Jocelyn stared at herself in the mirror, her hands lightly touching the loose curls down her shoulders. She had spent the last hour curling her hair, making sure every strand fell perfectly. The short red dress she wore hugged her figure just right, and the black heels completed the look. She smiled, feeling both excited and a little nervous for the Majors Grand Champ party SSX was hosting tonight. It wasn't every day they got to celebrate such a massive win, and the fact that they had rented out a whole venue just made it that much more special.
"Ok, makeup time," she muttered to herself, grabbing her mascara and eyeliner. She leaned closer to the mirror, carefully drawing a thin line on her waterline and adding the right amount of mascara to her lashes. A soft dab of blush on her cheeks and a nude lipstick to finish, and she was good to go. She stepped back to admire her work, smiling at how it all came together.
"Jocelyn! Are you ready yet? We need to leave soon!" her mom's voice called from downstairs.
"Almost, Mom!" she yelled back, slipping on her black heels and standing up. The height boost always made her feel a bit more confident, even though they weren't the most comfortable shoes in the world.
Just as she was about to grab her phone and head downstairs, her bedroom door creaked open. Evelyn poked her head in, her eyes wide and curious.
"Josie, why are you all dressed up?" Evelyn asked, stepping inside and climbing onto Jocelyn's bed. Her little legs dangled off the side as she stared at her older sister with the kind of wonder only little siblings seemed to have.
Jocelyn smiled and walked over to her bed, sitting down next to Evelyn. "Well, Evie, remember I told you about my team winning the Majors?"
Evelyn nodded enthusiastically. "The really big one?"
"Yep, the Majors. So, tonight we're having a party to celebrate."
Evelyn's eyes sparkled. "Ooooh, a party! Can I come?"
Jocelyn laughed softly and shook her head. "Sorry, kiddo, it's just for the team and coaches. But I'll tell you all about it when I get back."
Evelyn tilted her head to the side, her expression serious. "But why do you have to wear that dress? It looks uncomfortable. And your shoes are so tall!"
Jocelyn glanced down at her dress and shoes, chuckling. "It's a fancy party, Ev. You have to dress up for fancy parties."
Evelyn squinted at her like she wasn't entirely convinced but nodded anyway. She swung her legs a few more times, her lips pursed in thought. Then, her expression changed as if she had just remembered something important.
"Are you and Arvid going to the party together?" Evelyn asked innocently, her wide eyes blinking up at Jocelyn.
Jocelyn felt her heart skip a beat before she quickly shook her head. "What? No, no. Arvid's not coming, he's in another continent. It's just a team thing."
"But are you and Arvid... you know..." Evelyn's voice dropped to a whisper as she wiggled her eyebrows. "Are you guys dating?"
Jocelyn nearly choked on her own breath, laughing. "Evelyn, no! We are definitely not dating."
Evelyn frowned, obviously confused. "But you hang out with him all the time. You're always talking about him. And you smile a lot when you talk to him."
Jocelyn sighed, trying to figure out how to explain it in a way Evelyn would understand. "Arvid's just my friend, Ev. He's my best friend, actually. But I don't like him that way, and he doesn't like me like that either. We're just... close. You know how you have friends at school? It's like that."
Evelyn nodded slowly, still not entirely convinced. "Okay. But you'd tell me if you were dating him, right?"
Jocelyn laughed again, ruffling Evelyn's hair. "Yes, I would definitely tell you. But me and him will never date."
Just then, their mom's voice echoed from downstairs again. "Jocelyn, we need to go!"
Jocelyn stood up and grabbed her purse, glancing back at Evelyn. "Be good for Mom, Dad, and Madalyn, okay? I'll see you later."
Evelyn waved, still looking a little skeptical about the whole Arvid situation. "Have fun at your fancy party!"
Jocelyn smiled, heading downstairs. "I will."
____
The party was active by the time Jocelyn arrived. The venue SSX had rented was decked out with lights, balloons, and huge banners celebrating their Grand Champ win. Her teammates were scattered around the room, laughing, taking pictures, and already dancing to the music pumping through the speakers.
"Joss!" One of her teammates, Riley, waved from across the room, motioning her over. Jocelyn grinned and hurried to join the group.
"You look amazing!"Riley said, eyeing Jocelyn's red dress and curled hair.
"Thanks! You guys look great too!" Jocelyn replied, giving Riley and a few others hugs. The team had gone all out for this party—everyone looked stunning.
"Can you believe we actually did it?" Keira said, her eyes wide with excitement.
"I know!" Jocelyn said. "It still feels unreal. Winning Majors was always the dream, but now that it's actually happened, I don't even know how to process it."
They all laughed, the energy in the room contagious. Soon, they were posing for pictures, flashing their Grand Champ rings in front of the camera and laughing at each other's silly poses. Jocelyn took a second to look around, realizing how special this moment was. They had worked so hard for this, put in so many hours of practice and dedication, and now here they were—celebrating like they deserved.
As the night went on, the party only got livelier. Music boomed through the speakers, and people danced in the middle of the room, cheering and laughing with every new song that played. Jocelyn wasn't much of a dancer, but she found herself pulled into the crowd by Keira and Riley, giggling as they all moved to the beat.
"Okay, okay," Jocelyn said, out of breath after a few songs. "I need a break!"
She grabbed a drink from the refreshment table and took a seat, watching her teammates continue to have the time of their lives. She couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of pride in everything they had accomplished.
Keira plopped down next to her, grinning. "So, how does it feel to be a Majors Grand Champ?"
Jocelyn took a sip of her drink and let out a content sigh. "Honestly? It feels amazing. Like, all the hard work finally paid off."
"Yeah, it really did," Keira agreed. "I'm just so proud of us!"
The night was perfect, and Jocelyn couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate.
As the party went on, they took more pictures, shared inside jokes, and made memories that Jocelyn knew she'd never forget.
And as Jocelyn looked around at her smiling teammates, she knew one thing for sure—this was only the beginning.
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