will, Fiona receives all of his belongings, including the diner. Eight years later, 17-year old Samantha (Hilary Duff) is employed as a worker at the diner, where she is tormented by Fiona and her two dim-witted daughters, Brianna (Madeline Zima) and Gabriella (Andrea Avery). Fiona is self-absorbed, and uses unnecessary amounts of water during a drought. A running gag throughout the film demonstrates Samantha's stepsisters participating in synchronized swimming, for which they are found to have absolutely no talent. Samantha struggles to cope socially at North Valley High School, where Queen Bee cheerleader, Shelby Cummings (Julie Gonzalo), also torments her and calls her by the nickname "Diner Girl". Samantha confides in her online pen pal "Nomad" about her dream to attend Princeton University, a dream which he also shares. However, "Nomad"'s true identity is Austin Ames (Chad Michael Murray), the popular - yet unhappy - quarterback of the school's football team, and Shelby's boyfriend (Although Austin broke up with her, she chooses to ignore it). "Nomad" proposes that they meet in person at the school's Halloween dance. Initially reluctant, Samantha is convinced by her aspiring-actor friend, Carter Ferrell (Dan Byrd), to go to the dance and meet her mysterious online friend. On the night of the dance, Fiona orders Samantha to work the night shift at the diner, then leaves to drive Brianna and Gabriella to the dance. Carter and Rhonda (Regina King), Samantha's amiable co-worker at the diner, take Samantha to find a costume for the dance. Samantha, wearing a mask and a beautiful white dress, meets "Nomad" at the dance, and is surprised and shocked to learn that he is Austin. The two decide to leave the party to walk alone and get to know each other. After sharing a romantic dance together, Samantha and Austin begin to fall in love. But just as Austin is about to kiss her, Samantha's cell phone alarm goes off, warning her to return to the diner before Fiona comes back at midnight. She leaves without revealing her identity to Austin, and drops her phone on her way out. Austin picks it up and begins a desperate search to figure out who his "Cinderella" really is, the result being that every girl in school claims to be the mysterious owner of the phone. Carter, dressed as Zorro, rescues Shelby from the unwanted amorous advances of Austin's friend, David (Brad Bufanda). Shelby falls for "Zorro" not knowing who he is and Carter resolves to tell her who he really is the next day. Later, Brianna and Gabriella discover Samantha's Mail Letter to Austin and realize that Samantha is Cinderella. They later present them to Shelby, Madison and Caitlyn and convince her that Samantha persuaded him to leave Shelby to be with her. To retaliate, Shelby, Brianna and Gabriella perform a mean-spirited skit at a school pep rally where the Mail Letter is read aloud and Samantha's identity is revealed to Austin. Carter even experiences some humiliation when he sees Shelby and her friends lounging by the pool. He reveals that it was he who was dressed as "Zorro" and Shelby, showing her true colors, denies that anything ever happened between them at the dance. Samantha, who (like Austin) had been accepted to Princeton University, was then duped by Fiona into believing she was rejected. Shortly after, fed up with Fiona's persistent emotional abuse and her schoolwide humiliation, Samantha confronts Fiona about the mistreatment she's given her, quits her job at the diner and moves out to live with Rhonda. Simultaneously, Rhonda and the rest of the diner's staff quit along with Samantha, having put up with Fiona's abuse for Samantha's sake all those years. The customers, who watched the entire scene, leave the diner as well. Before a school football game, Samantha confronts Austin about his cowardice and lies. Before the final play of the game, he sees Samantha making her way out of the stands, and finally faces up to his father that he wants to attend Princeton rather than simply play football all his life. He hands his helmet to his other friend Ryan, then chases after Samantha and apologizes. She accepts his apology and they share their first kiss as rain falls over the drought-plagued valley. Soon after, Samantha finds her father's will hidden in her childhood fairytale book, which stated that all of his belongings would go to her. Samantha sells her step-family's fancy cars so that she can pay for college, and Fiona, who signed the will as a witness, is arrested after being chased through the front yard of what is now Samantha's house by the deputy sheriffs. Fiona and her daughters, Brianna and Gabriella are made to work off the money they stole from Samantha at the diner, which is restored to the way it was before Hal's death by its new owners, Samantha and Rhonda. Samantha then finds out that she was, in fact, accepted by Princeton after her acceptance letter was found in the garbage by Gabriella. Things also work out in the end for Carter as he makes a commercial for acne medication. After being dumped by Austin, Shelby then makes a play for Carter only to be spurned in favor of Astrid, the school's DJ. The movie ends with Samantha and Austin driving off to Princeton now officially a couple.

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