𝐔𝐏𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 - 𝖠𝖫𝟥

𝟎.𝟎.𝟑 - 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖬𝖺𝗃𝗈𝗋𝗌

➤ •၊၊||၊|။||||။||၊|• 0:03
𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

Jocelyn couldn't believe how fast time had flown. She had dreamed of competing at The Majors since she first moved to North Carolina. Now, here she was in Indianapolis, getting ready for the big day. The night before, every team had gotten dressed up in their nicest clothes for the event's traditional pre-competition mixer. The energy in the room was electric, full of excitement, nerves, and anticipation.

SSX, as usual, looked flawless. Jocelyn wore a dark blue dress that matched her team's colors, simple yet elegant. The dress hugged her frame perfectly, and she had styled her hair into soft waves that framed her face. The teams there took turns taking pictures, giggling in between shots, enjoying the lightheartedness before tomorrow's serious performance. The entire atmosphere felt like a celebration - not just of the competition, but of all their hard work, the sweat, the bruises, and the countless hours in the gym.

There was a ball pit, too. It was ridiculous but in the best way. SSX, despite their reputation for being laser-focused competitors, spent at least a half hour throwing themselves into the pit, laughing and teasing each other. Even Jocelyn, normally one to stay serious the night before a competition, couldn't help but jump in with the rest of them.

"This is actually so much fun," Cary said, grinning as she tossed one of the plastic balls at Jocelyn's head.

"Yeah, well, don't get too crazy," Jocelyn shot back, dodging the ball. "We've got a big day tomorrow, remember?"

Cary rolled her eyes, though she knew Jocelyn was right. "One more night of fun, Joce. Let's just enjoy it while we can."

Jocelyn couldn't argue with that. Tomorrow would be intense. But tonight? Tonight was for having fun, bonding with her team, and maybe trying to forget, just for a little while, the enormous pressure that always came with a competition like The Majors.

The food was amazing, too - gourmet bites that looked like they belonged at a wedding, not a cheerleading competition. Jocelyn didn't want to eat too much and feel sluggish the next day, but she couldn't resist grabbing a few hors d'oeuvres. Between the laughter, the pictures, and the food, she felt like she was on top of the world.

As the night wound down, the team headed back to the hotel. Their coaches reminded them to get enough sleep, hydrate, and mentally prepare for tomorrow. Jocelyn was ready. She had been practicing for months for this, and now it was just about going out there and executing everything they'd drilled into their routines.

____

The next morning came faster than she expected. Jocelyn woke up with a jolt, the nerves starting to kick in. Cary, her roommate, was already awake, sitting on the edge of her bed and scrolling through her phone.

"Morning," Cary mumbled, glancing up at Jocelyn. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Jocelyn replied, stretching her arms above her head. "Let's go win this thing."

SSX arrived at the competition venue with enough time to do a proper warm-up. The Majors was different from other competitions - the prestige, the pressure, the eyes watching. It was a one-day event, and you had only one shot to perform perfectly.

Backstage, the energy was different. Teams were quieter, more focused, huddling in small groups as they whispered last-minute affirmations. SSX wasn't any different. Jocelyn stood beside her teammates, trying to focus on her breathing as their coach gave them one final pep talk.

"You're here because you earned this spot," their coach said, pacing in front of them. "You've put in the work, and now it's time to show everyone what SSX is made of. Trust yourselves, trust each other, and leave it all on the floor."