#28 Detested

Dear diary,

That Shannon has been really getting on my nerves. Ever since she started working as a volunteer at the library ('community service', as Boudecia euphemised it) she's been breathing down my neck. Well, that actually began when she recovered enough to not need her wheelchair, because she couldn't reach before, but you know what I mean. It's like she watches my every move and tries to make me look bad.

For example, the other day I was ordering a trolley of Nonfiction Folios, the worst of the worst to shelve. I left the trolley unattended for thirty seconds or less to put a handful of books away, and when I returned I saw her walking off. She'd messed up the order of the folios, and it wasn't until I'd put half of them in the wrong spots that I noticed what she'd done. It took me an extra fifteen minutes to locate the misplaced books and restore them to their proper positions. When I got back to the desk Ernesto was looking at his stopwatch and shaking his head.

She does little things like that to annoy me. She once tipped over a stand of Premier's Reading Challenge book I'd just set up in the Children's section. She mucks up the order of tiers I've just shelf-read. Once I had a wheel come off my trolley, and when I looked over to the Reference Desk where she was sitting she gave me a quick smile. I'm sure it was her. At least she doesn't run over my toes like she used to when she was wheelchair-bound.

I've tried to make peace with her, but she refuses to comply. I noticed she binned the fruit basket I left on her desk. I think she's still jealous because I took over from her job as a shelver. She still works in the library doing odd jobs but she's not getting paid, whereas I am. What makes it worse is that she gets along famously with the rest of the staff, especially Talia. Talia. I wish she'd see the ugly side to Shannon. I feel like that's putting a wall between us. I've tried to work up the courage to ask her out on a date, but whenever I'm just about to Shannon appears and spoils the mood.

I'm just going to have to grin and bear it, I guess. I can't actually prove that Shannon's sabotaging me, even though I know it's her. She's so frustrating!

-Jay