sigh escape his lips, the boy turned and faded away just like the others.

Drip Drip Drip

Mai stared with a sorrowful expression out the window as rain came pounding against the windows.

Great. Now I have to walk in this. Mai thought to herself as she let out a sigh. It was twenty minutes 'til one in the afternoon and Mai wanted nothing more than for the rain to stop. In exactly three hours, nineteen minutes and four-two seconds the bell announcing the end to her day would ring and she would have to begin her journey to SPR.

A sigh escaped her lips at the thought of having to walk to work in this without an umbrella, but it was kind of her fault. She was the one who chose not to bring an umbrella with her today.

Do you like Lin? The voice of a certain narcissist floated into her head as her mind drifted to a place she wish it would stay away from. Another light sigh escaped her lips as the scene from four months ago. Ever since then, Mai has tried to keep her from being alone in the room with Lin, despite his efforts to get her alone so he could talk with her.

"It's not like I don't want to be alone with him," Mai mumbled to herself as her eyes focused on one rain drop in particular as it raced two other drops down the window. "I just don't know want to take the chance and say something stupid."

The rain outside seemed to pound even harder against the window and Mai vaguely heard the teacher mention it to the class. She was too distracted with thoughts of the tall Chinese man and the distance she wanted to keep from him to even care to pay attention enough today. What made it worse was that Naru had mentioned that they had a special case coming up that was going to be out of the country. Not that Mai wasn't looking forward to that, it was just Naru barely told anyone about the case other than that they were leaving next week to go to England.

"Are you serious!?" Bou-san asked loudly in an excited tone. He ignored Naru's annoyed expression as he turned to the rest of the group. "Can you believe it!? We are going to England!"

"Wait, but don't we have to know English?" Ayako asked, turning to Naru. He opened his mouth to answer, but was quickly cut off.

"Why would you ruin the mood like that!? Come one, ITS ENGLAND!" Bou-san threw his arms in the air. "Who cares if we can speak it? I mean, Mai, John, Naru and Lin already know how to speak it, so who cares about the rest of us?"

"And if we get lost? Than what?" Masako asked as she held the sleeve of her kimono over her mouth. She stared at Bou-san with her violet eyes. "It's not like we can just ask for help."

"Again….you're taking all the fun out of this trip." He frowned at her. She just shrugged her shoulders, unconcerned.

"I'm just making sure we have all the safety precautions necessary. I mean, I don't know about you, but I would prefer not to get stuck in a foreign country with no way of escape."

"I highly doubt that will happen," John laughed awkwardly. "Even if you do get lost, once they realize you aren't from around here, I'm sure they will get a translator for you."

"True…"

"Who care's we're going to England!" Mai yelled as she jumped up. Bou-san joined her as they started a never ending conversation about what they wanted to do while they were there.

A knock on the classroom door brought Mai back to reality. She looked over and saw a young student walking in nervously.

"Um, excuse me but is there a Taniyama Mai here?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the teacher. Pink tinted her cheeks a little when she noticed everyone staring at her.

"I'm Taniyama Mai," Mai said as she stood up. The student's attentions were adverted to her, which seemed to make the girl smile.

"There is someone waiting outside for you." She said quietly. Mai gave her a confused look before looking out the window. Due to the small ten foot wall surrounding the school, Mai could not see who it was. So instead, she quickly gathered her things and began to follow the girl out of the class room. Once the two were alone, the girl seemed to be a little more comfortable and she continued on. "Apparently there was a call to the school about your early dismissal. The sent someone over to pick you up about ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes ago?" Mai asked as they neared the office. The girl nodded her head.

"Yes, that's why I was sent to come get you." She smiled as she opened the door. Mai walked into the office and felt the confused look she felt turn into a smile.

"Hey Mai!" called the familiar dirty blond monk waving at her. "What took you so long?"

"Bou-san!" Mai ran over to him to give him a hug but stopped short when she noticed his shirt was completely soaked. Bou-san, catching her reaction smiled.

"Ah, come on Mai, you haven't seen me in over two weeks and you won't even give me a hug?" Bou-san reached out and grabbed the petite girl before pulling her into a bear hug, transferring all the water on his clothes to hers.

"Bou-san!" Mai gasped as the freezing cold water soaked through her shirt. If that wasn't enough Bou-san began to shake his head and all the loose rain drop fell from his hair. "Bou-san!"

Behind them, someone cleared their throat and they both looked to find the two teachers and workers in the room giving them a nasty look. Bou-san just smiled and stepped back before turning his attention towards Mai once more.

"So you ready to go?" He asked. Mai gave him a confused look. "Oh, didn't you get the text Lin sent everyone?"

Mai felt a blush unwilling go to her face as she quickly rummaged through her pockets to find her phone. Once it was in her hands, she opened it and looked to find four missed called and six unread text messages.

To: Takigawa, Matsuzaki, Hara-san, Yasuhara, Mai.

From: Kouji Lin

Everyone, there has been a change of plans. It seems that something happened at the hotel last night and we are heading out a week early. The plane will leave at three and Naru wants everyone at the airport by two. No exceptions.

.

To: Takigawa, Matsuzaki, Hara-san, Yasuhara, Mai.

Will someone find Mai. She hasn't responded and we all know she is going to be late, it's just how late is what matters.

.

To: Takigawa, Matsuzaki, Hara-san, Yasuhara, Mai.

Takigawa go by Mai's school to pick her up and meet us at the airport by two.

.

To: Takigawa, Matsuzaki, Hara-san, Yasuhara, Mai.

Make it one thirty, but don't tell her that. That way she will get here by two and we won't have an issue.

Mai closed her phone and sighed.

Do they really think that little of me? Mai thought as she turned her attention back to Bou-san who was smiling at her, waiting for her to go.

"Yea, let's go." Mai said as she turned and left the office. It took Mai until they were outside running to his car to realize that Bou-san had also forgotten an umbrella. She secretly cursed the rain as she found a seat in Bou-san passenger seat.

"So, which way?" Bou-san said as he started the car. He shook his head and sent water droplets everywhere. Mai held her hands up to keep some of the water from hitting her, but she was at a loss in the end and told him to turn left at the next street.

Within five minutes of leaving school, Mai and Bou-san both were running up to her apartment building, using a newspaper and a school bag to keep themselves from getting any more wet then they already were.

"So this is where you live." Bou-san said as he looked around the small apartment complex. He noticed that it was clean except for a few spots where there was a layer of dust, but he said nothing of it.

"Yea, why?" Mai asked as she rushed into her bedroom, leaving the door open slightly so she could still have a conversation with Bou-san. "And make yourself at home. There isn't much but you can take whatever you want from the fridge."

"I shall," Bou-san said as he walked into her kitchen that was right in front of him. He walked over to the fridge and opened it, slowly glancing over the contents of it. She was right. There wasn't much. It looked like she barely ate anything at all. Than a thought occurred to him. Lately they had been going on more and more cases, so maybe the reason she didn't have much food was so that it didn't spoil. It was a good idea, since he had just thrown away a bunch of good food that had expired while he was out.

"So how much English do you know?" Bou-san called as he closed the fridge, he just walked over to her cabinet and pulled out a glass. Then he went to the sink and filled it with water for himself.

"Enough," She called back. There was a loud bang followed by her cursing. "I think I know it enough to get me to have a decent conversation with someone." She peeked her head out of the door and added. "I can understand English better when I listen to others speak it, but I have trouble pronouncing things and saying it myself. Does that make sense?"

"Kinda," Bou-san said. She smiled as she watched him cross one arm over his chest as he drank the water from the glass.

"There are cookies in the cabinet behind you." She said before disappearing into the room once more. Bou-san immediately turned around and opened it to find an un-opened pack of oreos. He quickly pulled them out and began to eat some. "I'm almost done." Mai quickly told him as she threw her open suitcase into the hallway and ran to the bathroom.

"Bake pour lime!" Bou-san said with a mouth full of cookie. He heard Mai giggle and he smiled as he put another cookie in his mouth.

Soon, Mai was all packed and ready to leave. They had gotten her luggage in the back of Bou-san car aside his own and were safely in his car on the way to the airport. As they approached the highway that would take them straight there, they both heard a phone go off.

"Got it," Bou-san said as he pulled out his phone and placed it next to his ear. "What up?" Mai listened as she heard the other person on the other side talk, but she wasn't sure in what they were saying. "Yea, I got her, she's right next to me." She figured it was Naru. "Yea we are on our way now….About ten minutes….I know we are late, but whose fault is that….dont going blaming it on me! You're the one who told me last minute to go get her! Hey! Don't take it out on me! Hey Ayako- Whatever" Bou-san hung up the phone and sighed. "Looks like we are going to get an earful when we get there."

"Who called?"

"Ayako. She thinks we are going to miss the plane. She is such a worry wort."

"What time does the plane leave?" Mai asked.

"Um…three?" Bou-san looked in his rear view mirror before switching lanes and going faster. Mai looked down at the clock on the dashboard.

2:35 pm

"Ah, Bou-san I think she has a right to worry." Mai said as she looked back at him. He gave her a confused look before looking down at the dash board and seeing the time.

"Oh, I always make that a few minutes early so that I think I'm late but I'm never really late."

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose though?" Mai asked as she felt something vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.

Lin

Mai felt her heart speed up at the thought, but quickly ignore it as she flipped open her phone and put it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Mai!" came the voice of Lin. "Where are you guys, the plane leaves in fifteen minutes!"

"No it doesn't, we still have half an hour right?" Mai questioned. She looked back at Bou-san's dash to see the five turn to a six.

"Oh my god, are they in Bou-san's car?" came a voice from the back ground. She recognized it as Yasuhara and something sounded off about it.

"I think so," Ayako's voice drifted in. "Why?"

"Oh shit!" Yasuhara screamed as there was a loud noise. Suddenly, it was Yasuhara's voice talking to Mai. "Mai! Tell Bou-san I changed his clock and set it ten minutes back! Whatever time it says is wrong."

"Yasuhara!" Ayako yelled at him and Mai could practically feel him flinch on the other side.

"What? I thought it was a funny joke! Plus I had to get him back for what he did to me last week! I only meant for his concert on Friday! I didn't realize it needed to be set on the right time before than!"

"That's the stupid-" Mai slammed her phone shut and looked at Bou-san. He was giving her strange looks from overhearing Ayako yelling in the background.

"Yasu changed your clock and set it ten minutes back. It's apparently two fourty-six, not two thirty-six and we only have fourteen minutes left til the plane leaves." Mai explained. She left Bou-san push down on the gas a little.

"Why would that little-" Bou-san cut himself off as he began to speed up a little more, hoping to get there in time. "Why would he do that?"

"Something about getting you back for something you did last week?" Mai said as she looked down at her phone. She watched as the numbers changed and they were even later than before.

"Last week?" Bou-san asked, confused. Then he suddenly remembered. "Oh! I know! Hahahahaha that was hilarious!"

"I don't want to know." Mai sighed as she looked out the window. The rain was growing a little more and she just hoped she got there before the plane left.

Luckily, they did. Both Bou-san and Mai had arrived just as they were taking the last of the tickets and were closing the gates. As they entered the plane and took their seats, they both got mouthed at by Ayako and Naru about being late. Oddly, Lin was quiet.

As the plane was about to take off, Mai took her seat next to Bou-san and Yasuhara and noticed that they were missing someone.

"Masako is coming in three days when her shoot is over and John already is out there." Ayako explained to her as she looked at her from the seat behind. "But don't worry, its not like we will miss her all that much."

Mai laughed a little, knowing full well that it was mean and she shouldn't have said that, but something seemed off about Masako recently. She was more snippy and not willing to contribute as much as she used to. So, it was kind of a release to have her miss out on a few days.

"Will you keep it down, people are trying to read," Naru said as he glanced between the seats at them. The only one reading, Mai took notice to, was Naru, which didn't shock her in the least.

"Hello passengers and welcome to Airline Express. We will be currently making our way to London England shorty. The weather there is currently 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) and the sun is shining. Despite the rain and weather problems today, we are predicting a normal, smooth flight. We again, welcome you to Airline Express and we hope you enjoy your flight. Please buckle your seatbelts, we shall be leaving momentary."

Mai looked out the window as the black runway started to move slowly beneath her. And within the minutes, they were up in the air on their way to England.

So today is the new Wednesday apparently. Sorry, I lost track of time and I went to sleep before I could update but HERE IT IS! I've never been on a plane so i have no idea if any of that is right. I know planes normally dont take off when its raining, but today, in this story, they are. Simple as that. But yea, here is this lovely story I promised you all and the reason it is so long is cause I could not stop writing. I actually might enjoy this story^^ Not that I dont enjoy my others, but I get distracted from them easily. Well I wont hold you up, so please, enjoy this and I shall see you in a short time!

Please Review and tell me what you think! Or just to put up a bunch of smiley faces to make my day...OH DO THAT!

Also, what is with the new set up for adding stories? Like the whole select characters? Is that...Is that where I put Mai and Lin? Or do I put everyone? MY GOD WHY FANFICTION WHY!? ...My dog is using my arm as a seat and i am trying to type everything one handed now. Its working werll sotra. now i missed it up. shut1

I don't not, under any circumstance, own Ghost Hunt. All rights go to the Author; Fuyumi Ono