You are exactly right. START now finds her shagworthy, he wants to make friends.
She wants to make him feel like shit for a while, just because that is how he made her feel.
Typical teenage stuff.
And again I say, START needs to seek counseling for this teenage stuff. There’s no shame in seeking professional help, especially when you’ve recently lost a family member. But he can’t keep bringing his problems to the boards. There are too many of them, and he seems unable to deal with their complexity.
Another excellent point, Rilchiam. You guys are, like, excellent point-makers or something.
If what START is after here is to grow as a person - to start to develop into a real, live, decent human being, then a sincere apology and avoiding Laura’s presence is a good start - coupled with finding his previous victims and repeating the process.
If you behave badly and hurt another person deliberately - as START freely admits he has done, then it behooves you to man up and apologize sincerely and do what you can to make amends. For yourself as much as the other person. Penance. Taking responsibility for your own actions. Adult behavior. Valuable life lesson.
If what START wants is to not have a hot girl pissed at him (which is kind of the vibe I was getting from the OP, then my response is “Too bad, too little, too late.” She will probably always despise you for what you did - deservedly so.
He victimized a weaker kid in public for jollies. That’s evil. Deliberately causing pain to another for your own gratification is a fundamental underpinning of evil. It speaks well of him that he’s (arguably) sorry - but the behavior was evil. Part of the growing-up-into-a-decent-human process is learning to recognize your own evil and then (this is the important part) NOT REPEATING IT. There’s also the bit where you try to make amends.
As Laura does not post here and is not a member of our community, let’s leave her be. No demonizing the victim, if you please. She has not asked for our advice, so let’s not give it to her. I’d hazard a guess she’s lashing out from pain - pain that START helped to foster and nurture. He no more deserves to be victimized than she did - but he started the party with her. No crying because the tiger you poked with a pointy stick catches you with a claw.
Your proper behavior is to apologize sincerely and avoid her. If she comes over with (or to visit) your relatives, then explain to the linking people the story and that you think it’s best you not be around when she is. If you must deal with her, do it in the most courteous imaginable fashion. Always. No matter what she says.
If there’s going to be poor behavior, then make sure it’s not yours. That’s all you can do. Accepting that she’s got a basis for her treatment of you (and she does - whether or not I agree with the extent to which she’s taken it, she’s got a legitimate beef), and making sure she has no further cause for complaint is all you can do - other than ponying up a sincere apology.
This isn’t about whether or not you “have to take her shit”. It’s about you making it a personal point to make sure nobody else has cause to complain about your behavior - in as much as you possibly can. She’s in charge of her behavior. You’re in charge of yours. So, be polite. Be courteous. If she crosses the line, ask her politely to cease and desist. If she won’t, then leave her be.
There’s a difference between taking her abuse like a poor passive aggressive suffering START (oooooh, where do we sign up for the Let’s-Martyr-START petition) and making the best of a situation wherein you caused the abuse that you’re taking which has now gotten out of hand.