In the first four chapters, Maleeka tries to avoid her new teacher, Miss Saunders. Another student, Char, demands that Maleeka take her clothes off in front of everyone. John John makes up an insulting rap song about Maleeka. Miss Saunders later catches Char and Worm kissing in the hallway. Maleeka was trying to cut class to go to a pretzel stand when she was caught. In a field trip, Caleb leaves Maleeka to sit with his other friends after John John's song. In class, students give differing responses to Miss Saunders' question about what their faces say, with Larry saying hers says to stay out of the sun and Georgy saying hers says black is beautiful