We meet the Stratford sisters, Kat and Bianca, two very different people with very different views in life. They start at a new high school Padua High School with one thing in common, they both know strategy is the key. Kat wants to save the world and get out of high school as fast as she can, while Bianca wants to climb the ladder of high school popularity as fast as possible. Can each sister find happiness after getting off to a very rocky start?
In an attempt to impress Chastity, Bianca comes up with an idea for a fundraiser for the cheerleading squad. But her plan to hold a carnation sale ends up raising not just money, but some questions as well.
Bianca's determination to get to a party with some of the coolest kids in school leads her to turn for help to Cameron who, of course, is perfectly willing to do whatever she needs. But it also could get her in trouble with her dad, who has forbidden her from attending the party.
After Bianca falsely tells Chastity that she's dating an older guy to try to rid herself of her goody two-shoes reputation, Chastity sees Bianca "canoodling" with her geometry teacher and instantly starts the rumor around school that the two are dating.
Determined to become an active environmentalist, Kat enrolls in shop class to convert her gas-guzzling car into a biodiesel vehicle. As the only girl in the class, Kat realizes that she needs to do more than fix cars to break the stereotype that girls can do anything boys can do.
In order to help earn money for a shopping trip with Chastity, Bianca and her friend Dawn ask Cameron for help in setting up a new web reality show. It doesn't take long before the girls realize that, to get more viewers, they have to spice things up a bit.
When local residents are evacuated to Padua High during a brushfire emergency, Bianca tries to use the crisis as yet another opportunity to win over Chastity. In order to please her, Bianca must set out to find a private room in the school for Chastity.
When Bianca gets asked to Padua High's Fall Fling by Beau Bradley, the captain of the soccer team, she sets out to convince Patrick to take Kat to the dance since their father has prohibited Bianca from dating until Kat does.
When Walter Stratford goes out of town; his girls go a bit crazy with a house party. Bianca believes the party will help make her legendary and Kat brings her own "responsible" touch to the party with recycle bins and designated driver wristbands and a very special karaoke performance.
When Padua High enforces a new policy on uniforms and bag search on the students, Kat sets out to rally the students in protest. She enlists help from someone unexpected -- Chastity.
Kat and Patrick are caught skipping school and both get suspended. How will Kat deal with a suspension after learning it might ruin her GPA, potentially destroying her dream to get into a prestigious college?
Having admitted that she was the mysterious blonde who kissed Joey, Bianca is on the outs with Chastity and the in crowd, and Kat invites Patrick for a family dinner during which the duo dishes up a fun prank to play on Walter.
Joey prepares a romantic dinner for Bianca, complete with candles, fancy food and flowers, while across town Patrick teaches Kat about dining and dashing.
Kat wants to use school politics to change the world for the better by instituting Meatless Mondays. She joins forces with a handsome British fellow, Blank, and Patrick is jealous.
Bianca, at all costs plans to take the 1st place trophy in Padua High's talent show, that is until Chastity steals her song.
Patrick is more mysterious than usual, which leads Kat to think he's up to no good, and Bianca's boyfriend, Joey, wants to be a reality TV star.
Bianca sets Cameron up on a date with Dawn and Patrick tells Kat she's free to date whom she chooses, so she does.
While Kat and Patrick make a major decision about their relationship, Walter asks the school counselor, Mrs. Tharpe, out on a date, and Cameron's best friend, Michael, reveals he is gay.
Kat and Bianca find out that Walter is dating their school counselor, Darlene Tharpe, and in an effort to get over Patrick, Kat decides to study abroad in Nepal.
Chastity decides to name Bianca vice head cheerleader, displacing Michelle. Because Michelle is supported by the rest of the squad, they enlist Dawn in a complex scheme involving a fake fight at the cheerleaders' annual car wash. The plan backfires when the fight seems too real, and Michelle ousts Chastity as head cheerleader.
