Brave the troublemakers and exit through the nearby door

Nate tried to weave his way through the gaggle of five students blockading the door.

These kids were worse than a bunch of delinquent high schoolers in detention. They whispered, passed notes, even make loud wisecracks in the middle of class. Nate couldn’t begin to guess how they’d gotten into HHU in the first place.

Nate tried to appear nonchalant as he walked by. But he felt his heart flutter nervously. For all his efforts to appear superior and aloof, bullies like these still made him feel every bit a timid, scrawny geek.

Caleb was the ringleader of the group. He was tall and blond with a strong jawline and always seemed to be sporting a couple days’ worth of stubble. Today his t-shirt clung snugly to his defined chest and biceps. This guy was the laziest piece of work in the whole school, Nate thought, but he managed to keep himself in magnificently good shape.

There were three Neanderthal-like cronies of Caleb’s there too. But the only other person Nate really noticed was Molly, the one girl in the group. Even though he hated the crowd she hung out with, Nate had always found Molly attractive. She had delicate, snowy features, and the sweetest red lips. Today she had worn a periwinkle sun dress that accentuated her small but perky breasts.

“Hey nerd!”

It was Caleb’s deep voice. The big dude was now standing directly in the doorway, preventing Nate from leaving.

“I’m just trying to get through the door, Caleb, that’s all,” Nate said, feigning confidence.

“Hey, how ‘bout you politely ask us to move, instead of just barging past. I know you look down your nose at us, think we all got shit-for-brains. But this time, you’re gonna show some respect, bigshot.”

“S- sorry. I wasn’t trying...”

“Leave him alone, Caleb,” Molly chimed in. She tilted her head slightly as she spoke, causing her auburn ponytail to cascade over her pale shoulder.

“Thanks, Molly.”

“No one said you could speak to her,” Caleb snarled.

“I- I was just....”

“Don’t let him talk to you like that, Nate,” Molly snapped.

Her words emboldened Nate. He couldn’t seem like a wuss in front of her.

“Get out of my way Caleb.”

“You tell him cutie.”

“You trying to impress Molly there, nerdboy?” Caleb growled.

“I’m just trying to get an asshole to move out of my way,” Nate said, standing toe-to-toe with Caleb. The fact that Molly had just called him “cutie” had caused him to take leave of his usual cowardly instincts.

“Whoa. Molly, maybe this guy has some balls after all.” Caleb eyed Nate up and down, a smirk on his face.

“Fuck yeah, he does,” she replied. “Y’all know what they say about these skinny nerds.”

Nate blushed. He was enjoying Molly’s flattery, but recoiled a little at the implication of her last comment.

“You think you’re smarter than us and you gotta bigger dick, too?” Caleb challenged him.

“Not exactly...”

“Then what are you saying?”

“Listen.” Nate was really nervous now. He could feel the dampness of sweat across his neck and brow. His glasses slid down his nose. “I don’t want to provoke you. I just really, really want to be able to leave. Just let me by and that’ll be the end of it.”

Molly looked disappointed that Nate was backing down.

“Provoke us? Like we’re a bunch of hyenas, right.”

Caleb frowned and shook his head, before continuing, “Okay, here’s the deal you conceited prick. You put your money where your mouth is. If your dick is bigger’n mine, I’ll let you walk away. Hell, I’ll fuckin’ set you up with Molly here. She likes big ones. You just have to whip it out for a sec. No one else’ll see.”

Caleb's proposition was absurd. There was no way Caleb seriously expected Nate to expose himself here. But Caleb's expression unnerved Nate. He seemed dead serious. Nate considered just running away back into the building -- but he didn't want to seem like a complete coward in front of Molly.