Prologue
Effie Trinket first saw him on her huge television when she was just seven years old. Back then, her natural blonde hair hung in pretty swirls down her back. Of course, in true Capitol fashion, her parents had dressed her in ridiculous clothes, but she still had the purity of a child. She sat crossed legged on the floor, staring up at the impressive screen, when he appeared on the screen.
She stopped chewing on her chocolate coated strawberries as her eyes widened. He spoke casually, like he did not care that he was probably going to die, and sat back in his chair with a casual posture. Effie didn't really listen to what he was saying; she was far too engrossed in his face, his movements, and his twinkling eyes, full of life. She did manage to catch what he said near the end of his interview, stating that he didn't care about there being twice as many tributes, for they are all just as stupid. Little Effie Trinket laughed at this, and continued eating her strawberries.
Every single day she would get up early and rush to the television, and stay up to the early hours of the morning watching the 50th Hunger Games. Her heart would beat so fast that it had the sensation that it was going to explode whenever he came on the screen. She cheered when he beat the careers. She cried an unfathomable amount of tears when he held his district partner in his arms as she died. And she screamed a piercing scream when the axe hit his stomach. She was in more pain than he was. Her oblivious parents merely laughed off her 'crush'. But only when he was crowned victor did her heart really pour out. She jumped up and down, shouting his name, and begging and begging her parents to book seats for his victor's interview.
And when she saw him in real life for the first time, so close to the stage yet so far, he was the only one in the vast room.