Mia Thermopolis is a student at Grove High School residing with her single mother, Helen, in a refurbished firehouse in San Francisco. Unpopular among her peers, Mia suffers from a fear of public speaking while harboring a crush on Josh Bryant, and is often teased by his popular girlfriend, Lana Thomas. Mia's only friends are social outcast Lilly Moscovitz and her older brother, Michael, who secretly harbors feelings for Mia.