She's Golden

Fourth Phase: G'Day, Mate! (Edited)

George strolled into the Arendt-Kirshner Library of Parson University, a soft but forced smile on her face.  She might have willed herself to go to sleep last night, but her wolf was still very agitated.  She wasn't at all a Monday person, which made things even worse.  But she had a job to do, and she was determined to do it.  It was the summer semester, so at least it wouldn't be as hectic and the fall and winter semesters were.  Still, there were collections that needed to be updated, and she was pretty sure a professor or two would be in need of her services.

"Good morning, George!"  George's eyes jetted over to the older lady sitting at the reference desk, looking especially ragged today.  Oh, joy.  "How is our favorite fashionista librarian doing today?"

"Uh..."   George ran her fingers through her hair, feeling uncomfortable about being called a "fashionista".  Sure, she prided herself on looking nice - she might have been an awkward girl but she was also a girly-girl - but did that have to mean anything?  This white tie blouse with black printed hearts, these black skinny jeans, and these heels weren't THAT special.  "All right, I suppose.  How are you, Florence?"

"Oh, you know me - just being a plain Jane after all."  The statement was very charged, and George could sense the contempt laced around it, but she didn't push it.  Wolves, she could deal with.  Humans, not so much.  It made her seem like a bit of a snob, but she was okay with that.  The student interactions were bad enough.  "Must be nice to be so young, so fresh, and so trendy."

"If you...say so?"  Her wolf sniffed, only slightly annoyed with the ragged human.  "Well, I'll be off then.  See you later."

She rushed off to her office, ready to get the day started - so it could end quickly.  Still, her ears could pick up Florences voice halfway up the stairs, sounding harsher than it did before.

"Just who does she think she is, dressing up like that?' she hissed.  "This is a library, not a runway.  She's got some nerve."

"Oh get over yourself, Florence," another co-worker replied.  George knew the voice, but she couldn't remember the name.  "She's a damn good librarian and she can dress however she wants.  You're just made that she looks good you don't."

"I don't care how she looks!" she argued in defense.  "What were they thinking, hiring that pretty little thing to be a librarian.  It's laughable."

"What they were thinking was that she's got two advanced degrees and lots of experience, that's what.  George may be the youngest here, but she knows what she's doing.  She's definitely an asset."

"She's not all that, and you know it."  George was under the impression that Florence hadn't had her ass sniffed in a long time - it was the only explanation she had for the crankiness.  "I bet she thinks she's so hot.  She never talks to anyone and she's always holding up her nose.  Even worse, I've heard her talking to herself at times - weird.  I know she's young and all, but that doesn't mean she's better than all of us, that twit."

"And she's done nothing to you, so stop being a curmudgeon.  If I knew you were bad mouthing me behind my back, I wouldn't talk to you either."

George mentally shut off the conversation once she reached her office.  She didn't want to hear anymore, but she knew a conversation or two would sneak in regardless of her wishes,  She plopped into her office chair with a tired sigh.  Even the picture of her smiling parents sitting across from her couldn't lift her spirits.

"Welcome to the jungle, baby," she whispered flatly, turning on her work computer.  "You're going to die."

------

Julian's phone starting ringing just as he was about to enter the library.  He grunted as Sophie's name flashed on his caller ID.  "Hey Sophie, I can't talk right now, I'm just about at the library."