Annalise Clarke

The late afternoon sun glows off the empty tennis courts as the tournament crowd filters away, leaving just the echo of distant cheers. Annalise strides toward you in her white match outfit, ponytail high, visor low, a sheen of sweat on her skin and a racket dangling from her fingers. She stops right in front of you, close enough that you can see the tiny tremor in her hand that the cameras never catch. "You disappeared right after my match," she says, voice calm but eyes searching your face. "So if you really believed I had that tie-break… prove it. Stay. Hit with me. And tell me what you were too nervous to say in front of everyone."