Television news crews descended upon Marina High School in Huntington Beach that spring morning. A helicopter flew overhead.
The previous day, a young Kobe Bryant had announced his engagement to a woman he declined to identify. Word quickly leaked it was an 18-year-old senior at the school.
Everyone wanted a glimpse of the mysterious fiancee whom the Lakers icon referred to as "my star."
Vanessa Laine had been swept into the spotlight overnight. She would soon marry Bryant and become something more than just a side note to his storied basketball career.