The Athena

It's Nyela Malik's first day at the Athena College of Visual Arts. She used to be a famous model - can she reinvent herself as a fashion designer? She's paired to work with a wary and standoffish Leigh Howles, who learns about Nyela's fall from grace thanks to bullying designer Oscar Beerfeld and an unlikely friendship forms.

At the Athena, Nyela sees all the cliques and groups that have already formed - but can she find her own gang of friends? She's hopeful when she's teamed with Neisha, Leigh and Sam to make a film about teenagers, but the group end up working individually. Nyela realises teenagers aren't all one thing, so she and the others edit all of their films to make one that represents this idea.

Nyela's doing a modelling job for a new label. The job is in Chippenham - Sam's hometown - so he gives her a lift. Nyela gets an offer to be the face of the fashion label but Sam's younger sister Nancy makes her realise where her heart truly lies.

Leigh is horrified when she unwittingly agrees to a date with Lenny. She tells him she doesn't do dates, then rejects him when he serenades her to try and win her round. After admitting to Nyela that she's not very good with people and never has been, and dealing with a humiliated Neisha who's failed to get Sam's attention, Leigh realises she needs to be more open to others.

Jamie and Naomi intensify their bullying campaign and it starts to upset Nyela. Neisha gets wind of this, and sabotages their college work, meaning that she and Nyela take first prize in a competition Allie has set them ... but Nyela tells Allie, who awards Jamie and Naomi first prize.

Nyela's conflicted about going to the Athena Halloween party - much as she wants to go, her confidence is being worn down by Jamie and Naomi's bullying. Sam hopes Nyela will be there - he wants to tell her how much he likes her. But then his ex, Satori, turns up for an interview with Allie.

Satori's now at the Athena and Nyela has to face her and Sam being a couple every day. She's on guard when she's paired up with Jamie for a photography assignment, but he seems to show a different side to his character - until he tries to kiss her. She rejects him, but he takes revenge by exhibiting a photo of her looking at Sam, heartbroken.

Nyela is working on a design for an outfit to feature in a magazine photo shoot - then Neisha arrives at the girls' flat, claiming she's been kicked out of halls because her parents forgot to pay. But when Nyela lands on an inconsistency in her story, a panicked Neisha disappears and Nyela has to sacrifice her project to go to her friend's rescue.

Nyela tries to end the awkwardness within her gang by befriending Satori, but her plan backfires, with them both being thrown out of class for arguing. When Leigh learns what Satori has said to Nyela in their frank exchange of views, she defends her friend to Satori ... but the rising tension between them takes an unexpected turn when they kiss.

Leigh starts telling Lenny what happened between her and Satori, but only gets as far as telling him she kissed a girl, as he dismisses that as irrelevant. Nyela is set up on a date by Lexy with a good-looking model. She's nervous at first but then realises Matt has set it up as a publicity stunt.

When Nyela thinks that Leigh cancelled their evening together to hang out with Satori, she starts to fear that Leigh thinks she's boring. In fact, Satori muscled in on Leigh chilling out - but Nyela's reluctance to confront her friend results in a series of misunderstandings which only makes things worse between them.

Nyela's on a mission to get a piece in the Athena Mid Year Show for foundation students - but then she sees an old folder from her modelling days, in which she's branded 'everygirl'. Fearing others see her as boring, she goes to an immersive theatre experience with Satori, in search of inspiration.

Trying to reunite Neisha with her parents, Nyela invites them to the Mid Year Show. But the stories Neisha has told aren't true - they're an ordinary couple who adore Neisha, whose her real name is Nelly. Sam discovers that Nyela's date with model Matt was a publicity stunt, and starts an argument with her, in which Nyela lets slip that Satori kissed someone else.

Nyela resolves to make a fresh start away from the Athena and strikes it lucky with an internship for upcoming designer Tamara Yorke. They seem to be in sync, especially when Nyela identifies a promising young graduate from a design. But when Nyela finds the graduate's design with a Tamara Yorke tag on it, she realises that her new boss has stolen the design.

Nyela boards a flight bound for Hamburg and is shocked to find Lenny there, too - he's also going to see his parents. Awkward conversation ensues, with both of them unwilling to admit what's really going on, until the plane being grounded because of bad weather forces them to open up: Nyela confesses she was kicked out of college and Lenny admits that he and Leigh are over.

Nyela's determined to get back into the Athena and starts leaving work for Allie, second runs at assignments she didn't get right first time round. Battling with her demanding daughter, Allie's impressed but unswayed - her decision was final.

Nyela wants to get her friendship with Leigh back, but Leigh is distant and business-like. Nyela attempts to engage with her, but Leigh shocks her by 'friend dumping' her. Leigh has retreated into her shell and is relying on her own company, rather than risk opening herself up to others. But reality bites when Leigh collapses with appendicitis and is rushed to hospital.

Nyela's making a jacket for Lenny as part of their new assignment from Allie when she learns that he missed celebrating his birthday. She and Leigh plan a birthday do-over for him, which includes getting the band back together. Naomi is recruited, but Sam is double-booked - much to Neisha's relief. But when Sam hears the drum machine they've had to resort to, he gets on stage and plays.

Nyela decides she needs to tell Sam how she feels - but when she gets into college, she learns that Sam and Neisha are couple. She abandons her plans, unaware that Sam is furious at the lie Neisha has told. Sam warns Neisha she needs to set the record straight, but Neisha's response is to 'fake dump' Sam.

Nyela's concerned that telling Sam how she feels has created huge awkwardness and is determined to end it. When the students are assigned an essay about groups of artists, she spots a photo of the Paris set from the 1920s and suggests they do what they did - have a dinner party. It's all going well until Sam leaves the food on the stove too long.

Nyela's father, Ralf, and sister, Lena, are visiting and Nyela's looking forward to it - until Lena arrives, preoccupied and showing forced gratitude for the dress she's made for her. Nyela challenges Lena and she admits that she feels forgotten - their mum and dad seem to talk about Nyela all the time. Nyela tells Lena that she's jealous of her, too - she misses their parents.

Sam gets a phone call which unsettles him. He excuses himself from an interview Lenny has set for the band and tries to concentrate on the locket Allie's tasked the students with making but, distracted, ruins it. Nyela gets a call from Sam's sister, Nancy, who seems to think that Nyela knows something she actually doesn't.

It's the day of Sam's mum's lumpectomy. Nyela does her best to keep both everyone's minds off what's going on, but it's a struggle. The operation goes as well as can be expected but they won't know any more for a few weeks. Conscious of the state his mum is in, with no news about the prognosis yet, and thinking of his kid sister Nancy, Sam makes a decision.

Excitement is building ahead of the foundation students' summer all but, for Nyela, it's tinged with sadness now she knows Sam will be leaving the Athena. Lenny is also disappointed his friend is going and plans a surprise for him. Neisha, meanwhile, is taking every step necessary to ensure that she is crowned princess of the ball.

Nyela's finally together with Sam but resigned to him leaving the Athena - then he gets a call from his mum. All her cancer has been removed and she's doing well, so he doesn't need to go home to care for her. The jubilation quickly ends, however, when the guest judge for the students' final assessment is revealed: Oscar Beerfeld, the man Nyela publicly branded a sexist.