Stella's POV
"Come on Tomlinson, you're up." Flash said. He used that voice he used to use in high school when he was about to torture me, except back then he called me Fowler instead of Tomlinson. And this time, I wasn't afraid of him like I was back then. Flash and I were in this little courtyard area we had at Louis' house. Flash was shooting free throws and up until this point I was just sitting on the sidelines trying to read my book despite him frequently "losing track of the ball" and it bouncing into my lap. I think he was just bored. Peter had a business meeting with someone at Disney (probably about me webbing up one of their security guards) and Flash didn't work during the day so I was on Flash-sitting duty. Now I could've protested when he told me it was my turn, but I just put down my book and got up. I took the ball and got into position to take the shot and as soon as it left my hands Flash smacked it down and howled like he was playing basketball with the boys. I raised my eyebrows at him.
"Got that out of your system?" I asked.
"Yeah, sorry, that was rude." He replied, and then he went to get the ball again. I wished I could show little Stella this, show her how I don't get pushed around by Flash Thompson anymore. I think she'd be proud of me, proud of us.
"Wanna know a secret?" Flash asked, handing me back the ball.
"Hmm?" I asked. I shot the ball and it went through the basket with a swish.
"Okay, Sporty Stella." Flash smiled. He found a position to shoot from and shot the ball, it went in easily for him as well. I went to collect the ball for my turn when he said it:
"I used to have a crush on you." He said. I stood straight up, ball in my hands.
"You're joking."
"Don't get too excited, it was kindergarten."
"Kindergarten?!" I asked. I shot another basket, this time the ball bounced off the rim a few times before it went in. "Then why the hell did you make me eat sand, you goofball?"
"What do I know about love? My dad said he loved my mom then beat the shit out of her every night. Finally it got so bad she just up and left, left me behind, so that didn't help." I didn't know why Flash was telling me his whole life story, but I didn't mind it. Seeing Flash as more than just a bully, or a golden retriever himbo friend was kind of refreshing. He shot another basket and took his time collecting the ball before my turn, tossing it back and forth between his hands.
"I didn't even know what it meant to love someone, but I did know I liked making people laugh so I just did that. And you and Peter were like the only two kids I ever knew that never laughed." He said. Then he handed me the ball, but I didn't shoot.
"So because you couldn't make us laugh, you used us to make other people laugh?" I asked.
"I guess so." He sighed, then he hit the underside of the ball and it went flying from my hands. I didn't even mind. He went to go get it and I watched him as he picked it up and dribbled it a little before shooting again.
"God, I was obsessed with you though." He said. "I would come up to you every day at recess and you wouldn't even look at me."
"I didn't look at anyone, I was terrified." I explained. He bounced the ball over to me and I took a shot and missed.
"See I get that now." Flash said, trying to catch the basketball as it bounced away. "But little five year old me didn't have as much going on upstairs as I do now."
"You truly are a changed man." I smiled. He took a shot but way over shot it and didn't go after the ball as it bounced away. I didn't either.
"But the whole thing just got carried away and I turned into this asshole jerky jock bro who I didn't even recognize. If it weren't for like Ava and like... Gwen Stacy even... I probably would still be like that."
