The lack of nicotine and alcohol in Effie's system is showing. She's constantly on the verge of having a meltdown. Her temper is shorter. She diverts her energy to paperwork but she already went on ahead before the season begins and finished it so she doesn't have that much to do. She did her best to stay away from Haymitch and she limited her interaction with the kids to avoid snapping at them. When they stopped at Seven, she hurried the Avoxes in finding her a pack of cigarette she desperately needed. Once she gets her hand on it, she quickly proceeded to the last cart of the train and she smoked three sticks right away.
Effie felt herself relaxed and she let herself sat on the couch and watched District Seven disappeared from the view as they moved along. They will be in the Capitol soon and the fiasco will start. She will have to force herself to act dumb and smile all the time and she needed some push for that. Of course, she craves for the pills to get her there but she made a promise to Haymitch and she intends to keep it. She was about to get another stick when a hand stopped hers.
"Three is enough, princess", Haymitch said.
She let him took the pack and the lighter from her hand and put it on the table. He must've followed her earlier and just watched her as she smokes her way.
"I am sorry for the way I behave the last few days", she apologized.
Snapping at the kids is not a good way to communicate with them and she let her frustration get to her.
"We all reach the end of our temper sometimes. I don't blame you. I am sorry too for bringing up you being Capitol. You know I think you as better than most of them. It's just sometimes…" he trailed but she knows what he's trying to say.
"…sometimes I remind you of where I came from", she continued and he nodded. "Well, that would be a problem, wouldn't it? I am not actress, Haymitch. I can't just turn it off and then turn it back on once we get to the Capitol. I know I've been very good pretender since I started working here but it's exhausting. When I am in Twelve or at the penthouse with you, I can drop the pretense and just be myself but when I hopped in this train, I am Effie Trinket. I am District Twelve's escort. I guess what I am trying to say is that it's quite difficult to switch between the escort and myself", she explained.
He knows that. That's why he's worried. She's already too involved with him, with the kids, with the other Victors. If she can only be like his former escorts who don't care at all, she will do just fine but like what Mags said, she has a heart. That is the problem.
"I promise to extend my understanding and my patience", he said.
She turned to him and for the first time since they got on the train, she gave him a genuine smile.
"Thank you", she said.
That night, they had slept together again. Haymitch snuck out of her room because he doesn't want to hurt her while she sleeps when he gets his nightmare. She didn't hold it against him. The next day, Effie apologized to the kids about her losing her temper at them and she promised to be more patient in teaching them. The kids are responsive and it didn't take long for the three to get along.
Their arrival at the Capitol started with a bang. A few fans of Effie came and clamoured around her, desperate for a picture. It took a couple of minutes for the security to arrive and by that time, she's already agitated. She used to enjoy the attention, he thought. Now, it seems like she doesn't want any of that anymore. It is a big red flag. That changed in her personality will not go unnoticed by Snow and he made a mental note to tell that to her later. As usual, they got the penthouse and Effie is quick to order the kids to freshen up and rest in their bedrooms. She lit up a stick of her cigarette and calmed herself down. She didn't expect that many people at the station let alone people waiting for her. When the kids are done, she started giving them notes about the interview. It is hopeless, Haymitch thought, but he kept it shut.
The training went bad but not as bad as before. Apparently, the girl can use a knife without dropping it and the boy is a runner. They might have a chance but it's a very slim chance. It is enough though to give Effie hope that they might survive. That night, they slept together again but Effie had fallen asleep in his bed due to exhaustion from working her ass all day long. He had fallen asleep too before he was able to tell her to sleep in her room.
Effie got woken up by the sound of Haymitch panting, grunting, and kicking. She turned on the lights and looked at him and saw he still got his eyes closed. He is having a nightmare, she figured.
"Haymitch", she called in a low voice but he didn't wake up.
She can't just let him be like that or he will wake the kids too so she got up and walked to his side of the bed and turned on his lights too.
"Haymitch, wake up", she called again but still nothing.
Something tells her it is a bad idea to wake him but she's worried. When a person has a nightmare, it's only natural to wake them, right? She took a step forward and slowly tapped his arm to wake him. She was just about to step back but he is fast. He is extremely fast. He bolted from bed and waved his arm armed with his knife into the air. Effie yelped as she stumbled backwards and she landed onto the glass table. The sound of her scream snapped Haymitch out of his nightmare and saw Effie shaking onto the floor. She is surrounded by broken glass and she's bleeding.
"Effie? Damn it! Why did you wake me up? Why did you even sleep here?" he exclaimed as he tossed his knife away and went to her.
He searched where the source of the bleeding and it's her arm where his knife had sliced. She scraped her other arm to and hands when she landed on the table. The sight of the blood made her lightheaded that she couldn't even feel the sting of it.
"You were screaming. The kids will hear so I had to wake you", she explained but her voice is close to fainting.
"Princess, don't pass out. Effie!" he yelled but she closed her eyes and blacked out.
