A/N: Still more coming! Most of these were ready to go, so might as well put them all out for you!
JJ had not expected the homecoming from the world championships to be as crazy as the Olympics, but somehow, it had felt like it.
Now that her position as one of America's greatest gymnasts was clear, more sponsorships, endorsements, and professional opportunities had rolled in overnight. Some of them were incredibly exciting opportunities that JJ knew she couldn't pass up. The jewellery company, Pandora, who had already worked with Aly on a small line of products, now wanted to work with both her and JJ to create a new line of bracelet charms, something JJ was keen to start on. As well as that, GK Elite also wanted to create a signature Jennifer Jareau line of leotards designed by JJ, and while she didn't fancy herself much of a designer, JJ was excited to see what that held.
Having decided to take a short break and return to gymnastics in January, after the New Year, JJ had spent the first two weeks after Worlds doing a number of photoshoots, interviews, and promotion for the upcoming American Cup (even though it was months away, USA Gymnastics was keen to get a jump on the upcoming season, as it was the final season before the Olympic year).
At that very point in time, however, she was about to do a phone interview with the girl who had started the website The Gymternet, Lauren Hopkins. Her agent had contacted her about it earlier in the week, and JJ had eagerly agreed; she had been waiting for another opportunity to talk to the lovely girl who always wrote such nice things about her.
The phone rang at exactly 10am, as if it were on cue. Letting it ring twice, JJ picked it up on the third ring.
"Hello?"
"JJ, it's Sheryl. I've got Lauren on the other line waiting to be patched through, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I'm all good"
"I've told her you don't have a lot of time-"
"Sheryl, I literally have all day," JJ laughed. "If we end up talking for ages, it's fine"
"Ok, well, that's your call. I'll put her through now"
"Thanks Sheryl," JJ replied, listening as the line clicked over and Lucy's call ended.
"Hi, is that JJ?"
"That would be me," JJ said with a smile. "Lauren, right?"
"Yes, hi! How are you?"
"I'm really good, how are you?"
"Pretty good. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me, I've been pretty excited about this!"
"Not at all, the pleasure's all mine," JJ said sweetly. "I'm excited to do something different. I've never done a phone interview"
"Well, there you go, we both get to do something cool today"
JJ laughed.
"So, shall we get straight into it?"
"Sure!"
"Ok then. You've just come back from the world championships with five more medals to add to your collection, and you've officially become the most decorated gymnast in American history. How do you feel about that, and how do you feel about how the competition went?"
"Being able to say I'm currently the most decorated American gymnast is pretty amazing, it's definitely an honour. I've worked really hard in all aspects of my gymnastics, not just to get to worlds or the Olympics, but also to get to make my mark on our gymnastics history, so I definitely feel very privileged to be able to say that. I'm enjoying it for now because no doubt Simone will pass me very quickly. But on a day to day basis, I don't think about it to be honest. When we get to Nationals next year, I have to prove myself just like everyone else, so I have to work just as hard as everyone else every day. As for worlds, I'm pretty happy with how the competition went. Obviously, falling off bars in the all-around was not ideal at all, but I'm glad I pulled it together to get a bronze, if only to witness the bee incident upfront"
Lauren burst out laughing. "That was probably my favourite moment from the entire meet, was it as chaotic in person as it looked on the video?"
"It was crazy, but it was so funny, Larisa and I couldn't stop laughing. Trust me, I have not let Simone forget it since it happened"
Lauren chuckled, shuffling something nearby as JJ waited for her next question.
"Next year is a big year for you guys, Olympic qualification begins with the team final at worlds. Knowing the US's history, that shouldn't be an issue, but how are you feeling about your chances of making it to worlds and helping the team qualify?"
"I feel pretty good, not to be cocky or anything, but if I stay healthy and consistent, I think I have a pretty good shot of going to worlds again"
"Any upgrades planned for next year or the year after?"
"I think the better question would've been "what aren't you upgrading?"" JJ laughed. "I have upgrades across the board planned, the majority of which should be back in by nationals. Obviously my beam routine is going back up to how it was in 2012, with a few potential connections that I didn't have before. I'm upgrading my first vault to an Amanar, and if I can potentially upgrade the second we'll go for that as well, but we're not too concerned about that. My floor tumbles are getting reworked in preparation for a new routine in 2016, and my bars connections are being tweaked to allow for more consistency, so I'm going to be super busy between now and August"
"I'm excited to see how that all goes! Sounds like you're making some serious changes, everyone's going to love it"
"I hope so!"
"No more broken legs we hope!"
JJ laughed. "No, no broken legs. I got told not to come back to the gym until January so that I can have a little rest and reduce the risk of injury"
"What are your biggest goals heading into the end of the quad?"
"Just to stay at my absolute best and keep being able to represent the USA on an international stage, and hopefully, that'll help me achieve my goal of making the Olympic team in 2016"
"You've already done this journey once, is anything different this time around? Do you feel like you know the process a little better?"
"People seem to think it's easier the second time around... Aly and I both agree that it's harder. We know what it takes to make that team, and it's exhausting! We've done it once, so the thought of the next two years makes me feel really tired, but I know now that for every day when we feel like we can't go on, making that team is so worth it"
"I've seen many people remarking about how much you've changed since the London Olympics. Do you feel like you've changed and grown since then?"
"Definitely! Physically, I've changed, I've grown a little bit since the Olympics, but I think I would agree with the general consensus that mentally I've changed as well. I was definitely quite shy, doubted myself, and was probably a little vulnerable in London. But seeing what I was capable of was the biggest shift in my life, it showed me I could put myself out there a little more. And, being around Simone has also helped me confidence wise. I feel like I'm more outgoing on the sidelines now, and I don't look as serious when I'm competing"
"Well, you were showcasing some serious moves with Mykayla Skinner at nationals!"
"Oh my god, the dabbing competition, she was challenging everyone to dab for the TV camera! It was ridiculous, but it was funny because Simone and I were the only ones who would actually do it"
"That was really funny to watch"
"It lightened the mood, we like to laugh and have fun at competitions"
"What competitions can we expect to see you at leading up to Nationals?"
"Well, I'm going to be offered an American Cup spot, but I don't plan on taking it. January to March is a really short period of time, and I'd much rather focus on consolidating my upgrades and then hopefully going to Jesolo later in the spring. Besides, I have a lot of international experience, I'd rather that spot went to a girl who could use the experience more. So let's just stick with Jesolo and the US Classic for now"
"We'll put the gymnastics questions aside now. Gymnastics fans have coined 'the gymternet' as a name for the online gymnastics community-"
"That is so clever!" JJ laughed. Lauren chuckled.
"Anyway, at Worlds this year, NBC found your parents sitting in the stands with a young man who I believe is your boyfriend?"
JJ grinned. "Yep, that's Will"
"Everyone thinks it's adorable that he came to Worlds, and I think everyone was wondering, if you wanted to say, how you two met?"
"Will and I have literally known each other since we were about eight or nine. He moved from New Orleans and ended up in my class at the local elementary school, so yes, he still has the Southern accent," JJ chuckled. "I didn't have many friends as a kid because I preferred to keep to myself, but Will kind of forced his way in and we ended up being like the power friendship duo in our grade. Now... fast forward to about... 2010. It must've been around the time I became a senior. Anyway, I have a reputation for being about as observational as a brick wall-"
Lauren laughed.
"-but apparently, according to my mother, Will flirted with me for almost two whole years leading up to London, and I never noticed"
"Not once?!"
"Not once," JJ replied with a grin. "But then he told me how he felt when I got home from the Olympics, and we made it official when I came home during the Kellogg's tour, and it's been amazing ever since"
"That is just too cute"
"Yeah," JJ laughed. "He's witnessed this whole process once, and he's been there through all of the gymnastics craziness, so he understands. It's hard for us to spend time together at the moment because of all the commitments professional gymnastics brings, but it's worth it"
"On the topic of NBC, during London, Aly's parents went viral for their nervous reactions during her routines. I'm not sure if you knew, but your dad also gained some popularity for his excited reactions to your routines"
JJ laughed again. "That wouldn't surprise me at all! I could fall four times in one routine and he would still jump up and down after the dismount like I killed it. He really is my number one cheerleader, and it's so encouraging to have him in the stands at all my competitions"
"Your parents seem to be wonderfully supportive, but in very different ways"
"Definitely," JJ agreed. "My dad is the one who's right out there, cheering and jumping up and down. My mom definitely gets that excited as well, but she contains it better. She's the one who cries over my achievements, which is kind of nice in a way because they balance each other out. Although I believe even my dad shed a few tears over my gold medals in London," she chuckled. "I'm very close to my parents and I'm grateful for everything they do for me. Their support means the world, because I wouldn't be able to do this without them"
"Now, this is a question I got asked in the Q&A section of my website a while back. Apparently lots of people wonder why you go by your initials instead of your first name!"
JJ burst out laughing. "Honestly? I've gone by JJ for so long that I don't know if I can actually answer that. From what I remember, it had something to do with me thinking Jennifer was too girly for me, so I picked my own nickname at the ripe old opinionated age of four. And it just stuck, even my mom calls me JJ now, and she's the one who swore when my siblings and I were born that we would never have nicknames, we would always go by our given names. The only time I ever hear my actual name used is when it's being announced at a competition or for a team"
"Is it weird when you hear your full name?"
"Yes," JJ laughed. "It's funny actually, the only time I ever did a double take on it was at my first worlds, and Aly had to poke me forward and was like "that's you!". Back when I became elite, they actually tried to figure out a way to announce me at nationals using JJ instead of my first name, but with everyone being announced by their first and surname, it sounded too weird"
"You're like the Beyonce of the gym world, could you imagine being announced as JJ at the Olympics?"
"It would be hilarious and weird," JJ laughed. "But I'll take Beyonce of the gym world!"
Lauren laughed along with her, sounding as relaxed and happy as she did on her website. "That's pretty much all the questions I had for you JJ, so thank you again for speaking with me, it's made my entire week"
JJ beamed. "I know gymnastics has a huge fanbase here, but we are just normal people too. Just between you and me though, while I love Sheryl to death, she can be super uptight about the things I do, so I'm gonna make a reach here. I'm going to send you my email privately on Twitter, and if you ever want to ask me anything, feel free to message me"
"You don't have to do that!"
"I know, but I want to!" JJ insisted with a grin.
"Well, I'll guard it with my life, thank you!"
A few more minutes of easy chatter passed before the two girls decided to part ways and continue on with their days. Thanking Lauren for her time, JJ bid her goodbyes, before hanging up and doing exactly what she had said she would do in sending Lauren her email. The interview had been easy and fun, and she only hoped she would get to do more like that in the future.
Feeling particularly worn out, it was sprawled out on the lounge room floor watching movies that JJ had decided to spend her lazy Saturday, occasionally drifting to her computer to look over some of the rough designs she'd come up with for the GK line.
Less than ten minutes after she'd made herself comfortable again following lunch, someone knocked at the front door.
Sighing, she pulled herself up.
"I'll get it!" she called as she walked into the entryway.
Not bothering to look through the peephole, she pulled the door open, completely not expecting to see the person who was standing on the front porch.
"Nandy!" she exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around the grandmother she only saw once or twice a year. "I didn't know you were coming"
Nandy beamed, hugging her youngest grandchild tightly as she saw her daughter come into the entryway. "I told your mother to keep it a surprise"
Letting go of JJ, Nandy turned to Sandy, embracing her daughter in a warm and loving hug.
"Hi Mom," Sandy said happily. "How was your flight?"
"Oh you know, the usual. Too cold, too cramped, don't they know an old girl like me needs the leg room? I know what will fix it though," Nandy replied, looking at JJ with a glint in her eye. "Perhaps a spot of shopping?"
JJ grinned.
"I like that idea"
Sandy rolled her eyes, breaking into a grin as she rolled her mom's suitcase to be tucked away under the stairs.
"Well, I did bring you here to surprise JJ, so why don't you go and have some downtime at the mall, and I'll get everything ready for you for when you come back?"
"No, Mom, you should come with us," JJ said quickly. "You're always doing stuff to keep us all on track, but the house won't fall apart if you relax for a couple of hours as well"
Smiling, Sandy reached over, squeezing JJ's hand. "Alright. Give me a minute to go and get changed"
As she left the room, Nandy draped an arm around JJ's shoulders and kissed her granddaughter's cheek. "Your big heart has never changed, my beautiful girl"
With bags of new things, the trio had settled into the booth of a busy cafe to enjoy a coffee and a snack before heading home for the evening. After a few moments silence while they drank their coffee, JJ spoke up.
"Nandy, did you manage to see Worlds?"
"Of course I did!" Nandy exclaimed. "Wasn't going to miss it. You were incredible. That young one you were competing with though... whatever happened when you got your medals wasn't very professional was it?"
JJ laughed. "That's Simone, and she was scared of getting stung by the bee in her flowers. She's a beautiful girl though, you can't help but smile around her. I'm sure you'll get to meet her one day"
The rest of the afternoon passed with many stories swapped, more jokes at each other's expense (mostly about Sandy's escapades as a teenager), and life passing on around them in a slow walk rather than a fast rush.
She loved gymnastics. But moments like this were what made JJ who she was. These were the moments she wanted to keep forever.