Shy high school student Mia Thermopolis resides with her 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 (who has known her since childhood) and Lilly's older brother, Michael, who secretly harbors feelings for her.