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Chapter 11

By the time dawn broke and the sunlight began to filter through the windows of Effie's room, she was already awake and completing her morning ablutions. She sat in front of her vanity mirror thinking about the way she treated Haymitch yesterday.

It was rude, definitely. It was not in her nature to lose control in such a manner, to snap at someone in anger. She leaned forward and began to carefully apply eye shadow.

I'll apologise, she thought. I'll go up to him later and apologise for my appalling behaviour.

Effie studied her schedule. It was a relatively short day. She had on short notice scheduled a lunch appointment with two potential sponsors, seeing as how she no longer had to coach Katniss and Peeta. Haymitch would not be happy, she thought. She was sure that he had already planned to spend his time drinking the arrays of liquor and wine the Capitol had to offer. It was not that Effie thought so lowly of Haymitch but after nearly 10 years of working together there were some aspects of Haymitch behaviour that were downright predictable.

Katniss and Peeta were already gone by the time Effie made her way to their room to check on them. She panicked and began to pace the length of the hallway up and down, muttering quietly to herself.

The incessant tapping of her heels on the floor must have woken Haymitch up because he poked his head out of his room and snarled at her, "Will you stop that! Some of us are trying to sleep!"

She whirled around and ran straight for him. "They're gone, Haymitch! Katniss and Peeta! I can't find them in their room!"

"Yeah, so?" he blinked tiredly at her.

"Be serious. Did you even heard what I said? They're not in their rooms."

"Look, sweetheart, I know you're always as uptight as your corset, but please... learn to calm down. They have a free day today; they're probably somewhere spending what little free time they have together."

She pursed her lips.

"Where could they possibly have gone to?"

"Exactly. If they're not here, they're probably up on the roof. The only other place they have access to," he pointed out the obvious to her. He proceeded to close the door on her but Effie was quick enough to place her palm flat on the wooden surface of the door to stop him.

"Listen... Ah, about yesterday... I didn't mean... I'm sorry. I apologised for the way I talked to you, for snapping at you like that. It's just... He was my friend but, believe me, when I say I will have better control of my emotions in the future," she told him earnestly.

When he didn't reply, she grew uncomfortable and stared at her heels; her hand gripped the clipboard containing her schedule tightly. She heard him grunt in response.

"Yeah, okay. Apology accepted."

She dragged her eyes to his waiting for him to say more.

"That's it?" she asked rather incredulously. "Just simply 'apology accepted'?"

He frowned and shut his eyes, leaning his forehead against the doorframe. Effie realised that Haymitch was not going to apologise for mocking her as she cried over Seneca's death and that "apology accepted" was as good as she was going to get with regards to yesterday's matter.

Changing the subject, Effie informed him, "We're having lunch with Mrs. Anthea Watson and Mr. Zacharias Burdette. So, please, be ready by 12."

His eyes flew opened and stared at her. "What? No. No, this was not in the schedule yesterday."

"It wasn't but it is now. They're potential sponsors, Haymitch. We have to meet them."

Haymitch turned and went back into his room, motioning for Effie to follow him. He relieved Effie of her clipboard and proceeded to scribble a note on the margins of her schedule. When he returned it to her, she squinted as she tried to make sense of the almost illegible writings.

Give me a list of all the sponsors we have later on. Need to share.

She frowned. Share? What does he even mean by that? Sponsors are not meant to be shared and most importantly, with who?

Her confusion must have been apparent because he once again grabbed her clipboard and scrawled on it. Will explain later.

Trust him, a little voice said at the back of her mind, he asked you to trust him remember? She nodded at him and walked out of his room.

XxX

Lunch went relatively well; Effie dared consider it went better than her expectations.

Five minutes to noon, Effie paced anxiously at the sitting room waiting for Haymitch to come out from his room. When noon came and passed, Effie sighed and went to collect Haymitch from his room and ensure that he looked as presentable as she could make him to be.

They had arrived late for their lunch appointment and Effie looking slightly flustered had apologised profusely to Mrs. Watson and Mr. Burdette.

Effie had always been the one to talk to the sponsors even though she was not allowed to make a deal with them. She would always refer them to Haymitch, the only person who could close the deal.

So, Effie was rather surprised when Haymitch made a conscious effort to engage in the conversation instead of sitting sullenly as he usually did. However, her surprise at Haymitch's actions were somewhat unfair to him, having had a history of sending Katniss the sponsor gifts that she used to great effect during the 74th Games. Effie knew when Haymitch decided to put in the effort, he could be quite the charmer.

Effie was enraptured by the way he was now charming Mrs. Watson. His eyes never left hers, and he leaned forward, resting his upper body weight on his elbow on the table to show his interest in whatever tale Mrs. Watson was regaling him with.

He must really need those sponsors, she thought to herself.

Effie turned to speak to Mr. Burdette only to find that he too had been drawn to the conversation Haymitch was having with Mrs. Watson.

As they finished the last of their desserts, Effie and Haymitch rose simultaneously and shook hands them.

"I'll be sure to look for you, Haymitch dear, when the Games start in a few days time," Mrs. Watson told him, patting Haymitch's arms affectionately. Haymitch inclined his head and smiled at her.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Burdette, Mrs. Watson," Effie said as she shook both of their hands.

Walking back towards the Training Centre, Effie turned to Haymitch, a curious smile on her lips, "What was that? Never seen you like that before."

"What was what?"

"That, back there." She waved her hands carelessly.

"That was me actually doing my job. Like you've told me to for years," he smirked at her.

"It would have been better if we had actually arrived on time. First impressions, you know?" she reprimanded him.

"Nah. We arrived just perfect. Kept them on their toes, made them anxious. Now they're interested,"

Effie started as realisation dawned on her. This was the Haymitch Abernathy that won the Games; smart and cunning. This is the Haymitch that the Capitol was afraid of. Not the drunk Haymitch; the drunk Haymitch was harmless, a laughing stock.

XxX

Arriving at their Penthouse, Haymitch went straight for the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He raised the bottle as a silent question to Effie, to ask if she wanted a glass. She shook her head.

Cinna and Portia were sitting on the sofa, deep in discussion. Effie didn't like the look on Cinna's face, it spoke of an impending problem.

"What's the matter?"

Cinna waved to her and motioned for her to take a seat.

"The dress I designed for Katniss for tomorrow's interview? Well, it's a no go."

"Why?" Effie asked, alarmed. She absolutely abhorred those last minute problems that tend to crop up from time to time and threaten to ruin the entire event.

"President Snow had personally ordered that Katniss puts on this wedding dress," he pointed to the dress covered in a black bag.

Haymitch was quicker. He had already picked the bag and was unzipping it when Portia warned him to be careful with it.

"Might work in their favour. The Capitol would be reminded of how tragic their life story is. A boy hopelessly in love with a girl who was thrown into an arena with him and now, when they are finally getting married, they're about to be pulled apart."

Effie hummed in agreement. "I could work with that."

"What would Peeta be wearing?" Effie asked, turning towards Portia.

"A tuxedo, something fitting for a groom."

"Don't worry. Portia and I had some ideas. I could make some alterations with this dress. You'll see, it would be wonderful," Cinna told them with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Instead of feeling comforted, Effie grew worried and a terrible feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Little did she know that that would be the last time all four of them would be gathered in the Penthouse together.

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