Effie made it indeed easier for Haymitch. All he needed to do was sign few papers. She even managed to spare him the interview with Caesar. In a few days after Cashmere won, he's back to Twelve. He should be happy about it but he kind of miss her presence and her constant lecture about manners and fashion. In the dead silence of his house, he can hear her voice sometimes telling him to mind his language.
He thought about calling her but that would be odd of him and strange too. He barely know her and she's Capitol. He decided to drown his thoughts with whisky since he's very sure he won't be seeing her the following year. Her heart was broken. He's sure of that. She won't make the mistake of staying.
When the day of the Reaping came, he was proven wrong. Effie went on the stage wearing a green dress with actual leaves on it matched with a golden wig.
She didn't stop by his house like last year but he should've known she's still his escort because of the package left in his living room which is a formal suit that he bothered putting on for the Reaping.
Effie wears her usual bubbliness as she reaped a sixteen-year old girl and a twelve-year old boy. Not once she glanced towards his way. She's all business and even made sure to stick to their schedule, not giving an extra time for the kids to say their goodbye to their families unlike what she did last year.
The kids are quite different from last year. The girl, Carol, is more mature and got a lot of attitude while the boy, Garrett, is shy but he got the same look as Leticia whenever he pays attention to Effie.
"You're still here", he finally said once they're left alone in the train.
Effie turned to him with her escort smile but he noticed it's more strained than before.
"Yes. I got quite a thrill working as escort last year and I want more. It's going to be an exciting year", she lied.
He knows it's all a lie. That's his gift. He can see through people's lies. Her voice is cheerful but her eyes don't match. Her eyes are sad.
"How's the Victory Tour?" he asked just to start a conversation.
Effie put her folder on the table which is color-coded and began browsing through it.
"I didn't go but my friend Dahlia mentioned it was quite a celebration. Cashmere had a great time", she answered.
Her eyes fixated on the files which got him curious so he sat across from her. The files contained various names of Capitol citizens, mostly men.
"Why didn't you go? You love parties. You spent plenty of time partying after the last year's pair died. Highly inappropriate and insensitive if you ask me but that's your thing", he commented and that earned him a glare.
Effie closed the folder and turned to him.
"You have a compulsive habit of judging people around you without actually getting to know them. You're right. It's my thing so perhaps you should refrain from trying to dwell on my business", she snapped coldly.
The coldness totally contradicts her earlier bubbliness.
"I told you to quit", he reminded her.
"…and yet I am still here and I am not going anywhere, Haymitch. Hate me all you want. I am not quitting", she insisted.
His fist hit the table involuntarily.
"Why? Give me one good reason and I mean one real reason why you want to stay in this hell hole and I will leave you alone", he asked.
He cannot understand why she wants to stay and work as an escort when she doesn't have to. She is a pure soul. He can tell. It's not his job to try and save her but he feels like he must and it frustrates him that she's so stubborn in staying.
Effie leaned back to her chair and didn't answer. She seek his eyes and once she got them, her eyes made a point of glancing side to side while her fingers briefly touched her lips before looking back at him. That gesture was only used by other Victors. He knows that because Mags thought him that so how come Effie suddenly know it? It only means that they are being listened to and she's very aware of it. She is definitely not like the previous escorts.
"I wanted to be promoted. Twelve is my ladder, you see. Once we win, I will have my chance to be promoted to higher districts. I suggest you do your job well for the kids so they can win and I will be out of your hair in no time", she said with her cheerful voice back on.
"How unfortunate…sure, the districts will have a blast having you to boss them around", he replied playing on the same field as she is.
He saw her briefly sighed in relief. He made a mental note to find a time to actually talk to her because his brain can only cope with a lot and he will need a lot of alcohol to process them.
"What's with the names?" he asked to change the subject.
She smiled and a real one too.
"List of potential Sponsors. All the partying you mentioned earlier, this is why I was there", she answered and reopened the folder.
He glanced at it and it's a long list.
"That's why you attended those things? To hound Sponsors?" he asked and she nodded. "Wow, you've been busy", he muttered.
"I don't do things that aren't productive, Haymitch. Now, we have targets and it should make things easy rather than going blind. It will save us some time", she explained.
He admits. She is clever. Escorts and Capitol dolls are not supposed to be clever but she is clever. It adds to his question on why she became an escort in the first place. With her brain, she got no place in the games. He wonders if she's aware of what the business is really like in the games but he's not going to be the one to unload that to her.
"Enlighten me then, princess. Who do we go after first?" he asked and his sudden interest made her smile again.
I got this idea in my head that I want to put in so I am finding my way to get there. Revelation will come in a few chapters ahead.
