Hayffie Christmas

The phone call

It was the first of December, and Haymitch Abernathy was sitting alone in his house in the village of hunger game's winners. His house was as clean as it could be considering that it was Haymitch who lived there.
Katniss and Peeta Mellark had taken the kids to Katniss's mother for the holiday. Haymitch had heard that even Gale would come.
Gale had eventually gotten over Katniss, and was now married and had a little boy of his own.
"You are invited too, If you would like to come," said Katniss when the train that would take them to district 2 had arrived. Peeta had already taken the kids on the train.
"Nah, I'll just sit here drinking 'till I'm more drunk than I was on the first reaping," said Haymitch and laughed warming. For once he was actually sober, so he could say goodbye to his only neighboors properly. "You go after your husband, mockingjay,"
Katniss tried to look angry, but couldn't. Not on this day.
"I told you to stop calling me that," said Katniss half heartedly, and brought Haymitch in for an one hand hug.
"Never," Haymitch whispered to himself as the train left the station.

In a black chair that smelled strongly of alcohol, Haymitch was sitting with a bottle of wine imported to him from the new president Paylor.

The capitol had quickly adjusted to the new life. They didn't all look like clowns, cats, golden birds or a peacock. Most of them were now normal, and they saw that it was much more beautiful than the former president Snow had made them believe. If you went into the capitol now you wouldn't recognise half of the people there.

But Effie Trinket had kept her funny dresses, just because she felt comfortable in them. But she had removed almost all of her makeup. You could see her real dark blonde eyebrows, that is only draped in a tiny layer of brown, her skin is all natural and the roses in her cheeks are real. She do wear mascara, but black, not gold or purple. And her hair was her own. Yes, she ditched the wigs, and went with her natural dark blonde hair. She only curled it in the end.

"Ah, beautiful, natural Effie," Haymitch mumbled to himself, smiling at the thought of her.

Haymitch had loved Effie since day one. Since the first time she walked in district 12 on those high heels and her purple wig waving in the wind. He had seen her, and thought:
"I hate all of the capitol, but can't hate something so beautiful,"
He had annoyed her, but only to get her attention. He would get drunk, not only because of the horrible memories he had gotten during the hunger games he had been in, but so Effie would have to take care of him and then get him into bed. Every night Effie had tucked him in his blanket so carefully that even her 12 cm long nails wouldn't scratch him, he fell asleep and slept the whole night without his usual nightmares.

He still thought about their kiss. The kiss he had waited for forever, that finally arrived when Haymitch and Katniss left the capitol and went home to district 12.

It had lastes for only a few seconds, but for him it felt like an eternity.
It had been warm, loving, sweet and soft. She had tasted like strawberry. Not like strawberry Ice cream, or strawberry shortcake, but like freshly plucked strawberries. And Haymitch would give anything to experience that kiss again. He wished for a million more kisses, and a million more years. If he could have decided he would have married her on the spot, but he had to leave.

Just as Haymitch pulled out a tiny frown, the phone started ringing, and his frown turned to a surprised look.

No one ever called him?

Not even now when his phone was fixed, and not laying around on the floor, bent and broken.

He jumped up and ran to the phone.

Only four people had his phone number.

Katniss and Peeta.

The deceased Cinna, and..

Effie Trinket.

Haymitch tore the phone of it's hinges, and almost broke the phone again as a result.

"Hello?" He said, his voice filled with wonder.
"Hello, Haymitch?"
His heart was filled with a warmth that only that voice could bring.
"Effie," Haymitch sighed happily.
"I'm sorry, is it a bad time for me to call?" Effie asked.
"No, no, no! It's a wonderful time for you to call. Just call. At any minute, any second of the day," Haymitch rambled a little too fast.
It was an awkward silence.
"Haymitch, are you drunk?" Effie sighed. "Because I can call you back of you need to sober up,"
"I'm not drunk," Haymitch interrupted. He had forgotten how rude Effie thought that was.
"Manners, Haymitch! When a lady is talking, you wait quietly for her to be done! And you can look a little interested in what she has to say," Effie said sternly. Haymitch was listening. He was listening with all his heart. Because he didn't know when he would not hear this angelic voice again.
"Hello, Haymitch! Why are you so quiet?" Effie said annoyed and a little bit offended.
"I was listening," Haymitch said truthfully.
"Oh, Well then. The real reason I called you, was that I have not been in district 12 for a time now, and I considered maybe celebrating Christmas there. But then I thought 'Oh, dear, I can't just show up at poor Haymitch's door,' so I called you. And now I am asking, can I celebrate Christmas with you at your house?" Effie asked a little nervous.
Haymitch was frozen. She wanted to celebrate Christmas with him?
"Of course, I will bring some food from the capitol If you don't have any proper Christmas food in your lovely home. And I have also developed a talent for cleaning. It is so fun If you only know what to do with yourself, while cleaning. So If your house is not propely cleaned, I will take on that task.
Oh, please, dear Haymitch! I have planned our whole Christmas together, please just say yes!" Effie kept on begging.
Haymitch had woken up at 'together'.
"Of course you can celebrate Christmas with me! Nothing would please me more than not having to be alone on Christmas!" Haymitch said so happy that his face was red and his heart was throdding against his chest. His whole being was beaming.
"Oh, how lovely! I will be over in four days!" Then Effie hung up.

Four days.

Effie Trinket would show up in his doorstep in only four days.

Haymitch broke into a smile so big that it almost looked like a grimace. He started yelling happily.

Now he was lucky that he was the only one left in the victory village.