The girls volunteer

The hallways of the high school were full of students between periods, but to Brody Pozner Madeline Esche and her best friend Alexis Carlson managed to stand out. The youthful teacher approached the blondes wearing matching cheerleading uniforms and greeted them nervously. "Oh hey, girls," he called out faux-casually, fixing his hair while they looked up at him. "Uh, I'm assigning a new project today, and I usually let the students pick their own partners, but I don't want the two of you working together this time like you always do..." He tried to sound accusatory, instead of defensive.

Fortunately, the girls were good obedient students and agreed to being assigned partners, even so far as to 'pick' their partners themselves when the time came: sullen new student Tyrone Dexler would get Madeline, while the perverted prankster Leroy Tyson would get Alexis. Both were weird in their own way, but as they were also black boys the blondes made no protest beyond an exchanged concerned glance lest they be accused of racism. "Thanks girls, and good luck tonight!" he said when leaving, which confused them at first until they assumed he was referring to cheering at the football game.

"We don't need luck, we've got talent," Madeline assured him with hands on her hips and a smug smile.

"Yeah, we're tiny but mighty!" Alexis called after Mr. Pozner with a laugh, and he seemed shocked by what she said as he disappeared into the classroom. She turned, clutched her books to her chest and rolled her eyes at Madeline. "Ugh, I hate Leroy even more than the other black guys," Alexis proclaimed with a weary sigh. "He's always staring at me, hanging out near the change room, trying to catch a glimpse of a naked cheerleader," she complained just as Leroy approached her from behind. "I just know he's gonna try something to get his hands on my..."

"Nice ass!" the giant defensive back declared as he walked by, giving a startled Alexis' skirted butt a hardy slap for good measure. "You look fuckable too, Maddy!"

Alexis looked mortified as stocky Leroy walked away but Madeline just laughed. "Looks like you'll have to worry about being 'fuckable'," Madeline pointed out as she and Alexis followed Leroy into the classroom. "At least he's popular and on the football team. What about me? Mine's an intense weirdo who creeps me out, and I'm sure totally hate whites."

"Well, you'll just have to show him how nice a white girl can be," Alexis fluttering her eyelashes teasingly before she saw empty chairs next to where Leroy sat and took a deep breath. "Okay Maddy, let's do this." So Alexis slid into the seat next to Leroy's, turning on the charm and pretending to find him tolerable.

Madeline sat quietly next to her friend until she saw Tyrone strut through the door. At first she called to him shyly, almost reluctantly, but he walked by without even looking at her. Her heart started to pound as she rose from her seat and followed after him. "Hi Tyrone?" she said perkily, finally getting his attention. "Hi, I'm Maddy Esche," she said nervously, not knowing what else to do but introduce herself and smile.

"I know," he said calmly as he made his way to an empty seat in the back, which wasn't going to do. Madeline was used to getting attention from boys, and felt strange being in the position of coming on to this introverted black boy.

"I was wondering if you would sit with me?" she suggested, taking his hand and tugging gently. He considered it, looking the suddenly shy blonde up and down.

"Who put you up to this?" Tyrone demanded to know, and Madeline tried to resist the temptation to recoil and look guilty.

'He's so angry and suspicious!' Madeline thought to herself. 'I need to convince him it's my idea, that I want to be with him.' Still holding his hand, she pulled him closer and looked up at him with big green eyes as she got an idea. "I just thought maybe we could go to prom together."

Madeline had never been allowed to date before, and she had no idea how she was going to explain her first boyfriend being a foul-tempered negro, but for some reason she felt attracted to him. Her gambit payed off as he then joined Madeline at the desk up front next to Alexis, referring to her cheer outfit as a "cute costume".

Mr. Pozner called the class to attention, seeming surprised when he saw that the girls had already put themselves in position to select their predestined partners before their projects have been assigned...