Shannon

## Personality

Shannon is portrayed as a somewhat lonely little girl. Not many of her friends stay kind to her, so she's a bit awkward when it comes to friends. She gets really excited when someone wants to be her friend, but very upset when they are mean to her. She often yells or cries when people bully her, usually Jenny.

Shannon loves her family and has a somewhat good relationship with most of the members. She feels left out because she has two older siblings and two younger siblings and she feels stuck in the middle at times. She is constantly bullied by her older sister Wendy, but she really loves her.

In the third book, she deals with a lot of issues such as insecurities, depression, anxiety, and struggling to love herself. She often feels that she has to hide her true feelings and not be so sensitive. By the end of the book, she decides to love herself no matter what.

## Appearance

Shannon has long red hair that she does in many different styles throughout the series, and green eyes. Eventually, she gets glasses, which she ends up losing in the second book. She has freckles on her cheeks. She is seen wearing many different outfits throughout the book. Her theme colors are green and purple. In the third book, she gets contact lenses; but they aren't visible; Shannon also ends up getting braces on her teeth.

## History

**Meeting Adrienne and Tammy**

At the beginning of the book, Shannon had no friends. She thought it didn't matter because she had her mother, but she was often busy. Shannon was very hesitant about starting kindergarten for the first time because she didn't want to leave her mother, but when she finally does, she finds Adrienne, who is in a similar situation. They become best friends - but Adrienne moves away. In second grade, she is called to be a "buddy" to a new girl named Tammy who is in foster care and needs to be shown around the school and the town. Shannon treats Tammy similar to how Adrienne treats Shannon: Like a charity cause. When Tammy goes home for good, Adrienne moves back home! Later she transfers to a gifted and talented program and isn't seen again.

In the second book, Shannon invites Adrienne camping with her and she comes. Shannon is really excited, but they seem to have really grown apart. Shannon doesn't see Adrienne after this. This is the time Shannon seems to have accepted that they are no longer best friends and that they have outgrown each other.

In the third book, Shannon doesn't end up seeing neither Adrienne or Tammy.

**Meeting Jen**

Jen was the most popular girl in school. She was the leader of a group of popular girls nicknamed "The Group". Adrienne was a member of The Group, and Shannon felt that she didn't have her to herself anymore and that she might want to be Jen's best friend and not Shannon's. Jen's best friend Jenny is mean to Shannon, but Shannon feels better when she hears that Jen likes her. After playing with Jen and Adrienne after school, Jen starts to accept Shannon as a member of the group. Jen finally invites Shannon to spend the weekend at her cabin, and Shannon feels like they are good friends. When Shannon leaves the group, Jen joins Shannon's new group.

In the second book, Jen and Shannon are great friends. But later, Jen admits that she sees sixth graders as too old for best friends and therefore doesn't see Shannon as her best friend as Shannon thought. She also seems too popular for Shannon at times, though they're good friends overall.

In the third book, Jen and Shannon slowly become distant from each other. When Shannon was running for school president, she lost to Jen. A few weeks after Shannon's birthday, Jen and her team come in to pass out Flower Grams.

**Jenny**

Shannon already knew Jenny because she was Jen's best friend, but she often bullied Shannon. Jenny feels jealous that Shannon got to stay at Jen's cabin, thus becoming angry at Shannon. She teases Shannon about her new glasses and tells Jen lies about her. Shannon says that she can't tell when she's "in" the group and "out" of it. She wonders what would happen if she told Jen about how mean Jenny was. Later, Shannon is with the group while they call the boys for "rating calls". Justin, Shannon's crush, says that he doesn't like redheads and thinks she should dress better. Then, Shannon is playing a game with Adrienne, Jen, and Jenny, leading Jenny to tell Shannon that she always comes up with the best games. Shannon tells her about a new game she made up and the next day Jenny pretends she made up the game and is mean to Shannon. Shannon runs away and hides. Shannon wishes that she and Adrienne can peave the group for good. One day when Jenny bullies her, she hides in a bush, where she meets Kayla. Jenny invites Adrienne to a party right in front of Shannon and hurts her feelings. Shannon wants to be Jenny's friend, but doesn't know if it is possible. Later Jenny is bullying Shannon get again and she decides to leave the group. Shannon starts her own group, which Jen joins! Jenny asks to join, too... But Shannon says no.

In the sequel, Shannon and Jenny are friendlier with each other and converse throughout the book. However, Jenny still shows her old self at times, such as when she walks Amanda home when Shannon is being paid to do so it when she tells lies about Shannon. Shannon is sick of this and brings up a comment Jenny's mother made about Jenny's weight, which causes even more conflict between the two of them. Shannon feels that she is best friends with Jen and is flattered when Jen lies to get out of being with Jenny, then decides to spend time with Shannon.

In the third book, Shannon and Jenny don't see each other again nor talk to each other.

**Meeting Zara and Veronica**

Shannon enters fifth grade. She ends up quitting the group for good. Her class is a fifth/sixth split, so she meets Zara and Veronica, sixth graders. They end up being really good friends, and she tells them about the group. They comfort her and let her hang out with them at recess. Shannon points out the "pee hole", a patch of yellow snow, and they start playing a spy game centered around it. She also meets Ammon, a new boy, who becomes her friend, too.

In the sequel, Zara and Veronica are in seventh grade and Shannon is in sixth, so they don't see each other anymore.

**Wendy**

Shannon had a bad relationship with her sister Wendy, whom she often imagined as a large, hostile bear. One day, at her birthday party, she noticed that Wendy looks mad. Wendy had no friends and often feels lonely when she sees Shannon with her friends. Wendy throws a barbeque and invites some people from school, but nobody comes. Shannon feels bad for her. Mom tells Shannon more about Wendy, and it turns out that even when she was really little, everyone was mean to her. They stole her candy and tricked her into a sleepover with a weird, dirty girl from school. Jen later talks to Shannon to catch up with her but is called away by her other friends. Shannon, who had earlier proposed that she starts her own group, is shocked when Jen later approaches her and asks to be part of it. She is so happy! She doesn't let Jenny in when she asks, though. Later she sees Wendy packing to move to Los Angeles to become a model. Shannon tells Wendy everything that has happened at school. Wendy is so nice about it and talks with her for a while. Shannon feels happy with her situation and with her sister.

In the sequel, Wendy has moved away but talks with Shannon over the phone frequently. She is supportive of and kind to Shannon.

In the third book, Shannon still talks over the phone with Wendy.

**Jane**

Shannon first met Jane in the second book when she had to ride in Jane's mom's car when Jen's car was full. After the car ride, Jen tells Shannon (behind Jane's back) that Jane is weird but Shannon disagrees saying that everyone can be weird at times. In the third book, she became best friends with Jane. Shannon has a good relationship with Jane but often thinks she will never be as pretty as her. They often hang out with each other and talk over the phone.

**Heather and Olivia**

Shannon most likely became friends with Heather and Olivia from 7th grade when she decided to join Drama. In the third book, Shannon often hangs out with them and they mainly talk about something Drama related. One day, Heather and Olivia get a part in a school play when Shannon doesn't, so they try to cheer her up.

**Andrei**

Andrei is a friend of Shannon whom she met from her Drama class. He is only seen in the third book. Shannon doesn't have many classes with him and they often write notes to each other. Andrei invited Shannon to a party at his house one night and she had bad experiences there and left with Jane. Near the end of the book Shannon and Andrei get in a fight and decide to not be friends. Later, it gets solved and they become friends again.