Arch Nemesis

*Willow*

Nathniel Watson tried to kill me!

I knew we hated each other but was he that threatened by me? He had to actually take me out of this world in order to win against me? I guess I should be kind of flattered. 

I was surprised that when I flew off the stage I didn’t hit the ground. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in someone’s arms.

Levi Kole. 

I’d only had the fattest crush on him my whole life. He was my sister, Scarlett’s godson and he was graduating today. I didn’t know a more dreamy guy.

Light chocolate eyes, unruly dark hair, tanned olive skin and a killer smile. 

“You okay, Will?” He asked in his deep voice. 

“Um, I think you saved my life,” I admitted. 

“Then I’ve fulfilled my life long goal of being a superhero.”

Levi gently set me down. 

“Thank you so much Levi…um here’s a diploma.” I smiled. 

“Why thank you.” Levi smiled back.

“No problem.”

“She’s okay everyone!” He announced. “She’s all good!”

I made my way back up to the stage. Nathaniel was smirking. 

“You are an asshole.” I whispered. 

“And you're a klutz. Good thing your mother wasn’t here to see that. She would have been so disappointed.”

I stomped down hard on Nathniel’s foot. 

He crumpled to the floor and I couldn’t help but snicker. 

Serves that jerk right. 

When it was actually Levi’s turn to accept his diploma, he held on to my hand longer than he needed to. 

“Congrats, Levi,” I smiled. 

“Thank you, Willow. I can’t wait to hang out with you at the summer mansion.”

“Oh you’ll be there too?” 

“Wouldn't miss it for the world.” He winked before moving on. 

Maybe this summer won't be that bad.

--

“Please tell me you’re okay!”  Scarlett had me in a death grip hug. “That was so scary Willow!”

“Let me breathe!” I exclaimed. “I’m fine, Levi saved me.”

“Thank goodness for that! Mom would kill me if something happened to you!”

“Then maybe I should have cracked my head open.” I grinned. 

Scarlett’s hazel eyes narrowed as she pushed her curly dyed honey blonde hair out of her face. I truly couldn’t believe she was in her forties. She still looked the same as when I was growing up.

“Any injuries Will?” Scarlett’s husband, Grayson Wrenford approached us. 

He sure was a babe! He was tall with brown hair and stunning grey eyes. On his perfect jaw was a beard and a smile that could make anyone melt. 

I couldn’t believe I had such a hot brother-in-law.

“Just my ego.” I smiled weakly. 

“What happened up there?” Scarlett asked. 

“Ask your demon brother! He totally tripped me because he was so threatened by me! He had to embarrass me in front of all the professors!”

“When will you two stop?”

“Honestly, you’re worse than me and Grayson.” Lee Windsor laughed. 

Another dreamy man in my sister’s life. I swear when she was in her twenties she was just a hot guy magnet! Somehow she managed to get Grayson and Lee to impregnate her at the same time! There was a whole big rivalry about her for over a year. 

She’s so powerful.

Lee was a gorgeous Asian man with incredible cheekbones, a strong jaw and pretty golden brown eyes. He was smooth and charming and the city’s most eligible bachelor. I think he’s still very in love with Scarlett, but he’s never said as much as far as I know.

“And that’s saying something, you know?” Scarlett asked. “These two arguing caused a car accident and you and Nathaniel are worse than that.”

“Well Nathaniel is a vile, demented, bitter-”

“A lady should never be so venomous, Willow. But I guess you’re not really a lady are you?” Nathaniel interrupted me before turning to Scarlett. “Hey, sis.”

They hugged and I sneered. I hated that my sister was his too. That we had to be connected. 

“Did you trip Willow?” Scarlett asked. 

“What? I would never do that. Is she hallucinating again?”

“That was one time!” I snapped. 

“Mom, Dad!” Joy ran over and hugged Scarlett and Grayson. “Where’s Robin?”

“He’s with Skyler and Avery.” Scarlett smiled. 

Robin was Joy and Julian’s little brother. Scarlett got knocked up right after she married Grayson. Robin was a little too young to be a part of our baby gang at the time, but we loved him so much.

“Where is my son is the question?” Lee looked around. 

“Ask and I shall appear!” Julian hugged his dad from behind. 

“There’s my boy! When are you going to get a haircut? You look like your Uncle EJ.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Julian rolled his eyes. 

“I think EJ is quite handsome, just like my prince.” Scarlett kissed Julian’s forehead. 

“Oh come on Mom, the girls are watching!”

“Mom, can we please go shopping this weekend?” Joy asked. “I need new clothes for the internship and I need your opinion.”

“Of course, princess.”

I was kind of jealous of Joy and Scarlett’s relationship. It was so loving and nurturing. I didn’t exactly have that with Mom. The only thing we bonded over was demolishing Nathaniel. 

“We should get going,” Scarlett announced. “We have Levi’s graduation party.”

Hopefully I could get Levi alone and talk to him tonight. 

*Nathaniel *

I kept glancing at my phone. 

Grades would be posted in mere minutes and I had to know if I did better than Willow. I wouldn’t be able to stand seeing her smug face if her GPA was higher than mine, it would destroy me. 

“Darling there you are!” Mom swept me in her arms for a bone crushing hug. “How was the graduation ceremony?”

“Willow may have tripped in front of everyone,” I smirked. “I wonder how that happened.”

“Oh Nathaniel! She’s such a nice young woman. Too bad a demon birthed her.”

“Can you guys just quit it?” My older brother Gerald approached us. “Bianca isn’t that bad and Willow is a nice girl.”

“You’re too young to remember what Bianca was like,” Mom said dismissively. “She called me everything under the sun.”

“Mom, you slept with her husband.” Gerald’s green eyes rolled.

She huffed. “Oh, be quiet.”

My brother Gerald was born out of an affair between my parents which was why Mom and Bianca hated each other so much. I would never tell Mom that Bianca’s anger was justified though.

I liked living. 

I looked around the party and spotted Willow with Bianca. They were smiling, which meant Willow was saying something nasty about me. She really was so classless. 

I glanced down at my phone again. 5:01pm.

Grades were out. 

Never had I signed into my campus account so fast. A grin came across my face. All A’s. A four point zero GPA. I sauntered over to Willow who was now talking to Levi. As I approached them, I noticed something. 

Willow was giggling a lot and was she…twirling her hair? She touched Levi’s arm and laughed loudly. 

She was flirting with him! Willow had a crush on Levi.

What a loser. 

“Hello Willow.”

“Oh what do you want?” She snapped. 

“Grades are out.” I smirked. 

Willow gasped and grabbed her phone. It was a few moments before a smile came across her face. 

“All A’s.” She announced. 

“Good job Willow,” Levi smiled. 

“I got all A’s too,” I informed her. “Four point zero GPA.”

“Oh…I got a four point one.”

“What?!” I snatched her phone out of her hand and nearly fainted. “How did you-”

“Extra credit,” Willow grinned. “Professor Langford really needed some help with grading papers.”

“You fucking weasel!” I hissed. 

“Woah, Nathaniel calm down.” Levi stated. “It’s just one point.”

“One point that means she’s…ugh! This isn’t over Monroe. I’m coming for you this summer. I’m going to win that internship.”

She snorted. “Sure you will. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go tell my mother that I’m a winner and you’re a loser.”

Willow skipped off as I seethed. I needed a fucking drink. 

I stomped to the bartender. “Whiskey neat, please.”

“Nathaniel,”

I turned and saw my Dad. I hugged him tightly. “Hey Dad,”

“I saw you and Willow arguing again. What about this time?” He questioned. 

“She got a higher GPA than me,” I mumbled. “Mom’s gonna kill me.”

“Oh forget her. Did you make good grades?”

“All A’s.”

“Then you should be proud.”

“I’m not. I could have done better. More.” I sighed. 

“Nathaniel, you’re a handsome young man who’s graduating business school next year. You have so much to look forward to. You need to stop fighting your mother’s battles, okay?” Dad asked.

“It’s not even about Mom anymore. Willow, she…Dad gets on my last nerve. She’s always provoking me!”

“And do you provoke her?” He raised eyebrows.

“It’s called revenge.”

“Here’s your drink sir,” The bartender slid it over to me. 

I saw my dad eye the whiskey. 

Apparently before I was born he was a pretty bad alcoholic. He was in rehab for some of my mom’s pregnancy. I’d personally never seen Dad drunk, but I’ve heard horror stories from Scarlett and Gerald. 

“Nathaniel-”

“It’s my first one tonight I promise. I’m not going to go overboard.” I assured him. 

“Remember, addiction is in your blood, Nathaniel. You have to be careful.”

“I will be.” 

I grabbed my drink and walked away. 

“Hey, Nathaniel, can you cover for me?” Julian whispered.

“You’re doing it tonight, dude?”

“I gotta, please! Just tell my parents that I’m going to see some friends. I’ll be back home by the time we have to leave for the mansion.”

“I don’t like keeping this secret, Julian.” I sighed. 

“I know, but you’re the only one I trust. No one else would understand.”

“I don’t understand either.”

“Please, Nathaniel.” He pouted. 

“Ugh, fine, go. I got you.”

“Thanks man.”

He weaved through the crowd and disappeared.

“You seen Julian?” Joy asked. 

“Nope.” I lied. 

“Ugh, he’s probably managed to find a girl we’re not related to and is seducing her or something.”

She hurried over to Willow. I glared over, still pissed about my GPA. I needed to find a way to destroy her and fast. She already had a leg up with this internship. How could I take her down?

Levi walked by Willow and she smiled at him. God she was such a girl. Getting distracted by a guy. 

Wait. 

I pulled out my phone. 

“Hey, Nathaniel, what’s up?” Orlando Ruiz answered. 

“Remember when you asked me about Willow earlier?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I changed my mind. I’ll help you get her.”