Hayden Panettiere Gives Fans Plenty to Cheer About

The awesome Hayden Panettiere rocketed to fame as the self-healing cheerleader Claire Bennet on Heroes. But the 17-year-old is just getting started.

Since becoming the focal point of the show’s “save the cheerleader, save the world” plot line, Hayden Panettiere has also started filming a new drama, Fireflies in the Garden, with Julia Roberts, and is gearing up to promote her debut pop album this fall.

“With singing, I get to be myself,” she tells People.

That’s all good. But later this spring, Hayden Panettiere will celebrate another important milestone - high school graduation.

“Thank God!” says the Nyack, N.Y., native. “School was difficult; when you come and go, you miss out on a lot. Cliques are formed and you’re just lingering.”

In L.A., Panettiere has found a new BFF in Rumer Willis, 18.

“I stole my pink belly-button ring from Rumer,” she admits.

Moreover, she’s found a boyfriend in Laguna Beach graduate Stephen Colletti, 21, whom she’s been dating for more than a year - and who used to date Kristin Cavallari. And Lauren Conrad. At the same time. Not sure how we feel about that.

But Hayden and Stephen are so low-key - their big nights out usually consist of dinner and a movie - that the actress even feels guilty about not giving Hollywood gossip sites more to work with.

“I had paparazzi on my street for a while,” she says. “I think I bored them to tears. I’m no fun to watch.”