Hollow

Chapter 33

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The hot curler came close to my scalp again before moving away, bringing slight relief each time it did. Angela stared at each strand of hair with narrowed eyes as she finished styling the last of the straight hairs on my head. After what seemed like hours, though I knew was no more than fifteen minutes, she stepped back with a satisfied smile.

"There, all done." She grinned brightly. "Oh, hang on." She quickly pulled out a can of hairspray, creating a small cloud of it around my head. When the air cleared again her smile reappeared.

I returned the smile her reflection gave me in the mirror. Her own hair still remained undone and her face was still bare of makeup. She was wearing dark grey sweat pants and an old, baggy t-shirt. She hadn't even mentioned herself so far, and I knew it was because she had been so focused on me. Tonight was the night of the Halloween party and just thirty minutes earlier, she had barged into my house and insisted on helping me prepare.

"Thank you." I said to her. I looked back to my own reflection and inspected the hairstyle.

It was the most I'd ever had done to my hair. Normally I kept it in its natural state, sometimes not even bothering to style it. It would either hang loosely around my shoulders, or it would be pulled neatly into a ponytail. This, though, was very different. I couldn't deny that it brought a slight flutter in my stomach at the sight of myself this way. I liked the way that it looked, as different as it was.

As far as makeup went, I wasn't yet ready for the full look, much to Angela's dismay. I just didn't like the feeling of it on my face, and I didn't know if that was ever going to change. On top of that fact, I just didn't see the point in all of the different types of makeup. I knew there were reasons for wearing makeup like covering up blemishes and creating more defined features, but I didn't know if I would ever understand the need for shimmering cheeks or darkened eyelids. Angela did, however, insist that I wear red lipstick and mascara at the very least. She said it would bring my whole costume together.

While she left me to do her own hair and makeup, I went to put on the costume that she had brought for me. It was simple, which I was grateful for. I put on the short, white dress that reached just above the middle of my thighs. It was freezing outside and getting colder by the minute, so I tugged black sheer leggings over my legs. I didn't own a pair of high heels, but Angela had begged me to wear a pair of hers. They were one of her shortest pairs, around three inches, and although they were less than comfortable, I was capable of walking in them just fine. I slipped them on and buckled the small strap over the front of my ankle.

Finally, to finish off my costume, I grabbed the large, deep red cloak from where it had been hanging on the back of my desk chair. This was what would complete the costume. When Angela had revealed what I was going to be dressed as, I had no idea who she was talking about. I'd never heard the tale of Little Red Riding Hood before. I researched more about it on the internet and found that it was quite a dark story. It surprised me that something so morbid was so popular in children's stories.

I tied the cloak around my neck and carefully fixed my hair around it. The thick, silky material draped around me, covering my shoulders and reaching the backs of my calves. I was grateful in that moment for Angela's choice because I knew that this cloak would be a good shield from the harsh winds outside.

With one last look at my reflection, I decided that I was finished getting ready. I sat down on the edge of my bed to wait for Angela. I wasn't sure how long it would be before she was done getting herself ready. My own hair and makeup process took only around twenty minutes, but it was fairly simple compared to what I was sure she had planned for herself. Her own costume was similar to mine, though it was another character that I hadn't heard of before.