The game is on

Chapter 1: Warm up

Korra sighed and hunched over, her forehead resting in the palm of her right hand. She was more than two hours early, but she wanted to work out a bit, warm herself up before the game started. It'd be the sixth, they won four games and lost one; she had to win this one. The entire team was counting on her; the entire college was counting on her. She never understood how her teammates could handle, or actually like the pressure, Korra hated it. That's why she always was the first to show up, way too early, because warming herself up when she was alone worked the best for her.

She removed her sweater and jeans, put them in her locker and put on a freshly washed shorts and tank top over her sports bra. It was one of the best things, getting into her warm-up outfit when it just came out of the washing machine and smelled fresh and clean. Although she knew it'd be all gone when Korra would have to change into her uniform for the game, but Korra tried to not think about the game, not yet. The quarterback took a little jar from her bag and massaged the body butter onto the spots of her skin that needed it the most; her shoulders, elbows, knees and her neck. The bit that was left over she'd use for her hands.

With another sigh the brunette stood up and left the dressing room, after putting her bag in her locker. When she came outside, she noticed that the cheerleading team was already there; probably training one last time before the game as well. Korra walked onto the running track and stretched her arms and legs to make sure her muscles were all alright, there were no stings or anything, so that was good. With a smile she inhaled the fresh and still chilly air and started running, moving her arms beside her to loosen her shoulders and elbows.

" Let's do it again, you're doing great, but I think we can do it even better! Come on Tiger seals!" Korra heard distantly when she came to the other side of the track, where the cheerleaders were practicing on the field.

"Eh, Asami" one of the girls said and pointed to something behind the cheerleader captain, who turned her head to look what there was to see. Blue eyes suddenly met hers and the cheerleader felt her cheeks burn and quickly turned her head back, facing her team of cheerleaders.

"Come on you guys, again!" Asami said, avoiding the subject; hoping the quarterback hadn't seen her blushing. It was bad enough already that her team seemed to know about her crush on Korra. She sighed and started her double back-flip, her team already in position to catch her.

Korra smiled, meeting the cheerleader's green eyes. But when the cheerleader captain turned her head again, Korra raised her eyebrows. She wondered why, she didn't look as intimidating as she would in her football uniform. Right now her hair was in a loose ponytail, dancing on her shoulder blades. Without stopping or slowing down Korra watched the cheerleading team doing their routine, slightly fascinated by the twists and turns they could bend their bodies into. Guys catching girls with ease and throwing the girls into the air again to land on the ground again after a back flip, all in perfect synchronization. When two of them, a boy and girl, stood and faced Korra they smiled friendly and waved at the tan quarterback. Korra smiled back at them and waved, followed by a thumbs up. They both smiled at her and quickly focused on the routine again, leaving Korra running towards the part of the track where she started. Korra decided she had to run at least three laps within five minutes.

"Come on, Korra. You can do this, make it happen!" the quarterback muttered at herself and sped up, warming her muscles enough for the real warming-up. She completely focused on her breathing, her passes and the track she was on. Five minutes, it'd be her new record.