Alvin Johnson (Nick Cannon) is an extremely intelligent nerd skilled in designing car engines. He has also taken up a job as a pool cleaner, to raise money to buy a camshaft and to build an engine for a scholarship project that will ensure him a full ride to the school of his choice. Alvin has always dreamed of hanging out with the popular kids, especially Paris Morgan (Christina Milian), a beautiful, popular black cheerleader dating NBA star Dru Hilton (Elimu Nelson). When Paris crashes her mother's expensive SUV during an argument with Dru, Alvin agrees to repair the car using the money he had earned for his project, jeopardizing his scholarship opportunity, in which Paris pays him back by giving him a $1,500 makeover.