Quite a creepy and spooky atmosphere causing the reader to feel tense/on edge
If the verb in the independent clause is in the present tense, the tense that the verb in the indirect quotation should be is <span>remain in its original tense.
</span>You don't have to shift tenses because it is present in the independent one.
For example:
He says: "I need to wash my hair."
He says that he needs to wash his hair.
You wouldn't say - he says that he needed to wash his hair.
Do you still need help with this??
Out of the three the most annoying would be Tiffany.
Not covering your mouth while yawning shows a sign of disrespect and disregard to the person that one is talking to. Although it shows that the person is not interested in the conversation being discussed or the speaker himself is boring. It's a sign that he or she didn't have a proper rest before appearing for the meeting but that does not mean she is as disrespectful as Tiffany she is forcing herself to pay attention because she asked the speaker to repeat.
On the other hand, the person that talked louder probably wanted the speaker to hear her very well and also others that are in the room. It shows that she is interested in the speaker and whatever the speaker had to say unlike Tiffany that came late, elbowed her way in and didn't brush her mouth or used deodorant as she smelt of garlic.
