The Princess Diaries

When Mia arrives at school on Wednesday morning, she notices “people clustered into these groups looking at something,” and “A bunch of girls [run] out of the bathroom giggling like crazy when [she] [goes] in” (180). Even stranger, Josh talks to Mia at her locker and asks how she’s doing. Mia is stunned, and after Josh walks away, it “[takes] [her] five minutes to stop hyperventilating” (182). However, Mia’s giddiness over the interaction comes to an abrupt halt when she realizes that her face is all over the New York Post. The front-page article shows Mia’s face, along with the headline “New York’s Very Own Royal” (183). Mr. Gianini calls Mia’s dad, who is upset but tells her that she must stay at school for the day. After all, “members of the royal family of Genovia do not ‘go home’ when there is a crisis” (186). Mia’s father begins to wonder who could have leaked this information to the press, and he suspects Mr. Gianini. Mia tries to continue her day as usual, but her father wants Lars to follow her around and be her bodyguard. Lana invites Mia to sit with her and her friends, and Mia can’t believe “that lousy hypocrite wants to be friends with [her] now that [she’s] a princess” (190). Mia refuses and sits with Tina, who is moved to tears by Mia’s kindness and friendship. Mia thinks about how so many people at Albert Einstein ignore Tina, even though she’s really nice. Then Mia realizes, “The whole reason I hadn’t wanted anyone to find out I was a princess was that I was afraid they’d treat me the way they treated Tina Hakim Baba” (192), and she feels guilty for thinking badly of Tina in the past. During G & T, Lilly tries to pick a fight with Mia by insulting the Genovian monarchy and Mia’s father. She tells Mia that her father is worth $300 million, and she assumes that he “[took] advantage of the sweat of the common laborer” (194) to achieve such wealth.

To her surprise, Michael comes to Mia’s defense and says that Lilly is just jealous of Mia. After school, Mia realizes reporters have been camping outside the building all day trying to interview students and get a glimpse of her. Her father, Lars, and Mr. Gianini help her escape from the reporters, and during the car ride home, Mia tells her father that she’s changed her mind and doesn’t want to be a princess anymore. Unfortunately, her father says “the article today closed the deal” (201), and soon, “Everyone will know that you are the princess Amelia of Genovia” (202). That night, Mia’s mother and father argue about who could have leaked the story to the press: Mia’s mother insists that it was Grandmère, while her father believes it was Mr. Gianini. Mia thinks about how Grandmère was “totally unsympathetic” at princess lessons that day and even tried to convince Mia to give a Dateline interview, because “it would greatly promote tourism in Genovia” (207). Mia falls asleep to the sounds of her mother and father fighting.

The next day, Mia’s face appears in several major New York newspapers, and there are “more reporters than ever” (208) in front of the school trying to snag an interview with her. During algebra, Mr. Gianini struggles to keep his students focused on the lesson instead of the reporters outside, and Lana asks Mia “how long [she’d] known [she] was a princess” (210). Mia is surprised that Lana is speaking to her without being rude, and she is even more surprised when Lana “set[s] her tray down next to [Mia and Tina]” (213) during lunch. Josh joins them, along with a bunch of other crew team members and cheerleaders, and suddenly Mia and Tina’s table is overrun with “the most beautiful people in Albert Einstein—maybe even in all of Manhattan” (215). Lana tells Mia that there’s going to be a party at Josh’s place after the dance on Saturday, and Mia “should totally come” (215). Mia says that she can’t go because her “mom wouldn’t let [her] go to a party like that” (217). Mia adds that she “[doesn’t] even drink” (219). Lana begins to mock her, but Josh comes to her defense and says that he respects her decision. Mia is smitten and feels like Josh can “see into [her] soul with those electric blue eyes of his” (220).

Later in the day, Mia goes to her locker and finds Josh waiting to talk to her. He asks if she’s going to the dance with anyone, and although she becomes flustered and nervous, she manages to tell him that she doesn’t have a date. Josh leaves, and Mia wonders if “Josh Richter might like [her]” (222). After school, Grandmère decides that they should go have dinner outside the hotel so “she [can] teach [Mia] how to deal with the press” (224). Mia becomes suspicious when they arrive at the restaurant and members of the press are already waiting to greet them. Mia realizes that Grandmère called the reporters and told them where she was going to be, and when she asks if her grandmother also leaked the story about Mia being a princess, Grandmère admits that she did because “[Mia] needed the practice” (226). Mia confronts her father, who admits that he knew what Grandmère did and—reluctantly—apologizes to Mia’s mom for accusing Mr. Gianini of leaking the story. Mia wishes that she and Lilly were still talking so she could “tell Lilly about Josh Richter talking to [her]” (228).