The tutor

Bria Jeurgen first met Jamal Williams in third-period chemistry class, about a month into the term, despite the fact that he was in every one of her classes. Mr. Pierce had a system of assigning students to work together on projects that always somehow seemed to disqualify her many friends as potential partners. Instead, Bria was paired with the introspective, shy Jamal. He offered her the slightest nod and smile as he dumped her books down next to him on the lab table.

Like most school days, Bria was dressed and primped as though she were heading to a photo-shoot; she was wearing a darling little blue scoop-neck tee that really highlighted her eyes (and her cleavage) plus a tartan skirt and knee socks and knew she looked good. In contrast, Jamal was dressed simply, almost anonymously, and mostly kept his gaze down on his work or his hands, except when he would glance up at her eyes or breasts. Bria decided that he was cute, if clearly insecure.

As they started their project, Bria donned a pair of cheap plastic goggles and bent over at the waist as she carefully poured and measured a powder using a digital scale. Jamal stood silently across the table, and after a couple of seconds she glanced up. He was busted, staring moonily down the front of her top at the milky-white globes perched in a lace bra. He gulped in embarrassment, but she just flashed an easy, megawatt smile. "Am I doing this right?" she asked sweetly.

The blonde tried to draw the young man into small talk as they worked. She was surprised to discover that they were in all the same classes; she hadn't noticed him before! She also learned that he, his parents and older brother had just moved here from somewhere down south (he told her, but she immediately forgot) after her dad got transferred at work. He admitted bashfully that he was having a hard time making friends, then immediately tried changing the subject. "How about you?" he asked. "You must be the most popular girl in school."

She smiled back at him, grateful to expound on her favorite subject. "Yeah, but probably just because I'm Miss Teen Minnesota," she answered, trying to sound casual. She told him about the pageant and her dreams of fame. But as they sat down to do some calculations, she sighed sadly. "But I've got to get my grades higher," she moaned. "Like this? I don't understand any of this. I am going to fail this class, and then I won't become Miss Teen America."

"Hey, it's okay," Jamal told her reassuringly, putting a hand on her back as tears welled in her eyes. "Just get a tutor to help you."

"A tutor won't help!" she sighed. "I should be tutoring other people! This one girl from the state finals--I think her name was Rachel--she was working with inner-city people, and was even tutoring this black kid..." she trailed off, casting a guilty glance at Jamal before dabbing her eyes with a kleenex. "I'm gonna finish last in the whole country."

Jamal gently switched the topic back to their assignment, patiently explaining the principle of molar mass. He led her through the questions, she writing the answers as he explained the rationale. At the end of class, Bria smiled gratefully at him. "Thanks, Jamal," she said. "I hope you can be my partner again."

Jamal took the assignment and handed it in to Mr. Pierce. "How'd it go?" the teacher asked.

"Really good," Jamal told him, then leaning forward and lowering his voice. "Actually, she'd make a great tutor."

Mr. Pierce cocked a quizzical eyebrow. "Who, Bria? In chemistry, or fashion?" He chuckled. "Jamal, you don't need a tutor, you're probably the best student in this class."

But Jamal wasn't laughing. "Mr. Pierce, I think Bria and I are good together. One of us needs to be tutored... and one of us needs to be a tutor."

"Are you proposing..." Mr. Pierce began, then stopped. By this time, Bria was heading toward the door, chatting and laughing with some of the other girls. Mr. Pierce called her over to deliver the news: "Bria, how would you like to tutor Jamal here?"

"Me, tutor him?" she asked, glancing sideways at Jamal, who nodded. "Uh, I guess..."

"Just as long as it's understood that grades in my class are earned," Mr. Pierce cautioned. "I expect that you both are going to earn your grades."

"In this class, in every class..." Jamal added. "We're in every class together, and we're gonna pass every one of them, together."