The Bite of the Spider: Spider-Man

Chapter 18

Ever since her interview with Oscorp, Y/n had been on edge everywhere she went. School was a struggle to focus in, especially since her home life was starting to seep into her school life. The looks people were giving her made her feel like an itch was all over her body. Eyes followed her wherever she went. The only places she felt safe was either beside Gwen or beside Peter, both of them stern on avoiding the subject of her parents' fall from 'grace'. Flash Thompson had especially taken her new stance in life as an advantage, only adding her to his list of wimps and geeks to bully.

Y/n was getting her books from her locker, still feeling eyes on her from behind. She did her best to ignore the stares, but it became harder when her locker suddenly slammed shut in front of her, her fingers just barely missing the edge of the door. Turning with bubbling heat in her chest, she looked into the malicious eyes of Flash. "What the hell, Thompson?!" she bellowed, drawing a few more eyes. If people hadn't already been looking at her, they were now. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break a nail?" Flash spoke down to her, the searing sarcasm dripping from his tone.

"More like my finger," Y/n talked back, flipping him off. "Asshole."

"I bet mommy and daddy could fix it up," Flash shrugged, but then his demeanor changed and a wicked grin lit up his features. "Oh, wait. No they can't. Cause your parents are a couple of backstabbing greedy freeloaders. No, hold on, greedy leeches. Did I get that right?"

"Hm, I don't know," Y/n pretended to ponder. "Maybe if you got your head out of your ass you could figure it out, Eugene."

The use of his real name made his face turn redder than a tomato. "Don't act like you're worth shit at this school anymore."

"I never thought I was, unlike you," Y/n hissed, pushing him back by his chest. "You're a child, Flash, who demeanes the people around you because you're too damn insecure about your own self worth. Which, by the way, is equivalent to that of a rat." Reopening her locker as she spoke, she took out her Chemistry book. "I won't be the source of your trauma dumping. Maybe find some freshman, or the local trashcan. I don't care. Just get out of my face."

Before she could leave, she felt a tight hand grip her shoulder and push her against the locker. She let out a grunt as her head hit the metal, feeling Flash's hand grip her shoulder tighter. "You think you can just walk away from me?" he almost laughed. "You really think I'm afraid to make an example out of you?"

She knew Flash was not a good man, but nowhere did she think he would really stoop so low. Luckily, a familiar voice called out, "Hey!", and when Flash turned his head to see Peter pushing through the hall, Y/n took her chance and kicked her knee up in between Flash's legs. He immediately crumpled to the ground, holding himself and his face twitched with searing pain. Peter stopped mid-run, seeing just how well she handled herself. Coming to her side, he gently put a hand on her arm and asked, "Hey, are you okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, Peter, I'm fine," Y/n brushed it off, picking up her Chemistry book from the floor. "Flash was just... being himself." She could tell Peter was about ready to turn around and push Flash back down to the floor until Y/n took his arm and said, "Leave it alone, Peter. It'll only make it worse."

"If I've learned anything from dealing with Flash for four years, it's that he's never finished until you crack," Peter claimed, following her lead with his hands in his pockets. Turning to face her, he continued, "I just don't want him to keep on doing this kind of stuff to you, Y/n. It's not okay."

"If I couldn't handle myself against Flash Thompson, I'd feel pretty ashamed," Y/n stated with a faux-laugh, one Peter could easily pick up. She was becoming more and more on edge with the way her life was turning downward, and it was starting to affect her schooling. He wanted to do more for her, like when he took her out for ice cream, but his life as Spider-Man has kept him so busy, the only times he could see her was when he was Spider-Man. He knew he needed to tell her his secret sooner rather than later, for he kept feeling worse and worse about it and he knew the outcome would just be more and more disastrous.