Euphemia Trinket had been personally selected by president snow to be and Escort, she was only sixteen but he had desperately wanted to start her as an escort so she had her lie and say she was eighteen. Snow was a family friend and had always had a soft spot for Effie, he figured if he started her early on district 12 she'd be even more experienced the time she was prompted to one of the better districts. She hadn't wanted to be an escort, she had wanted to pursue a career in singing or acting but you didn't really have a choice if Snow hand picked you.
She had been sent to district 12 for the reaping and her two tributes were a 17 year old boy and a 14 year old girl, she felt terrible picking them handing them a death sentence but it had to be done. She was nervous to meet Haymitch Abernathy, the quarter quell victor, he was 20 and dreamy, although she had heard he was now prone to drinking, she walked into his train compartment her heels clicking behind her "Hello, I'm your new escort, Euphemia Trinket, but you can call me Effie." She said holding out her hand "Hi Effie I'm Haymitch, drink?" He asked, she wasn't really supposed to but she figured if she was pretending to be 18 she could act as though she was "Sure, I'll have whatever you're having." She replied with a smile, so the rumours of his alcohol problems were true, but he was also just as handsome as when he had won.
He poured her a drink and she came to sit with him, "I'm pleased to be working with you." She lied, she didn't want this job, but she didn't mind that it was with him. "That makes one us then sweetheart." He said as he downed his drink, Effie sipped at hers, she regretted asking for what he was having she didn't much like the taste of whiskey, it was too strong. He laughed as he seen the face she made "Give me that princess, I'll get you something else." He said taking her glass and downing that too then going to get her a glass of white wine "Try that, it's not as strong." He told her and went to pour himself another glass. She did in fact like the wine he gave her, it was a lot nicer "Thank you." She said once she finished her glass "Want another?" He asked, if he was to get to know this capitol girl they might as well be drunk and make the whole experience more bearable "I really shouldn't, I have no tolerance." She said politely smiling at him "Well I'm sure that will have changed by the end of this years games." He said, he'd be a bad influence "Perhaps." She said before getting up and leaving him in peace to drink "Goodnight Mr Abernathy." She said and he was left thinking she wasn't as bad as he thought she was going to be.
Once they arrived in the capitol they began having a drink together almost every night and Effie found herself enjoying his company, the games hadn't started yet but launch day was in a few days. A night before the games began Effie came to the living-room where Haymitch was sitting (obviously waiting for her) "Get up." She said gesturing to him "What? Why?" He said but got up anyway "I've indulged in your habit, it's your turn." She said and led him up to the roof, grabbing her coat on the way. "Why are we up here?" He asked curiously "You like to have a drink, I like to have a smoke." She said pulling out a pack of cigarettes and handing him one, lighting them both "Who would've thought you could be a bad influence?" He asked chuckling, she took a long drag of her cigarette, she hadn't smoked for very long, mostly she just stole her mother's, but now she had an escort ID badge saying she was eighteen she had began smoking more.
They continued to spend a little time together at night and even when their tributes entered the arena, they weren't flirty with each other but there was a natural pull. So when their tributes had died and Haymitch found his escort crying hysterically, sitting on the floor of her bedroom he naturally tried to comfort, helping her up, her makeup hadn't budged despite her crying, and now he was standing looking down at her, he realised how attractive the woman really was he had leaned down to kiss her, she had kissed him back, she did have a little crush on him after all, but he began to kiss her more passionately, his hands moved to pull her dress and he started to kiss her neck she suddenly realised that she couldn't let him do this "Haymitch, Haymitch stop." She said pushing against his chest "What is it princess?" He asked still close to her "We can't…" she said breathlessly "What are you a virgin or something?" She was struck by how forward he was "No I'm not a virgin, but I lied to you, I'm not eighteen, I'm sixteen." She said and he immediately backed off, she quickly pulled down her dress "But you smoke, you drink, you've had sex, you're an escort for fucks sake How are you sixteen?" He said absolutely horrified, thank god she'd stopped him "I started smoking by stealing cigarettes from my mom, you are the one who has been giving me alcohol, I've had sex because I'm sixteen, I'm not a kid and snow hand picked me to be an escort, he knows how old I am, and told me to lie." She explained.
"Fuck, that bastard made you be and escort even though you're not old enough?" He asked and she nodded "My whole career is planed out, I didn't want to do this, I wanted to be an actress." She said softly and he found himself feeling bad for the younger girl "I'm sorry princess." He said genuinely "I'm sorry I lied, but for the record, if I was eighteen I wouldn't have stopped you." She said truthfully, it's not that she didn't fancy him (because she did) but he deserved to know before he done something he would regret. "Age has went up now sweetheart, come back to me when you're 26 if you're still interested I'll think about it." He said and she pouted "But that's ten years away." She protested "I know, and trust me I won't be giving you anymore alcohol." he said then left her alone.
As it turns out she was still interested in him when she was 26, by the time she was 36 she was in love with him and he had whisked her off to district 13 to protect her from the capitol and by the time she was 46 they were happily married and living in district 12.