A Cinderella Story

Sam: Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, lived a beautiful little girl and her widowed father. Okay. It wasn't that long ago. And it wasn't really a faraway kingdom. It was the San Fernando Valley. It only looked faraway because you could barely see it through all the smog. But to me, growing up, the Valley was my kingdom. I was my dad's best friend and he was mine. Although, being raised by a man put me behind in the makeup and fashion departments, I never felt like I missed out on anything. I was the luckiest girl in the world. My dad owned the coolest diner in the whole valley, I loved hanging out there. It was a kind of place where 'diet' was a four letter word and grease came at no additional charge. At Hal's everyone felt like family. What did I need a wish for? I had amazing friends and the coolest dad. But I guess my dad thought I needed one more thing: Fiona. Along with my new stepmother came her twin daughters: Brianna and Gabriella, my out-of-step-sisters. But as long as my dad was happy, so was I. We were going to be one big, happy family. Unfortunately, this was no fairytale. My kingdom came crumbling down the day the Northridge earthquake struck the Valley. I lost my best friend that day. And from then on, the only fairy tales in my life were the ones I read about in books. Since my father didn't leave a will, my step-mother got everything. The house, the diner, and to her dismay, me.

Sam: Where do princesses go to college?
Hal: They go where the princes go. They go to Princeton.

Hal: Fairy tales aren't just about finding handsome princes. they're about fulfilling your dreams and about standing up for what you believe in.

Hal: Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

Fiona: People go to school to get smarter so that they can get a job. You already have a job, so it's like skipping a step.

Fiona: Droughts are for poor people. Do you think J.Lo has a brown lawn? People who use extra water have extra class!

Mr. Farrow: A man's best friend is his Mercedes.

Buenos dias, fighting frogs. Here's your daily drought reminder to conserve agua. Cut your showers short. Brownie points go out to Mr. Rothman, who hasn't had one in weeks. And don't forget, today's your last chance to get tickets to the big Halloween homecoming dance. Whoop di do. You too can dress up like someone you're not for a change.

Sam: I swear, people like Shelby and Austin are genetically programmed to find each other. I mean, how can so much ego be in one relationship?

Sam: Sometimes fantasy is better than reality, Carter.

Austin: I can be surrounded by a sea of people and still feel all alone. Then I think of you.

Austin: I can't sleep without knowing there's hope. Half the night I waste in sighs. In a wakeful doze I sorrow. For the hand, the lips... the eyes. For the meeting of tomorrow.

Gabrielle: Excuse me? Like, what are you the dirt police?

Fiona: Sweetheart, now that you're old enough, there's something I've always wanted to tell you, and I think you're ready to hear it. You're not very pretty,and you're not very bright. I'm so glad we had that talk.

Rhonda: Ugh, it must be Halloween. Look at what just flew in. The wicked witch of the Valley.

Fiona: Well, if it isn't little Betty Crocker from the 'hood.

Rhonda: Fiona, if I wanted to look like a clown, I'd join the circus

Fiona: If you were part of my circus, I'd have you clean the elephant butts with a Wet One.

Rhonda: That woman could make a nun swear.

David: Madison, Laxatives don't qualify as a food group.

In true LA fashion, it's not about who you are, it's about what you wear.

Terry: Indeed, I have traveled through time and space to find you. Now join me in the mating dance of Zion.

Austin: I live in a world full of people pretending to be someone they're not. But when I talk to you I am the guy I want to be.

Austin: You'd think I'd be able to remember those eyes. They're so beautiful.

Sam: Maybe you were looking but you weren't really seeing.

Carter: FYI, Sam. Yellow means slow down, not speed up.
Sam: I need Fast and the Furious, not Driving Miss Daisy.

Fiona: What are you? A commercial? Click.

Here's your daily drought reminder, only flush for number two.

Ryan: Real? Like she still have her old nose.
Austin: No, real. A girl who has more on her mind than what she wears or how much weight she wants to lose. She listens to me.

Austin: I need to know who you are. I can't take my mind off you. Please tell me who you are.

Brianna: This times could you make it sound more like me? I'm so sick of trying to explain why I sound so smart on paper and so not smart not on paper.

Austin: You know what bugs me?
Sam: People taking your order?
Austin: No. Taking people's orders.

Austin: Do you ever feel like if you show someone who you truly are they won't accept you?
Sam: Yeah, like being yourself isn't good enough. Like you're wearing a mask. You just wanna be honest with this person and tell them, "It's me. I'm the one you've been looking for."

Bonjour Fighting Frogs. Here's your daily drought reminder. Don't hose your lawn, your car, and anybody else, for that matter.

Shelby: Once upon a time, there was a big, strong Fighting Frog. He had a beautiful girlfriend, and his dad owned the biggest pond in all the land. But he still wasn't happy. If only he could find a princess then she could kiss him and turn him into a prince, and they would run away together. One night, after the slimy frog ditches his super-hot senior-poll-most-popular girlfriend, he meets his princess. Alas, it turned out that our frog not only had a secret identity but also had a secret e-mail relationship with a pen pal named Princeton Girl.
Brianna: Dear Princeton Girl, I can't wait till we finally get to meet. You're the only one who understands the real me. The man who doesn't want to play USC football. but who wants to be at Princeton, with you.
Gabriella: Dear Nomad, I want you to know who I am but I'm scared. I'm scared you'll reject me. And I've never had a real kiss before.
Shelby: But our princess had a secret too. She wasn't royalty at all, but a geek, a loser, a servant girl. And who, may you ask, is this imposter? Give it up for the pretend princess, diner girl, Sam Montgomery.

Shelby: People like her don't belong in our world, Austin.

Sam: I quit this job. I quit your family. And I'm moving out. You can mess with your hair, your nose, and your face. You can even mess with my dad's diner. But you're through messing with me.

Sam: No, you listen. You turned out to be exactly who I thought you were. I never pretended to be somebody else. It's been me all along. And it was me who was hurt in front of everybody. Look, I didn't come here to yell at you, okay? I came here to tell you I know what it feels like to be afraid to show who you are. I was, but I'm not anymore. And the thing is, I don't care what people think about me. Because I believe in myself. And I know that things are gonna be okay. But even thought I have no family and no job and no money for college, it's you that I feel sorry for. I know that guy that sent those e-mails is somewhere down inside of you. But I can't wait for him, because waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought: useless and disappointing.

Carter: Anything is possible if you just believe.