Steps of Courage

Chapter 3

I got the interview for the job at the library so I went in that morning. The library was filled with noises of students working and the occasional page turning, the noise was very soothing. I saw the manager sitting at her desk and I clutched my paperwork in my hand, before mustering the courage to approach her. 

"Uhm, excuse me, ma'am?" I asked, softly, "I applied for the student position and I'm here for my interview."

"Absolutely!" she says, looking up from her computer and smiling, "I'm Ms. Thompson, the library manager. Have a seat, dear. What's your name?"

I sat down in the chair, and fidgeted a bit, trying to get comfortable but the butterflies in my stomach threatening to make me throw up made it quite hard. I looked down to see my hands were shaking slightly, I swallowed and looked back up at her. 

"I'm Katie." I say, quietly, "Katie Cooper."

"Ah, yes, here's your application Katie. Tell me a bit about yourself and why you're interested in working here." Ms. Thompson says. 

I took a deep breath, and cleared my throat, eyes darting around the room to avoid eye contact. 

"Well, I find the noises in a library soothing." I say softly, "It's always been a comfort to me. And, uhm, I think working here would be a good way for me to step outside my comfort zone."

"That's wonderful, Katie." she says, smiling, "I appreciate your honesty. Now, can you tell me about any relevant experience or skills you have?"

I hesitated at her question, my anxiety taking over for a minute. But I closed my eyes, listened to the sound of the books to regain control before speaking again. 

"I don't have much experience, but I'm a fast learner. I'm organized, and, uhm, I'm good with numbers." I say, looking at my hands. 

"That's great to hear, Katie." she says, and I look up at her reassuring smile. "I value your dedication and a willingness to learn. Now, I can understand that working with people might be hard for you. How do you think you would be able to cope with that?"

My hands started trembling at just the thought of having to serve people, but I took a breath again before answering. 

"Well, I, uhm, I've been working on coping mechanisms for my anxiety, and the sound of books is the best one I've found so far." I say, as Ms. Thompson nodded. 

"Well, I'm happy to give you a chance if you think you're ready for it." she says, and my eyes widened in disbelief. 

"Uhm, yeah. Thank you so much!" I say, feeling a mixture of complete surprise and gratitude. 

"Welcome to the team, Katie." Ms. Thompson says, smiling, "I'll be here to provide any support you need and I believe you'll be a wonderful fit here."

I returned the smile, my anxiety momentarily overshadowed by the feeling of accomplishment. As I left the library, I took a deep breath, ready for my first shift.