Vanessa Snyder is a popular eighth-grader who is best friends with queen bee Stacey Larson and Nikki Rodriguez, who is secretly jealous of the bond between the two. Outside of the clique is the kindhearted Emily, and the "wannabe," Tiffany Thompson, who desires to become part of the group. Vanessa's loving divorced mother Barbara is proud of her esteemed daughter. Nikki tricks Vanessa into getting close to Tony, a boy whom Stacey has a crush on. Vanessa is banished from the posse and Tiffany is allowed in, becoming Nikki's sidekick. Stacey pretends to still be Vanessa's friend, all the while enabling the abuse against her. The clique also creates a website called "Hating Vanessa" that insults her. Although Emily encourages Vanessa to not run back to the clique, she tries to rejoin, but fails. The clique insults her in the bathroom and she later cuts most of her hair off. She skips school, fearing being mocked for her new look. Barbara tells Stacey's mother Denise about the bullying, but the latter trivializes it. When her mother confronts her for being truant, Vanessa shows Barbara printed-out insults about her hair. Barbara goes to the school to address the situation to the principal Miss Jessup, who says that she cannot punish verbal abuse. Meanwhile, Stacey has made it appear that Vanessa copied her assignment when it was actually vice versa; it is resolved by the two girls and their mothers with Miss Jessup. Vanessa's spirits are suddenly lifted when she is told that she is still invited to Stacey's birthday party and that it is being changed to the following night. She and Barbara arrive at a club where the party supposedly is, but it turns out that Stacey lied, making Vanessa break down and attempt suicide by overdose. She is taken to the emergency room and subsequently treated. Emily accuses Stacey of nearly killing Vanessa and is the only one of her peers to visit her in the hospital and befriend her. Upon returning to school, Vanessa and Stacey reunite and chat online after the latter apologizes for everything. Stacey sends the chat to Nikki, who prints it out and derisively reads it with Tiffany's help to Vanessa in the crowded hallway after the graduation ceremony. Vanessa confronts Stacey in front of everyone, seeing right through her lies. Everyone applauds as a humiliated Stacey walks out of the school, disbanding the bullying clique. Barbara watches with pride as Vanessa and Emily hug and leave together for an after-party.
