It is the hardest thing Effie has done in her life. She had paid a decent amount of money to the clinic to do the procedure and kept their mouth shut. Haymitch had explained to her how it is for the best when she got back to the penthouse but she chose to tune him out. She buried herself with work during the last days of the season. Britt Lee from District 4 was crowned as the Victor. Haymitch had insisted on staying for Victory Tour but Effie waivered. She said that there's no need since despite being a good season, Britt Lee is not as popular as Augustus Braun so the Victory Tour wouldn't be as grand.
Haymitch went back to Twelve with two new coffins and a heavy burden of guilt in his chest. He knows Effie doesn't want to have an abortion. He can see how much she wanted to be a mother but he cannot let his child to be use as pressure point all his life and be drawn out as Tribute by age 12. It will be too much and he knows Snow will do just that. He tried to call her a few times but she didn't answer so he called Chaff instead.
"I only see her once but she didn't attend most parties. She submitted the last batch of the paperwork and that was it. What happened?" Chaff asked over the phone.
"Nothing. I was just worried", he answered then hung up.
He went back to drinking since it's the only thing that can help him get through the day. He made sure to push aside the thoughts of what if's. There is no use for it now. There is no what if for him, not in this lifetime anyway.
Meanwhile, Effie remained in the Capitol. Despite numerous invitations, she cannot bring herself to attend any parties. She's in mourning although no one knows about it. During Sunday's lunch with her family, she kept it quiet. She answers whenever she was asked but that's just it. She didn't bother stirring up conversations or try to impress her mother and father. They didn't notice. Her sister does.
"Something happened", Amadea said to her younger sister.
"I don't know what you mean", Effie said.
"Drop it, Euphemia. I am not Mother and I have eyes", she snapped.
Effie didn't drop the mask. She's been wearing it since the start of Victory Tour and she doesn't know how to survive without it now.
"I appreciate the concern, Amadea but I am quite alright. Well, I am used to things better now so there's no need to fret", she replied with her usual smile that her sister didn't buy at all.
The grief is too much for her to bear and she can only think of one way to spare her from so much pain. She returned to her ways despite the voices in her head. After a few months, she returned to partying all night and somehow, she managed to forget. It worked for sometime until she bumped into Mags.
"It is a lovely surprise! How was the Victory Tour?" Effie greeted.
The new season is about to begin in two weeks so it's quite surprising to see the Victor in the Capitol ahead of schedule.
"Splendid. Please explain why you're here at this hour", she said sternly.
Effie frowned by the authority in her voice but the mask is attached firmly.
"Well, it is quite a party and I was invited. It is an honor, frankly. Plus, I get to meet potential Sponsors for the upcoming season", she answered with her cheery voice.
It's Mags' turn to frown. She can sense something is off with her. Effie never talked to her like she's one of the Sponsors. Everything about her suddenly screams fake and Mags couldn't help but wince.
"That is a strategy. I think I should adapt it", she muttered.
"I think you should", Effie replied before she was taken by a colleague to be introduced to some important people.
The 69th Hunger Games begins and Effie arrived in Twelve just an hour before the Reaping. It's not that she's late. She doesn't want to be early. The smell of Haymitch's house greeted her when she opened the door but it's no surprise. She proceeded to his bedroom just like before and opened the curtains to let the sun in.
"Up! Up! Haymitch! It's Reaping Day!" she cheered.
Haymitch looked at her with wide eyes. She's back to her pink wig, white face, and atrocious clothes. Her heels clicked as she paced through his room, arranging his clothes for the day.
"I called you…a lot", he muttered.
"Oh, forgive me…I was attending gatherings left and right. You wouldn't believe the invitations! But rest assured, I was doing it for good cause. We got quite a line up for Sponsors this year", she explained in her Capitol doll tone which made him annoyed.
She is talking to him like her first year as an escort. He hated it when she does that.
"I am glad you had a blast partying after another pair of kids died", he spites hoping to get some reaction out of her but she gave him none.
"Well then, we only got less than hour before the ceremony so go take a bath and put this one. We have a big, big, big day ahead of us!" she said and then left.
He didn't know what just happen but he doesn't like it. It's like she suddenly turned off her human side and activated the Capitol drone in her.
There's nothing new about the Reaping but it's not what Haymitch is focusing on. His eyes are set on Effie the whole time. When they boarded the train, the two kids reminded him of their first Tributes, the way they looked at Effie but something has changed. She distanced herself from them and she refused to rea them to sleep like what she used to do back then. She kept her tone businesslike even with the kids.
"What's going on with you, princess?" he asked when they're left alone in the cart.
"It's Effie. Please do practice to use my name and I don't know what you mean, Haymitch", she said.
"STOP IT!" he yelled which stunned her but she quickly recovered. "You've been acting like a fucking machine since you arrived in Twelve and I had enough of it. Tell me what's eating you", he insisted.
She kept her façade on but he can see it cracking. Her eyes never lied and that hasn't changed with her.
"Haymitch, it is too early to get on each other's throats. I am simply taking your advice throughout the years so I don't really understand why you're complaining", she responded with cool.
"Eff, if this is about what happened last year—"
"Haymitch, don't", she cut him off.
That is not a topic she wants to revisit. She had buried that in her mind for months and she's not about to dig it up.
"Princess…let's not be like this. I don't want us to be like this", he muttered.
He doesn't want to give her up. She is the only thing that's keeping him sane.
"This is going to be long season, Haymitch. Let's just try to get through it so we can be out of each other's hair faster", she replied and leaves.
So, i think this is the start of the relationship of Effie and Haymitch that we've seen during Hunger Games (the first movie) where Haymitch does his best to annoy the hell out of Effie just so he can see the real her underneath her Capitol mask. It is quite heartbreaking but it's really fun to play around with so here you go.
