Off-Court (COMPLETED)

Who is Demille Gomez?

3:00 in the Afternoon

Demille kicked the tennis ball in front of her, her heart skipped a beat when the ball accidentally hit her coach, Juan Rodriguez, in the back of his head. He was busy collecting the tennis balls they had used during their grueling three-hour training session. Juan turned around and glared at Demille, who simply laughed and then jogged over to help him gather the rest of the balls.

"Stop playing around, Dems!" Juan scolded, shaking his head in mild frustration. Demi rolled her eyes playfully "And stop doing that, it's irritating me. You wanna go blind?"

"Okay, okay! Sorry, old man" she teased, but Juan's glare made her grin wider "Hey! I'm just telling the truth-that you are old"

Juan sighed, choosing to ignore her playful jabs, and continued collecting the balls.

Demille had woken up early that morning to practice, as she had done every morning for the past 12 years. It was part of her routine, train until her legs felt like jelly and her right arm was numb. Tennis is her life, a passion she inherited from her father, who had passed away three years ago. After they finished gathering all the balls, Demi sat down on a nearby bench and chugged her cold water. She stared out at the now-empty tennis court, a place that often felt both lonely and comforting.

"You okay?" Juan asked, noticing her silence.

Shenodded and smiled, shaking off her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just excited for my next match"

Juan chuckled "Do you think you'll be able to sleep tonight?"

"Not a chance!" she replied with a laugh "Do you think I'll make it to the finals?"

"Of course you will!" Juan said, sitting down beside her and gently patting her back "After all these years, you've never disappointed me. Just remember to enjoy every match, even if you lose. Leave the court with no regrets"

Demille's smile softened. "Thanks, Juan"

Juan nodded, his expression serious but kind "And even if one day you do disappoint me, I'll still be proud of you, Demi. Always"

She wasn't one to get emotional, but she couldn't help feeling grateful to have Juan by her side for the past 11 years. Juan had been a former tennis player himself, and he had met Demille when she was just 10 years old during a kids' competition. At that time, he was 32. The first week they trained together, Juan had nearly cried from frustration due to Demi's mischievous behavior. Little Demi had apologized and promised to be a good girl from then on.

"Get some rest and be ready for our flight later" Juan advised as he stood up.

"I will" Demi promised.

She grabbed her tennis bag and headed out of the court. On the way to her apartment, she stopped by the cafeteria to grab some food, her stomach growling with hunger. She couldn't help but smile when she saw kids from the juniors club running around in the hallway. Their laughter was infectious, and it reminded her of why she loved this sport.

When Demille arrived at her apartment, she tossed her tennis bag onto the sofa and headed straight for the shower. Afterward, she put on her pajamas and threw herself onto her bed. She desperately wanted a long nap, but with their flight scheduled for 8:00 PM, she knew she couldn't sleep for too long. As she scrolled through her Instagram feed, she stumbled upon some exciting news: she and Carlos were going to be paired for a mixed doubles match next month at the Mixed Aces Tournament in the U.S. It would be her first time playing in a mixed doubles match, and since she and Carlos were close friends, she was thrilled.

Demille was jolted awake by someone poking her face. She opened her eyes and glared at the culprit, only to find Juan standing over her.

"What the f*ck?" she groaned, rubbing her eyes.

"It's 6:00 PM! Get up!" Juan said, giving her a light smack on the head.

"Ugh! What's wrong with you" she groaned again, but she knew she had no choice but to get up.

"Come on, Demi, pack your things. You've got 15 minutes. I'll be waiting in the living room."

"15 minutes? Are you kidding me?" Demi whined, but Juan just nodded and patted her head before leaving the room.

With an exaggerated sigh, She rolled out of bed and began packing for their two-week trip to Canada. She didn't need many clothes, knowing that the hotel would have laundry facilities.

Clothes? ✔️

Personal items? ✔️

Tennis racket? ✔️

It took her exactly 20 minutes to finish packing. She heard Juan calling her from the living room, but she ignored him for a moment as she carefully chose her outfit for the day. She settled on a white turtleneck, black trousers, and a brown coat.

"Ready?" Juan asked as she emerged from her room. Demille just nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Bye for now, Italy," Juan said dramatically, making Demille laugh.

"Juan, you're so dramatic. It doesn't suit you-ew" she teased, earning a playful glare from him "I'm joking" she added with a fake laugh, continuing to poke fun at him.

The drive to the airport took about 30 minutes. They quickly took care of all the necessary procedures, though the memory of a previous mishap-when Demille had forgotten her passport and nearly missed a flight-lingered in their minds.

The flight to Toronto would take eight hours. Demille spent most of the time sleeping, while Juan alternated between reading a book, watching Demi's recent match against Emma Raducanu, and snacking on junk food.

When they finally arrived in Toronto, all Demille wanted was to collapse into bed and continue her sleep. But Juan, who had an obsession with Japanese cuisine, insisted on trying a nearby Japanese restaurant. And, of course, She had no choice but to agree.