The Characterisation of Annabelle le Roux

Chapter Twenty: Changes are made

Alicia found James sitting at home with a beer in one hand. His legs were raised up in front of the couch.

"Great news" she said "So I just got a call back for the interview"

"You went to an interview?" asked James.

"Yes, on Tuesday, I told you that" replied Alicia.

"Sorry my mind was preoccupied"

"So, the managing director phoned and we were talking about work and time and how to manage people, then we started talking about the show and he was very impressed with how you managed Phoenix's death, he loved the whole influenza conspiracy thing by the way and one thing lead to another and now I have the job"

"Great" said James "When do you start"

'Don't you want to know where I am going to work" asked Alicia

"I just assumed that it is going to be here. You never apply anywhere else"

"It's time for me to go on adventures, broaden my horizons. See the world" Alicia paused for a moment "The job is in Bloemfontein."

James snorted "You consider Bloemfontein to be an adventure"

"What would you know about Bloemfontein. Have you ever been there?"

"I've done Bloemfontein's top-rated activity – I've ridden though it and then I've forgotten to stop" said James derisively.

"It's going to be my home now, so you better learn to love it" said Alicia defiantly

"I wish you all the best, big sister but I hope I never learn to love Bloemfontein. I reserve all my love for objects worthy of my thoughts"

"You know they have a hill in Bloemfontein – Kyle told me – it's not all flat. That's just anti-Bloem propaganda"

"I've got work to do. You know that Paul came into my office today and went on a rant for half an hour about how annoyed he feels whenever he sees Vanessa's face" said James changing tracks. "I didn't sign up for this, if I wanted to work with real people, I would have studied human resources"

"What's there not to love about Vanessa, everybody loves Vanessa."

"He seems to think that she has gotten haughty now that every second scene features her. He wants more screen time, he says that she is stealing it from him"

"Has she taken the script and scratched out Ferne's name on the left side and put in Annabelle's name in it's place?" said Alicia in an even tone "How could she be stealing screen time from him?"

"He wanted to do the scene where Annabelle is leading the children's army"

"Why would Ferne' lead the children's army. Ferne' is not the main character, the show is not about Ferne'" said Alicia.

"He says that Annabelle's character is boring. Way too perfect, which means that nobody can relate to her. He says that I am too cowardly to give her a weakness because I don't want to offend the feminist. He called me a traitor"

'I didn't know that we are in a war" said Alicia.

"Maybe he has a point" said James

"What about Phoenix. Phoenix didn't have much in the way of weaknesses" countered Alicia.

"Phoenix has a big weakness, Phoenix is dead"

Annabelle adored the two little girls who had taken to following Phoenix around. The elder one wrote letters covered in hearts and flowers and left it on Phoenix's doorstep, while the younger would hide in the rosebush outside Phoenix's house. Every morning when Phoenix and Annabelle would leave for their respective work, she would jump out and scream "They kissed, they kissed" so that the whole street could hear.