As spooky season approaches, many of us are planning horror-themed movie nights, Halloween parties, and other fall activities. However, this time of year just so happens to also be the beginning of cuffing season! Whether this is good or bad news for you, we can’t deny that those matching couples costumes and cheesy Instagram captions are just around the corner. In college, I’ve started to notice that cuffing season is not only when everyone starts to couple up (with labels), but it’s also a time when people search for hookups (without labels).
With that in mind, I set out to investigate a few Halloween hookup horror stories. Hopefully compared to these, your possible Halloweekend hookup won’t be as scary. Grab your flashlights and gather around the campfire, besties. Get ready for a fright.
Bekka, 24, Indiana University of PA
“This happened on Halloween of my freshman year. I was dressed up as an alien, I had this cute little NASA body suit on and it was my first Halloween at college, so, I drank a Four Loko Gold. Never again will I do that. I don’t remember much, but, I remember I got to a point where I texted this guy who I had been talking to. Like an on-again-off-again kind of thing — and then ended up at his place. We hooked up the next morning. When I woke up, I realized that I was in a f*cking shack. This guy was living in a shack. He called it his ‘love shack.’”
Tina, 22, Indiana University of PA
“My sophomore year, this frat guy had been talking to me since freshman year. He pursued me, and then led me on, so I was kinda annoyed with him. Then, a few weeks before Halloween, we were talking again and flirting and I ended up realizing that this was my opportunity to get back at him for leading me on, ’cause f*ck that, y’know?
So, I was dressed up as a Playboy Bunny, which was not my best costume, you gotta do what you gotta do. So, we’re in this basement, and I’m laying it on thick. I’m talking dirty to him all night. Then I say, ‘Can you walk me back to my friend’s house? Then we’ll do whatever there.’
When we get to my friend’s, I just go, ‘Oh, I’m so drunk, I’m so tired. Night!’ I gave him the biggest blue balls of his life. And that is why you don’t f*ck with a Playboy Bunny, and a bad b*tch like me.”
Xandra, 22, Miami University
“I was FWB with this person for a year, and I wanted to celebrate, even though we weren’t together. I went to a lingerie store and got this cute little lacey set. So I walk to his house in my little trenchcoat — trying to cover up and surprise him at the door, and all that. Once I got to his place, we got to his room, and he took one look at me and you know what he said? He said, ‘Aren’t you cold?’
I was like, ‘I wanted to look nice for you. You said you loved red lace!’ And girl, I’m not gonna lie, he kind of turned up his nose a little bit and said something like ‘When? I mean, you look hot, but like, it’s pretty cold out. Did you walk all the way from your place?’ I had no words.
It really threw off the vibe and I didn’t feel sexy after that. It’s been so long since that happened, and I still cringe when I think about it.”
Emily, 20, Indiana University of PA
“A few years back, I had this pretty consistent FWB. We saw each other quite a bit at frat parties, and then we always went back to my place. One Halloween, we had just gotten done having sex. He picks up his phone and starts messaging someone. I look over and see my roommate’s name on his Snapchat!
I ask him what he was doing, and he said that he was going to her room next to ‘talk’ to her with this stupid smirk on his face. But when I walk out of my room with him, we see my roommate in the hallway. She knows exactly what’s up, so we both walk him outside. Needless to say, that’s the last time we hooked up. Too scary.”
Julie, 21, Penn State
“One Halloweekend, this guy I always flirted with needed a place to stay, so he asked me if he could spend the night in my room. However, my one friend told me that he actually had a crush on this guy, and asked me not to let him stay the night. The guy I was flirting with really needed a place to stay, so after some talking with my friend, he seemed to accept it.
Eventually, we made out. Things turn a turn for second, then third base. The next morning, I had to leave for the weekend, but we planned to hook up when I got back to campus. The hookup was weird. We had so much heat between us on Halloween night, but now, it was just weird.
At some point, he asked me the last time I had been tested. Personally, I get tested with every new partner, so I told him, ‘yeah, I just got tested a few weeks ago, and I’m positive I’m all good.’ He paused. He looked kind of scared and said, ‘wait… you’re positive?’ I said, ‘What? Oh my God, no. I’m negative for everything.’ He physically moved away from me after that. My friend was pretty mad at me for hooking up with this guy and didn’t talk to me for a week because of it. I almost lost a good friend over some mediocre d*ck, and I lost mediocre d*ck over a dumb misunderstanding.”
These hookups may not have been what these girls were expecting, but looking back, they still made us shutter! After reading these scary stories, be careful before you tell them in the dark. Let’s turn off the flashlight and try to get some sleep… if you can. Enjoy the spooky season without the fear of horrible hookups, unholy jungle juice drinks, or ghosts from your past popping up.
Interviews have been edited for clarity and length.