I have an arch nemesis.

Actually two.

And they’re dating each other. It’s the damnedest thing.

 

I wrote a little bit about Dick in my last post, but I did promise to explain why he’s my nemesis.

So there’s a bit of backstory to get into in order to make things clear.

Dick has never been cruel to me, or even said anything snidely. In fact we’re on pretty civil terms. We just don’t care for the other.

He’s a little arrogant in my opinion and it’s clear that he’s ambitious to the point of rudeness. When he first our rival team, I heard, he asked who the strongest debater was, and then immediately wanted to debate them – claiming he would win. While his confidence is admired by most, I find it a little off-putting.

My opinion on him solidified on one of my first team-trips abroad.

My partner and I ended up hanging out with our hometown rivals because we knew each other and with enough booze, anyone becomes a friend. We come from a really small state so while a lot of the other teams at the tournament had known each other for years – we knew practically no one.

These tournaments are opportunities to network and make friends with prominent people in the circuit. If you do a good job and get your name out there it is more likely you will start to win. I know that it’s “unfair” but it’s the reality of debate. You have everything to gain by making friends with a judge or fellow competitor and everything to loose if you don’t.

However, the team that Dick is on decided to be insular and not speak kindly to anyone at the tournament. And because our team had been hanging out with them – other states began to look down on us as well.

Which was obviously a problem.

The clincher came when later that night we were at a tournament party in Dick’s room, and were hanging out with some super-chill debaters from Oregon. For the most part they were extremely friendly and interesting. One even challenged Dick to a rap battle and won. Hurting Dick’s pride since he claims that as his main interest and talent. However, one party member was indeed – a douche bag.

Dick suggests that we move the party over to a 24-7 Diner.

Everyone agrees and starts to leave.

On our way out though, my coach asks me to go back up to the room because he left something important. So I run up the stairs hoping someone from the other team is there. I knock on the door and ask them to let me in.

Behind it, I hear giggling and then shushing.

At this point I’m pissed, because I realize what had happened.

They had no intention of showing up at the diner and were simply thinking of an excuse to get everyone out of their room.

It was late and it is fair to want people out, but you could’ve just asked everyone to leave – rather than embarrassing a bunch of people by standing them up at a diner, especially if you suggested it. People are understanding if you want them to leave so you can sleep, it’s your room and your rules. But why be a dick, Dick?

I yelled out through the door that I could hear them and just needed to grab something.

Dick opens the door.

He hurries me through the room while the rest of his team sits awkwardly around, avoiding eye-contact. I easily express my discontent with his choice to kick people out like that and then to stand them all up. Potentially creating enemies from a strong debate squad.

He shrugs and said it was only because that one guy was a douche.

He then proceeds to say that he was actually helping me, because one of the guys at the party seemed into me. And now we had an opportunity to be alone with him and possibly get laid.

My jaw dropped.

It was so disrespectful and outright offensive that he would cause such a commotion and then try to twist it to being a selfless act, for me.

Bitch – please.

If you’re going to do something this rude, at least own it.

So I left angry, resisting the urge to punch him in the face, and went to explain to my partner what the fuck was going on. We then needed to show up at the diner and apologize for the rudeness of our “friends.”

It was, needless to say, awkward.

No-one likes to be stood up.

Eventually, the party trickled away from the diner and we haven’t spoken to any of them since which is a shame because they really were very cool people. It was one of the most memorable and mortifying nights of my life.

And that’s when Dick became my nemesis.

 

I understand his desire to be good at something, but I don’t think that you need to step on others to get there. Nor do I believe in bragging about what you have achieved, so blatantly. So – I try to “beat” him in ways that are acceptable. Like at tournaments or other competitions.

It’s evened out a bit and lately he has been trying to be a lot nicer person, which I appreciate. So I feel more and more like our rivalry has been making him a better person, and me too, to some degree. Because I want to beat him so badly, I tend to put more effort into preparation for competition.

So my nemesis has been beneficial to us both.

I think and hope anyway.

Dick’s girlfriend and I also have the same kind of relationship, except we are on much friendlier terms. In high-school, she was my nemesis at debate as well.

But the fact they would find and then date the other person?

Even I couldn’t have planned it better.