A/N: This one is short but it gets the job done!
Four days had flown by. They had sweltered in the Texas heat, working routines until they were as perfect as they could be. JJ ached all over, but in the best way possible; she knew her muscles were working hard, and it was exactly why she was at her best right when she needed to be.
She hated to tout her own abilities, but she felt extremely confident about her chances of going to Worlds. She was just as good, if not better than she had been in London. While Marta's watchful gaze never failed to stack on the pressure, unlike at the Olympic camp, this time, she hadn't faltered beneath it.
On the afternoon of the last day, the girls were lined up in height order along the floor. Despite being the oldest girl at camp, JJ was near the shorter end of the line, taller only than Simone, who stood at just four feet seven inches. Despite only being four inches taller, JJ still couldn't believe just how tiny Simone was.
They stood with perfect posture, hands held tightly at their sides, chins up and chests out as Marta stood before them. It was a well practiced routine, a visual sign of the discipline Marta's program had instilled into every single one of them.
"Well, girls, that brings us to the end of the selection camp," she said in her soft yet powerful voice, her thick accent ringing around the gym. "You have all worked very hard and I am pleased with all of your efforts. As you know, this year is just individual competitions at Worlds. That made choosing this team quite hard. But, I feel I have chosen the four strongest girls to compete in Antwerp. I want to make it clear that those who do not get selected today should not be disappointed in their results. There are plenty more opportunities for you to compete on the world stage next spring, and I am sure that time will only allow all of you to grow even stronger"
Smiling, Marta looked along the line of girls. "But nonetheless, it is time to announce who will be travelling to Belgium"
JJ swallowed hard. She had been confident this morning, but suddenly, the nauseating worry was threatening to flood her again. She forced herself to breathe; Worlds were not the be all and end all. She had already achieved so much. Everything else was just a bonus.
"Competing all-around at Worlds will be Simone Biles and Kyla Ross"
Simone broke into a huge grin, as did Kyla, both of them looking as though they were fighting to contain their excitement. Simone was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet, and JJ had to fight back a laugh.
"Competing all events except vault will be Jennifer Jareau"
JJ felt all the tension leave her body as she relaxed into a smile. She had proved herself yet again. Anyone who still felt she didn't deserve to be at the peak of the US team would have to eat their own words.
And better yet, she now knew who the fourth girl was going to be. Only one place was left for competition, and that was on vault. Meaning...
"And McKayla Maroney will be competing on the vault. Brenna Dowell will the non-travelling alternate"
As Marta spoke a little more about how the girls who hadn't made the cut would have plenty more opportunities to compete on the big stage, JJ looked up and caught Nick's eye. He gave her an excited smile, followed by a thumbs up.
She'd done it.
After posing for photos for the press release, all the girls had received their kit of new leotards and warm-ups for the trip. The new leotards were designed by Under Armour, and JJ thought they were quite different to the ones she had had for her last three years on the national team, but they were stunning just the same.
Cell service was almost nonexistent at the ranch, so she had used the one bar she had managed to find while walking to the dining hall to text Will and her parents and let them know the good news.
Needless to say, she was itching to get back into the world of international competition and defend the greatness she had brought upon herself the previous year.