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Chapter 10

Effie's fingers briefly touched her lips, still tingling from Haymitch's kiss. She allowed a small smile to grace her lips but when she saw Katniss and Peeta emerging from another elevator, her smile vanished and the masked she put on for the world to see came slipping back on. She is Effie Trinket the Escort now; the Effie who had just been kissed by Haymitch was tucked aside for the time being.

As she fell in step behind Haymitch, Effie sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere. She grew more alert, anticipating some kind of problem. Her eyes landed on the two Avoxes standing at the entrance of the dining room and heaved a sigh of relief. Just a new Avox.

"Looks like they've got you a matched set this year," she said cheerfully. The memories of the kiss clearly had lent a weight to her mood and she found herself slightly happier.

She saw Haymitch glaring at her and Katniss face growing pale. Is something going on that I should know about? She thought to herself as the happiness inside her dissipated only to be replaced by a growing sense of anxiety.

Katniss stormed off and locked herself in her room with Peeta following suit after excusing himself.

"What... What's going on?" Effie turned towards Haymitch as they made their way to the sitting room.

"The new Avox was a Peacekeeper from District 12," Haymitch told her softly, not wanting to be heard. He was frowning in displeasure and Effie could see his temple throbbing as he tried to suppress his anger.

Effie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She wondered if this was President Snow's way of reminding Katniss the power he wielded.

After the Victory Tour and witnessing Peeta proposing to Katniss, Haymitch had told her in his own roundabout ways how President Snow had threatened Katniss at her home. Effie thought the only reason Haymitch had informed her in the first place was so she could be prepared and could spin stories that would help Katniss with her act.

Effie, like the rest of the citizens residing in the Capitol had been genuinely happy and ecstatic for them both when Peeta had proposed. She thought it was extremely sweet and charming of Peeta to declare his love for Katniss in such a manner. Now that she was aware that it was done to please President Snow, she had been angry and grew increasingly worried for them.

XxX

At 8 am the next morning, Effie knocked softly on Haymitch's door out of courtesy since she knew he would not be opening his door this early in the morning. After a minute, she twisted the door knob and pushed the door open. She was surprised to see Haymitch sitting on his bed, the sheets twisted around his legs with a bottle of whiskey in his hand, looking like he had not slept at all.

"Haymitch," she called out his name, trying not to scare him. The memory of having his knife pressed against her throat still fresh in her mind.

"Hmm?" he answered as he slowly turned towards her.

"I've come to rouse you up but I see that's not needed. Breakfast will be served soon and you should eat something," she said, picking up his dirty clothes from the floor and putting in his laundry basket.

"Okay."

She approached him and gingerly sat down at the side of his bed, unsure on how she should act. Is it appropriate to kiss him good morning? No, that would imply a far more intimate ... relationship. It would be too presumptuous. Effie wasn't even sure the exact term to coin what was going on between them. In the end, she decided it was far better to act normal.

She had spent the entire night replaying the incident at the elevator in her mind until she succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep.

"I've got you this bracelet," she told him as she slipped the golden bangle from her wrist.

He blinked once as he slowly focuses his gaze on the bracelet in her palm.

"It's for you, to match Katniss' gold pin and my golden wig. To look like a team," she extended her palm out for him to take the bangle. He picked it up and held it between his thumb and forefinger, twisting it around to inspect it. The way he was looking at it, it was like Effie had dipped it in poison.

He looked up and sneered at her, his blood-shot eyes pinned hers with a death glare. He leaned forward, his face mere inches from hers. Effie could smell the alcohol on his breath and she gagged.

"Do you even know what that pin symbolises, Effie?" he hissed at her.

"It's the latest ... fashion. Everyone's wearing it, I just thought -"

He shook his head, "Fashion. Really, Eff, really?"

She stared at him, not understanding his derisive tone. He held out his wrist and let her put it on him nonetheless.

"Katniss and Peeta have to be at the training centre by 10 am. Well, don't forget to have breakfast; it's not good to drink on an empty stomach. Not good to drink at all actually. I'm going to the Games Headquarters like you've asked me yesterday. Talk to any potential sponsors," she informed him of the schedule.

Haymitch waved her off as he staggered and made his way to his bathroom.

XxX

Effie was overwhelmed. She and Haymitch had been talking to the mentors from the different districts who had requested to have Katniss as their ally during the Quell ever since the first day of the training.

"Has she made up her mind yet? The Private Session is tomorrow. We haven't got much time," she reminded him.

"Relax, sweetheart."

Returning back to the Penthouse, she was quick to slip off her heels and sat on the sofa, letting her aching feet rest. Haymitch took one glance at her and gave a scathing snort.

"Go soak your feet, told you your heels will kill you."

"I'm still alive," she told him, laughing.

XxX

"All right, how did your private sessions go?" Haymitch asked Peeta and Katniss.

Effie observed as they exchanged a look with each other. She felt a sunken feeling in her stomach remembering the stunt Katniss pulled last year. Her face didn't betray her emotions as she asked if Peeta had painted a picture of Katniss.

Effie's voice began to waver as Peeta told them about painting a picture of Rue. Doesn't he know that it would get him in trouble? One does not go against the Capitol like that!

She nearly missed out when Katniss told the table how she hung a dummy of Seneca Crane. The silence on the table of was so thick, it was suffocating. Cinna spoke first, expressing his disbelief, followed by Effie.

"Oh, Katniss," Effie said, swallowing the lump in her throat, her voice dropping to a mere whisper. "How do you even know about that?"

Overwhelmed with emotions, Effie excused herself from the table. Once in her room, she locked herself in the bathroom not wanting Haymitch to find her in case he came looking. She doesn't want to explain to Haymitch why the mention of Seneca Crane got her all emotional.

She had not lied to Haymitch during the Harvest Festival when he asked. Seneca was a good friend. He was one of her closest friends before their respective careers pulled them apart. It would not do them any good for an Escort to be seen too friendly with the former Head Gamemaker, it would be seen as currying favour. That was the nature of Capitol politics, people talked and rumours would spread faster than wild fire.

She grabbed a few pieces of tissue and dabbed her eyes. Her make-up was a mess from all the tears she shed. She sighed, thinking of the time she now had to spend painstakingly reapplying her make-up. Looking at the mirror, she frowned at the sight of her red eyes. She can't hide her red eyes. Everyone would know that she had been crying. Well, nothing I could do about that.

Glancing one last time at the mirror to ensure she looks presentable, Effie stepped into the sitting room to join the rest of the team as they watched the training score.

XxX

Twelve. Each of them had scored a Twelve.

Effie smiled happily but her smile slowly faded as she realised that what Haymitch said was true. With a training score like that, they would be a target for the rest of the Victors. The game play was to always eliminate the threat first and that's exactly what they are. I supposed President Snow would love that, the traitorous thought entered her head.

Haymitch dismissed Katniss and Peeta before flopping down rather ungracefully on the sofa, signalling to an Avox to bring him a drink.

"Are you okay?" Portia asked Effie, giving her a warm hug.

"Yes. Yes, it's just... the stress, you know?"

Cinna and Portia nodded empathetically. After bidding her goodnight, they left Effie alone with an irritated and angry Haymitch.

Effie approached him and sat down. He was absent-mindedly twisting the golden bracelet around his wrist.

"What's on the schedule tomorrow?" Haymitch asked after a while.

"We have to coach them for their interview the day after," reciting what she knew from memory. "Shall I take Katniss first, just like last year?"

"No," he swirled the red wine in the glass. "Let them have the day to themselves. Cancel it."

"Let them go unprepared for the interview?" her voice rising in disbelief. "Haymitch, I understand that you are not happy with the stunt they pulled but don't you think this is taking it a bit too far? You're their men-"

"Don't tell me how to do my job. I told you to cancel it; do it. They can handle themselves in public."

"Fine," Effie snapped. She grabbed a pad on the table in front of her and began to write a note for Katniss and Peeta. Once it was done, she handed it to the Avox to be delivered to them tomorrow.

"Thank you. Be sure that one of them gets it," she told the Avox. She turned to bade Haymitch goodnight only to find him lounging on the sofa with his eyes closed. She nearly reached the door to her bedroom when his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you gonna fall apart the next time Crane's name is mentioned?" he asked, cracking his eyes open.

She hesitated before turning around to answer him. "No..."

"Good. I can't ... I don't know how to handle..."

"I know."

She lingered, unsure where this conversation was heading.

"You sure he's only a friend?"

"Yes. We had this conver-"

"I know. To be certain. Can't have a fellow colleague depressed over someone's death all the time, can we?"

Colleague? Is that all she was to him?

She narrowed her eyes. She understood that Haymitch probably couldn't care less about Seneca's death. In his eyes, Seneca Crane was probably nothing more than a child murderer. Still, couldn't he understand that Seneca was her friend and that she had at one point of time cared about him?

"He was my friend, Haymitch. It might be difficult for you to understand the depth and value of friendship seeing as how you have none, but he was my friend so excuse me if I am grieving over his death."

Effie knew that was a low blow but she was angry. She turned and stalked into her room before she could say anything that would worsen the situation. She saw the anger burning in his eyes just before her door closed.

A/N: The next chapter should be up soon! Already typed it out, just had to tweak it a little.