Chapter #2

Effie was left speechless. During the trip from the Capitol she pictured every moment of the encounter. She was going to knock on his door until he opens it, she was going to tell him everything. From the fact that in three years she couldn't stop thinking about him and about that kiss outside the president mansion that left her breathless, to the fact that she was whiling to try to get a new life with him in twelve. After that, she was going to kiss him until he was begging her to stop.

Unfortunately, it didn't occur that way. After almost twenty minutes of knocking on his door, Effie turn on her heels and walk away from the porch. Then she heard the door opening and a feeling of relief exploded in her chest. So she turned around to face him. Haymitch was only wearing a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. He was so different, but at the same time, he was the same. He still had the bright spark in his grey eyes. Haymitch had gained some pounds, but he still had a great figure. Effie couldn't stop watching him. She wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid he would reject her. So when he told her to come in she was astonished, but followed him.

It was the first time Effie entered to the house and it was everything she had imagined. She had already been in Katniss's during Victory Tour, and it was almost the same. But the thing that almost make her smirk was the mess. Empty bottles everywhere, dirty clothes on the floor and the couch, a pile of dishes in the sink, and a thick layer of dust in every piece of furniture. There was a gross smell coming from the kitchen and from the window she could see a dozens of creatures that seemed to be birds. Effie was focused on the animals when she saw that Haymitch was staring at her.

"Well, sweetheart, are you going to start cleaning this up or just stand there all day?" He said with a little smirk on his face. His eyes were red, for the alcohol, Effie thought and, from where she was standing, it was pretty obvious that his pair of pants hadn't been cleaned from a long time.

"I beg your pardon" she said quietly, unable to say anything else.

"You are the new housekeeper, right?" Haymitch said as if it as an obvious statement. "Peeta hire you to keep an eye on me, didn't he?"

It took everything inside of her not to start laughing in his face, which would've been tremendously rude. She didn't understand if Haymitch was playing her a bad joke or if he really didn't recognize her. Effie knew she was wearing less than 10% of the makeup she would've wore in the Capitol, no wig or fancy dress, and that the last time they have seen each other was three years ago. But she was certainly not expecting this situation, she thought at least Haymitch would have recognized her for her high voice or Capitol accent, he was always complaining about it. But he didn't, and that took her by surprise. However, she thought it would be a funny joke to pretend just for some minutes. At list she would have some fun when he figures out who she really was.

"Yes, yes sure. My name is Althea, Althea Erwin. Pleasure to meet you." Effie says the first name that popped into her mind, the nurse that look after her during her rehab in the Capitol. Also she was very careful to use the first words she had told him in their first Games together. However, Haymitch didn't seem to realize who she was. Not from her voice or her Capitol accent. He just kept staring at her as if he was waiting for something.

"You must be Mr. Abernathy" She said then and he nodded.

Effie didn't know what to do. Luckily, Haymitch seemed to realize how lost she was, and he was the one to talk then. "What is that suitcase for, princess?"

That's when Effie realized that she didn't have an explanation for her luggage. The trip was supposed to last two week, or maybe more if Haymitch let her, and she was going to stay in his house. But, when she decided to play this little joke, she had completely forgotten about her suitcase.

"Well, I haven't really had time to settle in District 12. I arrived this morning and came directly from the train station" she said. At least that was the truth.

"I think Greasy Sae has opened a new guesthouse near the square. I'm sure she has an extra room" Haymitch said. Effie wasn't quite expecting that. She wasn't expecting an invitation to his house, in the end he had met her today. However, when she came from the Capitol she didn't bring so much money so paying for a room wasn't an option. Effie couldn't ask the children for hospitality either, she knew Haymitch spent almost every day in their house. But then, a thought bump in her mind. This wasn't supposed to last that long, was it? She was going to tell him tonight when she finishes with the house. And then Effie realized she didn't even know how to wash a dish or pick a broom. This wasn't the best idea after all. She thought for her self.

"Oh, yes sure. I will check in when I'm finished here. Thank you for the information." She tried to sound pleased, but it came out very plain. "Well, now that it all settle, may I star?"

"Sure, sweetheart, do as you please." He said and just like that, he left upstairs.

Just then, Effie let out a little laugh. What has she done? She was standing alone in the house of his only friend, who didn't recognize her, pretending someone she certainly wasn't and not knowing what to next.

XXX

The sun had already gone, when Effie finished with the kitchen. It took her half an hour to discover how to use the hot water to clean the dishes and when she was done with that, she had to clean the floor. There was an incredible amount of different thing there. It was like another word, with dirty clothes, unfinished food and empty bottles everywhere. Effie picked everything and put in in the trash. After that, she cleaned the floor, which took her almost three hours. Haymitch didn't show up even once.

Effie was going to leave when she heard Haymitch walking down the stairs. Only when he was standing in front of her, she realized he had been drinking all this time. Even though, he was standing three feet away from her, she could smell the alcohol. Haymitch was wearing a t-shirt now, it was covered in vomit and old bourbon, his eyes where red and he couldn't stand up any longer. He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but close it quickly. Effie could only picture their time in the games, and how she'd carry him to his bedroom when he'd passed out.

So she did. She stepped closer to him and when he didn't move, she put an arm around his middle. As a reflex, Haymitch put all his weight on her and murmur something she couldn't understand. Carrying him upstairs was a nightmare, but she managed it. When she finally found his bedroom, she leaned him back on his bed. Effie was about to take of his dirty clothes, as she'd have done in the Capitol, when she felt his arms looping around her waist and pulling her to the bed with him. She tried to free herself, but Haymitch only tighten his arms and started murmuring things again.

"Haymitch, stop please" Effie said almost as a plea. The situation was pretty familiar. She knew Haymitch was having one of his hallucinations about his girl or maybe the arena, and that it was better not to wake him up because, even though she trusted him, he didn't know who she was, and could become aggressive against her.

"Stay" Haymitch said as he loses his arms a little bit and a second later, he was snoring under Effie. She tried to get out, but every time she would move, Haymitch would tight his arms around her. At the end she gave up and fell asleep on his chest.