The lab was out of view and District 3 industrial factories began to materialize. The car was a genius. It not only turns itself but it senses people, objects and even the red light in a stoplight. It manages to dodge and stop at those obstacles. The whole trip was silent and Effie had had too many awkward silences so she started to look around to notice anything that could give her a reason to break it. That's when she spotted Haymitch 'driving'.
"What are you smiling at?" he asked aware of Effie's suspicious gaze upon him.
"You DON'T know how to drive?" she mockingly gasped.
He switched his expression to a usual blank. "Well, if I had reason to drive around I would, but I don't,"
"True, true, you'd rather go swimming in your lunch than go anywhere else," Effie remarked.
Haymitch made a little noise that was supposed to be a chuckle then his expression shifted, suddenly remembering something. Beside him was his liquor bag. A sigh escaped his mouth when he realized that he couldn't drink, even if the car was on autopilot. He must not attract attention to them. Despite this, he still wanted to touch the bag for comfort. He held the steering wheel with one hand while the other began to slip onto the zip of the bag when he felt his hand being slapped.
"WHAT was that for?" he snapped.
"I know what's in that bag Haymitch and you are NOT supposed to drink while you drive, even if you're not actually driving," Effie scolded.
"Of course I know that. My head isn't as airy as your puffed up wigs, princess,"
"Well, then WHY were you unzipping the bag?"
"I was NOT unzipping the bag,"
"YES… YOU… WERE,"
"For the love of- WOULD YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN FOR ONCE,"
Their voices were rising higher and higher with each line they say to one another.
"Well, YOU listen, Haymitch. We are supposed to be undercover and YOU are yelling at the top of your lungs,"
"WELL AREN'T YOU A HYPOCRITE?"
"WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A NORMAL FAMILY,"
"THEN HOW THE FUCK DO WE DO THAT?"
Haymitch's swearing had splashed the heated argument with cold water. Both suddenly realized the presence of the children at the back. Effie turned her head to the children to see how they were doing. They were seated there, confused and kind of scared. Haymitch placed both his hands on the wheel and pretended to drive. He sighed and looked up the mirror where he saw the same expression Effie had seen on the children.
"So, Effie…" Haymitch spoke calmly this time. "It's no secret that I think you and your people's fashion sense is way far from most normal thing in the world," Effie rolled her eyes. "But being raised in a better living standard than us in 12, I guess you know how a normal family acts on car rides,"
"Are you, the Haymitch Abernathy," Effie began in her most sarcastic tone. "…winner of the 2nd Quarter Quell, mentor of 2 victors in a year, and one of the 'brains' of the rebellion, asking me, Effie Trinket, the air headed Capitol escort, for Family Advice?"
Haymitch grunted before putting on his signature smirk. "Ah so her majesty DOES have a sense of humor. Oh no, sweetheart, I was asking if I could borrow one of your old wigs for the singing audition of 'The Next Mockingjay',"
Nonetheless, Effie smiled. Haymitch usually never asked for her advice. In fact, she couldn't remember a time he did.
"Well," she paused for a moment. "My parents always asked me and my brother how was our school and we'd share endless stories,"
"So, we story tell. Let's start with you, Katniss. How was your day?" Haymitch said.
"But Uncle Hobo," she grunted. "You were with me the whole time, silly. Why would you ask that?"
"This is pointless," Haymitch moaned. "How do we act like a family?"
"Be patient, Haymitch. These are kids," Effie turned to Katniss. "So, sweetie, how have you been? I haven't seen much of you since…" she trailed off. "…Since forever. Has Uncle Haymitch been taking care of you well?"
This made Katniss look bright and eager. "Uncle Hobo really hasn't been there much. He left Peeta and me alone in the house with boo-boos from that evil flower and no clothes," This made Effie glare at Haymitch but before he could explain himself, Katniss continued. "But luckily Selene was there."
Suddenly, Peeta joined in. "Yeah, she treated our boo-boos and hugged us a lot. After that, we played make-believe. Well, we didn't really have clothing that time, but we had these giant clothes on. Katniss and I pretended we were wizards. Our giant shirts looked like wizard dresses,"
Then, Katniss and Peeta took turns narrating the story back and forth. They went on about how Peeta and Katniss argued on who would be the good wizard until Selene settled their dispute by telling them they could be both the good wizards and she could be the bad one. Then, they spoke about using the broomsticks and chasing each other. Then, they got to the part where Plutarch visited. Katniss just mostly complained how boring he was. Afterwards, they shared about when Delly came. Peeta blurted about how comfortable they were with clothes. Finally, they got to the part in the train and Peeta narrated about how Haymitch comforted Katniss when she was scared. This got a smile from Effie. With that, they were done talking.
"You know. You're not so bad with kids, Haymitch," Effie gave him a genuine smile but it abruptly turned to a smirk. "But you chose to be single, lonely and drunk,"
"Really, Effs? Have I mentioned you're a hypocrite?" Haymitch scoffed.
"But I'm not drunk," she protested.
"Not often, but remember when your boyfriend broke up with you ten years ago. Boy, you were so amusing,"
Remembering how Effie had the most colorful language in that time, Haymitch laughed so hard. Effie turned scarlet. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just because I didn't have a liver of steel like you do, doesn't mean you're not prone to some disease. You probably even had a cardiac arrest from laughing too hard,"
"That's ridiculous. I got cardiac arrest trying to carry your hundred pound ass added with the weight of your metal deathtrap shoes off the floor,"
Suddenly, Haymitch's eyes widened and his face began to burn. Just when Effie thought she couldn't blush anymore, she turned redder than before. And with that, she turned her attention to Gale.
"S-so Gale, how about you? How are you?" she asked.
"I'm okay," Gale answered plainly.
"Did you play exciting games with your buddies from District 2?" Effie asked making her voice sound a little more cheerful.
"Not really. I just played with one of their kids. She was really nice. She had the nicest-looking blonde hair and the bluest eyes. Really pretty,"
Katniss' mood seemed to have turned a little dark. "You were playing with a pretty girl, Gale?"
Gale just nodded and he didn't feel like talking. Katniss just frowned.
"Hey, Ms. Effie," Peeta called. "What was it like when you were kids like us?"
Effie was taken aback. She was barely asked personal questions. There was momentary silence while she thought of an answer.
"It was wonderful, Peeta," she answered. "I was so cute and chubby like you, three. My parents were architects- famous architects at that. Do any of you know what an architect is?"
The kids became attentive at such a foreign word and shook their heads.
"They design buildings and houses," she answered before continuing. "Architects are very rich. So, my brother and I had a lot of pretty things. But what we loved is to draw," Peeta's eyes sparkled when he heard the word draw.
"What did you like to draw Ms. Effie?" he asked.
"I love to draw anything but what I love to draw the most were houses, just like my mom and dad. My brother did, too," she answered.
"Did you and your brother become orkwitoks?"
It was Gale who had asked which again startled Effie due to their previous interactions. The shock left as soon as it hit her and put on a soft expression again.
"It's Architects, Gale and no. When my brother grew up, he took in other interests and he became a businessman," Gale furrowed his brow in confusion. "He liked to sell things," Effie explained and he nodded in understanding. "I studied and even finished to be an architect but…" Effie stopped herself before she could go on. Guilt began to eat her chest and she couldn't find herself to speak no more.
"When I was your age," Haymitch began. Effie turned to her side to silently thank him but Haymitch's eyes were on the road. "Well, actually I pretty much had the same childhood as the three of you, but I do recall when I was a child, I was really smart and good in school," Effie looked like she choked. "My ma kept all the awards I got in school. But when I grew older, I didn't like what school taught me, because I already read a lot of what they tried to teach us at school. So, I read up other books that no one reads much about,"
"Like what Uncle Hobo?" Katniss asked.
"Mostly about history, and about other places," Katniss slowly moved her head up and down.
"But I never saw you read before," Peeta noted.
"Well, as I got older, I didn't have time to read," Haymitch half expected Effie to make a comment about him dedicating his time for intoxication but she was listening as much as everyone else.
"Sometimes I skipped the boring classes before," he spoke again to steer away from the topic. "And I hid in the most secret of places just to read,"
"Where did you hide?" Gale asked.
"Usually in the school closets," Haymitch answered. "I was small enough to fit in there. So sometimes I would stay there until classes were over,"
"No one ever found you?" Gale asked with a great wonder and surprise in his tone. Haymitch chuckled.
"Well, sometimes the person who cleans the school found me, but after a while, he became familiar with me and never told anyone,"
Gale gave out an absent-minded oh.
"You're telling me you had medals for skipping out on classes?" Effie scoffed.
"In the later years? Not really. I excelled in some subjects and was just average in others," he explained.
"But you could've done better and achieved something great," Effie pushed. "You were smart,"
Haymitch shrugged. "I think it didn't matter if I did well in my education,"
It became quiet again.
After a while someone from the back cleared his or her throat.
"Ms. Effie, Mr. Haymitch," It was Peeta who spoke in a slightly croaky voice.
"Yes, Peeta,"
"Yeah,"
"Do you two have any more stories?"
The adults exchanged looks with each other, then with the children. Three pairs of big pleading eyes met theirs.
"Alright," Haymitch agreed and the three eyes gleamed in satisfaction. Countless time was spent on Effie and Haymitch taking turns babbling about the happiest and funniest moments in their lives. There were no interruptions with the exception of the kids asking questions every now and then and at one time, Plutarch calling in about the safe house. For the first time, they all have a bonding moment that they really are enjoying themselves. No coldness, no tension, or any negative vibes were in the atmosphere. It all seemed too good to be true.
And karma needed an exchange.
AN: End of Chapter 5, sweethearts! I hope that chapter was fluffy enough for you. :3 I wanted to dwell a bit of Effie's and Haymitch's childhood and maybe a wee bit of their relationship. Oh glob! FYI, Selene is Greasy Sae's granddaughter. I just felt the need to name her. Effie having an inclination in architecture is based on a statement she said in Catching Fire, during the Victory Tour. As for Haymitch's reading habit, there was a conversation where Katniss asked what will happen if they win and Plutarch says something about the government before and Haymitch comments that it's only in the books. So, I figured they could have books about the past but never dwell on them and Haymitch was curious enough to read them. Maybe that also pushed his rebel-self a bit more, too. :) I had so much fun making headcanons here. Next chapter might take long though because, let's just say I need its plot to be well thought out and classes start in less than 2 weeks. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, though! Love you guys 3 Please review strengths, what to improve, ideas, requests, etc.
Stay Alive and May the Odds be Ever in your Favor!
~pinkish-red hearts 3