Race for the emergency exit

“I’m sorry Nate.”

Denny’s lip quivered. He genuinely looked like he was about to cry.

“I was just so angry about how you talked to me.”

“Denny, what *the fuck* have you done?” Nate responded angrily.

Caleb laughed as he wrapped the twine around Nate’s left wrist, lashing his arm to the top corner of the chalkboard. One of his cronies did the same for Nate’s right wrist. They’d all pounced on Nate a few moments earlier as he tried to run for the emergency exit, and now they had dragged him to the front of the classroom.

“Guys, c’mon. Don’t do this,” Nate pleaded.

“Begging’ll get you nowhere, nerd,” Caleb snorted as he roughly grabbed Nate’s left ankle and tied it to one side of the chalkboard’s base. Soon all four of Nate’s limbs were secured, and he was helplessly spread-eagled before them.

“Ow,” Nate yelped at his rough treatment.

“Shut up,” Molly snapped.

“M- Molly, please. Denny? You know this isn’t right. I don’t deserve this.”

“Shut your fuckin’ trap,” Caleb ordered. “We ain’t done a thing to you yet. The whole point is to decide exactly what you deserve. We’re gonna have – what’d you call it, squirt – a hearing.”

“A hearing? On what? What the fuck, Denny?” Nate’s tone grew increasingly agitated.

Caleb's tone remained pitiless: “You oughtta stop looking at him for help, fuckwad. He’s the one who told us what you said about Molly.”

“Yeah, that I was some kind of slut who lusted after you,” Molly added.

Nate couldn't believe Denny had told them this. “Th- that wasn’t.... No!”

“Sorry to say, squirt’s accusation was pretty damn convincing,” Caleb said mockingly.

“I didn’t mean for this....” Denny continued to whimper and stare at his feet. “I was just so upset at you, and I wanted to get you back. I’m sorry Nate.”

“You little piece of...,” Nate raged before getting control of himself. “Tell them you misunderstood what I said about Molly,” he hissed.

“Aw, you’re not gonna recant now squirt, are you?” Caleb interjected. “Why would you change your story? Maybe you’re the one who need to be on trial here, for lying to us.”

“Well....” Denny shuffled his feet nervously.

“Denny shouldn’t get blamed for this,” Nate said, trying to project calm. “He just let his... infatuation... with me cloud his senses. I said some mean things to him, and his feelings got hurt. So he concocted this story. Right Denny?”

“M- mean things...? Nate, you were just plain cruel,” Denny replied.

Nate continued to press. “Enough, Denny. You’ve let this go far enough with your little tantrum.”

“But Nate, you *did* say that about Molly,” Denny meekly offered.

Nate’s eyes widened. He’d been sure he’d cowed Denny into backing down.

Caleb smiled. “The hearing’s back on. Time to elicit the truth.”

Nate tried to remain steady in spite of a growing sense that the situation was spiraling out of control. “C’mon, Caleb. Denny’s a little weasel, you can’t believe him.”

“Besmirching a witness, nerd? We can’t let this go unpunished. Denny?” Caleb turned and looked into Denny's wide eyes.

“He... he should have to forfeit an item of clothing for every nasty thing he’s said.”

“Wait... every nasty thing? What the fuck does that even mean? Please...,” Nate whined, his anger toward Denny now giving way to fear.

Caleb tugged off a sneaker. “For calling Denny a weasel.” Then he tugged off the other. “For calling him a liar.”

Then Molly stepped forward. She grabbed the tips of both of Nate’s socks and tugged them off. “For being an all-around arrogant prick.”

The cool air of the room on Nate’s bare feet made the situation seem doubly urgent. He thrashed against his restraints, but the tight bonds would not give.