69 – Annoyance

The car bumped over the turning into the front of the campus, once again her head gently hitting the head rest, and she narrowed her eyes.

“Have a good day, sweetheart.” The driver said.

She leaned over, and gave him a quick peck, even though she didn’t want to. The car door was slammed a little harder that it should have been, and she trudged her way through the front door.

The first thing that assaulted her sense was bright blue hair. Her eyes narrowed even further, almost hurting from the unnatural colour that was being presented to them. Why did people feel the need to stand out this way? Not that she usually minded. She’d considered going green herself in the past, but today, it was too bright, too statement.

The staff room was cold, and there were people in there. Sure, her colleagues, who she knew well and worked with every day. But she slumped at her desk, pulled up her email, and printed out this week’s rota without looking at anyone else, feelings bubbling to the surface whether she wanted them to or not.

Five minutes of attempting, and failing, to cheer herself up even a little by perusing the internet, and she went downstairs to grab the keys.

Her boss noticed, of course. Pale, drawn, and a permanent frown that spoke of her annoyance at everything today were dead giveaways.

“Have you tried some of those sleeping aids? They can be quite good you know.”

The compassion at her two hours sleep last night was appreciated. It was about the only thing that hadn’t caused her to frown even more since she had been dragged away by the screaming alarm clock after a scant two hours of tossing and turning.

She grabbed the keys to the third floor IT room that she was stationed on for the first shift of the day, and decided that the stairs were too much this morning, and punched the button for the elevator. It rattled it’s way up two floors, and she stepped out.

The grill was loud and obnoxious. It always was, but it was on the verge of giving her a headache this morning, as it finally hit the top and she could step in, Lights on, printer on, staff computer on.

It was long before the first students came into the room, five girls, and sat at the computers, chatting away. Then she spotted the biscuits being eaten, crumbs falling over the desk and floor.

Her eyes narrowed to the point of almost being closed. No, it was just going to be that kind of day.

—

This little extract is actually my day yesterday. I was bumbling through on two not very good hours of sleep and every little thing was the most annoying that it could be, even if it was something that normally wouldn’t, like the dyed hair. Normally I love dyed hair, but yesterday, nah, just too bright and in my eyes.

But, upon the advice of my lovely, lovely boss and co-workers, I did stop by the pharmacy and pick up some sleeping aid tablets. Somehow I stumbled through seven hours of work, got home, managed to stay up until a semi-reasonable time, then took some tablets, fell into bed, and I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had all month.

So today, I’m feeling fairly perky, and far better than yesterday, and I might actually be able to get down and do some of the things I’m meant to be doing. Like packing for Empire this weekend, editing and actually getting on with my work rather than being half dead at the desks!