The narrator of this story is an awkward and shy college student who dreams of reinventing herself as her confident and cool new friend.

Lydia had the loveliest blue-black hair, and the fluorescent lights of the Halloween Factory danced among her waves. Today, she wore it down, casually tossing it as she perused the racks of costumes. I followed behind her, playing my part of loyal friend: the quiet girl she’d adopted at the college coffee shop two weeks ago.

I read this story without knowing that it was a horror story thanks to my old monochrome Kobo, so the horror elements really crept up on me.