Effie rubbed her face furiously as it felt like the floor fell out from under her. As far as everyone knew she was born here in the Capitol. She hadn't told anyone besides Haymitch the truth about where she was born. All her formal papers noted her childhood in the Capitol. She wasn't so sure if what her father did was exactly allowed by taking an orphan from District 12. It could be spun the wrong way and trouble could come her way.
Makeup rubbed off on her hands as she worried, "This has to be handled quietly, Haymitch."
She didn't have to tell him that, "Am I the only one that knows?" He asked quickly.
Effie nodded, "I don't think adopting children across District lines is exactly legal." Effie's mind whirled as she thought about her adoptive parents, "There's… papers my family has that state I was born in the Capitol… Haymitch…" Effie looked terrified.
"Shh.." He hushed her. Catching where she was going. Effie had secrets, ones that would get her and her family in trouble. "I'm going to go talk to her."
Effie tucked her blouse back into her pencil skirt and followed Haymitch out the door. Effie grabbed his arm as he reached to burst into Tabitha's room. "Wait." Effie breathed, to which Haymitch scowled and looked at her.
"You can't just burst in. Manners!" She chided him.
"You would worry about that when someone clearly doesn't deserve my following manners." He shook his head and let Effie in front of him.
Effie knocked on the door twice, "Tabitha." She called and waited for a response. "Tabitha I need to talk to you. Please open up."
Silence encompassed them. Effie looked back at Haymitch, unsure what to do. "Move aside I have no problem barging in her room." He grabbed the handle and opened the door.
Effie followed him in and saw Tabitha's bed still made and her room empty. A light came from the bathroom. The door was ajar and water was running from a sink. Effie approached the door and called Tabitha's name loudly and still gained not a single response. Quickly she pushed the door open more and saw Tabitha laying on the floor, breathing slowly.
"Tabitha… What's wrong?" Effie crept into the bathroom. Haymitch lingered just beyond the doorframe.
"Like I'd tell you." The girl breathed slowly.
Effie put her hands on her hips and set her jaw. "I've done nothing but be nice to you, Tabitha. What have I done to make you do these horrible things. I know you went into my room. I'd like my picture back."
Tabitha grinned, "I bet you would like that back. It would be a shame if word got out that your family did some shady dealing to make you a Capitol citizen when you're really just an orphan from 12. You paint yourself with make-up and clothes and act like you do. That's what's sick. You're as much of a monster as the rest of them." Tabitha breathed shallowly as Effie spotted the empty bottle of sleeping pills on the counter. Pills prescribed to Effie to help with nightmares.
"Haymitch! Get help she took all these pills!" Effie watched at Tabitha drifted off.
Panic swelling in her chest as commotion carried on in the hallways of their floor. Peacekeepers and doctors swarmed onto the District 12 floor. With it came Seneca and other officials. After Tabitha was removed to the medical center, Seneca sat with Effie in the lounge area. Haymitch was in his room, trying to give them privacy but he could hear their conversation.
Seneca handed Effie an old battered picture, "Tabitha had this in her pocket. She said it was yours." He paused and seemed to wait for Effie to explain it.
"Oh." Effie took it from him. Her breath quickened, "It's… It's nothing really." She fidgeted with the black and white image. Her parents and her 4 year old self.
"Seems like a lot of trouble over a photo. She confessed to stealing your sleeping pills and this photo. She laughed as she gave it to me. What's it all about?" Seneca prodded.
Effie wanted to tell the truth, but lacked the ability to do so. "Do you remember the little girl from 12 in last year's game?" The lie came so quickly, so quickly that it surprised her.
Seneca nodded. His arm rested over the back of the couch, nearly resting on her shoulders.
"This was her token. She wanted me to keep it. I bonded with her." Effie sighed for effect, "I keep it in my journal to keep it safe. I'm aware that I tend to try and nurture the tributes. I think it's my way of trying to fix what I've done to them. Tabitha has been the only one to relentlessly push me back. She has something against me and I wanted to know what, that's when Haymitch and I found her."
Haymitch listened harder as he heard his name mentioned. He was aimlessly looking over a schedule Effie made in effort to look busy if anyone happened to come by his room.
Seneca didn't seem to think Effie's story made a whole lot of sense, "All of this," he gestured with his hands. "Is over a picture that means nothing to Tabitha? That doesn't make any sense. This girl has done some awful things. President Snow will be wanting to know the details of this. Either I can tell him or he will be coming to talk with you and Haymitch."
Effie's heart pounded. She needed to find a quick and clever way to bring this all to a close. President Snow and Seneca couldn't be snooping around in District 12 matters. Effie sat up straighter and held Seneca's hand in hers. "Seneca." She said softly and smiled. "She's angry. Let Haymitch and I figure out what her aggression is stemming from. If President Snow gets involved it'll create more scandal." She played the scandal word carefully. Knowing that with scandal came swift punishments and murders.
Seneca nodded, "You're right." He thought over the decision and patted Effie's hand. "I'll let President Snow know that you've handled it. Beware… If she can't be reined in quietly she'll be made an example of. I can't let what she's done slide. Her actions have already determined events for her in the game."
Effie knew not much could be done to help Tabitha succeed in the game. "I'll take care of it, Seneca." She had to wrap up this drama with Tabitha before anyone started snooping around Effie's life. "I'll get it handled before the interviews tomorrow."
Seneca smiled and kissed her temple, "I'm sure you will." To that Effie smiled and shut her eyes. "It's late, and I know you value your beauty rest." He started softly.
Effie laughed, "You're the only one here who understands that!" She beamed and looked up at Seneca.
Haymitch bit back a mocking laugh in his room. How typical of a bunch of Capitol peacocks. Appreciating beauty rest. Effie was well match with Crane, as much as the idea of it burned his stomach.
"Mind if I stay over?" Seneca kissed her softly.
"Go on in." Effie nodded to her room. "I'm going to get the lights off." She smiled and watched Seneca head off to her room.
She flicked off the light and saw light streaming from the open door of Haymitch's room. She poked her head inside the door frame. Figuring he had heard everything she started off with her plan for tomorrow. "In the morning we have to take care of Tabitha."
Haymitch was lounged on his bed sipping his liquor, "I know." He said shortly.
Effie furrowed her brows and decided not to press his bad mood. "Good night then." She poised to shut his door.
"Princess, try to keep the fooling around quiet." He said lowly, "I'd like to sleep peacefully."
Effie flushed a bright scarlet color. As if she would even entertain sleeping with Seneca when Haymitch or anyone was still awake! She clammed up, "You… Ugh.. Good night!"
Effie shut his door quickly and hurried off to her room. Her face still burning pink as she settled into bed next to Seneca. Behind his door Haymitch was chasing sleep courtesy of the amber liquid in his glass.