Just an Ordinary Girl

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in "Avatar: The Last Airbender". (Though if I did I can assure it'd have more adult content and less gross-out humor!) I also make no money from writing this. Please, don't sue me. I'm very poor.

Notes (Please read before starting the fanfiction): This is an AU (or Alternate Universe) piece. The type of world it's set in is just like the Avatar world, except it's set in a more modern-day setting. This means people have cell phones, cars, computers, et cetera. Also, there is no bending and/or magic. Instead the characters are put in a more real world situation with jobs/abilities that match. With the exception of this setting the characters are still themselves with the same personalities, don't worry. Now for what I'm sure some of you are curious about- the pairings. I admit, this is primarily a Zutara story. However, what fun is a romance without conflict? No fun at all! So there are also elements of Kataang, as well as hinting at other ships. (As well as Slash Boy/Boy though it is mild.) Now that that's all cleared up and out of the way, enjoy!

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Just an Ordinary Girl

Chapter One: Ordinary Girls Are Not Princesses

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It's hard to believe a day could be so ordinary, so plain, and so perfect. This was everyday life for Katara, who lived in the poorer district of Ba Sing Se. Nothing special ever happened to a girl like her. There was nothing spectacular about her family either. Her father, Hakoda, was a high-ranking General for the army and was hardly ever home. Her mother died when she was a young girl (though she tries not to think about it, and all she was left with was her older brother, Sokka. Sokka was determined to follow in his father's footsteps and join the military when he came of age. As much as she was against losing another family member to army life she supported him out of love. That was the nature of their relationship.

However, this is not a story about this ordinary family in Ba Sing Se. What fun would a tale like that be? This is because for this ordinary girl, something extraordinary was going to happen to her. Although she didn't know it yet, she had something special she was destined for. Mind though, because she is still unaware of this we must see why she becomes so special. This is where our story begins.

The Jasmine Dragon was a favorite hangout spot for Katara, her brother, and their friends. The only word to describe its atmosphere was "pop". Magazines on all interests littered the tables and televisions hung proudly in every corner. The servers all wore heavily decorated floral uniforms with vibrantly colored aprons. It was a very lively place. Perfect for a lazy afternoon for a small group of friends. At one table closest to the corner where the television broadcasted the entertainment channel, sat Katara and the rest of her group. Beside her, Sokka was seated and he was flipping through an Army magazine. Across from her sat Toph, the blind daughter of one of the richest families. She felt bad for Toph because the only way they could meet was for her to sneak out of her large and well-guarded house. Her parents thought she was weak and didn't approve of her befriending "riff-raff". To Katara's other side was an empty seat she was saving for a special friend.

Suddenly, with a soft jingle the door to the shop opened and a figure with an average height stepped in. They were clad in a deep orange polo-shirt and a pair of expensive blue jeans. Even the cap they pulled down to shield their face and the large sunglasses they wore looked expensive. They looked around as if trying to spot someone. Upon seeing Katara in the corner they waved until they got her attention. After a moment, Katara looked up and waved back. All the while a bright smile was plastered on her face.

"Aang," she called out in a whisper, waving him over. "Come and sit down."

"Don't mind if I do," Aang replied with a grin, weaving through tables until he got to theirs and pulled up a seat beside Katara. He tilted his cap up slightly and pulled off his sunglasses, revealing large deep gray eyes and a glimpse of a blue arrow-shaped tattoo on his forehead. "How's it going?"

"Oh, I've been fine," Katara replied with a smile, adjusting her necklace around her neck. The necklace was the last thing she had that reminded her of her mother. It meant everything to her. She never took it off. "So, how's the business?"

Aang chuckled, taking a sip of Katara's drink because he knew she didn't mind. "It's been going well. I'm taking my vacation now. That's why I'm able to meet you today."

Aang was a fourteen-year-old child star famous for his work in his movie "The Avatar". He was also well-known for his cheery attitude and his kind demeanor. What got him in the papers most often were all the different charity events he coordinated. He just loved to help people. How did he know Katara? During a park clean-up he helped put together she had been there. He noticed her determination to do a good job and admired her for it, so they got to talking and became good friends. However, because of all his obligations he wasn't able to visit her often. So whenever they got the chance to see each other was a real treat.

"So," Sokka looked up from his magazine. "What's with the cap and glasses? Hiding from somebody?"

"Everybody," Aang replied in an exasperated tone, rolling his eyes. "Ever since I announced my petition against the studio using real fur for the costumes the media's been all over me."

"Still the same Twinkletoes, always been an animal lover," Toph grinned. She then sat back and smoothed down the wrinkles forming in her pastel floral day dress. The girl always had a thing for elements related to the Earth. Her fashion tended to reflect on it.

Aang winked, "You know it!"

"Hey," Katara looked at her younger friend, lashes fluttering sweetly. "How about I order something for you? You look thirsty."

"Thanks," the young actor smirked.

"Besides," Katara snatched the cup from his hand, her bright blue eyes giving off a playful twinkle. "I'm tired of you stealing my drink." Aang blushed in response and looked away.

Once he had ordered (a classic Breakfast tea) he decided to spark up conversation. "So, Katara, what've you been doing lately?"

"Ogling hot celebrities," Sokka replied matter-of-factly with a grin. His sister swatted his arm.

"Pay no attention to him, Aang," Katara shot a glare at her brother. "Actually I've been doing some studying."

"Oh?" Toph perked up. "For what?"

"Just some medical textbooks," she replied sheepishly. "You all know I want to become a nurse."

"She's getting ready for graduation. Because of her excellent grades, she gets to graduate a year early," Sokka explained.

Aang slapped his palm to his forehead. "That's right! You're sixteen!"

"It's okay, Aang," Katara giggled, brushing one of her hair loops out of her eye. "I don't expect you to remember everything." Again, Aang blushed briefly but nobody noticed.

Bored with the Army magazine, Sokka dug around the table for something else. He picked up one of the Gossip Weekly's because it amused him. With a smug smirk on his face he flipped through the pages until he found something of interest. "Hey guys, check this out."

"What?" Everyone turned to look at him.

"Apparently the Royal Family's manor over in the mountains caught fire. They're coming back to their location here. There's a close-up picture of the Prince too. One side of his face is badly burned," he chuckled, spreading the article out for them to see.

"Oh wow…" Katara's eyes widened at the graphic photo of the Prince. "How awful…"

"Yeah," Aang nodded. "My agent told me about this. Until it's rebuilt they're relocating to the mansion they have here in the upper ring. It's pretty much the same only decorated differently. The only reason the Lord doesn't like it is because he disapproves of the city noise. "

"Well, when you're that wealthy you can have as many different homes as you want," Sokka scoffed. Both Aang and Toph looked mildly insulted by his comment but said nothing about it. They knew how poor the two were but they liked them all the same.

"Sokka," Katara hissed. "Don't be so rude. The Royal Family only has three. Some people like a change of scenery every once in a while."

Sokka crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, if we want to change our scenery we put in a vase of flowers or put up new wallpaper. We don't buy a new house."

"Sokka…" Katara sighed. There was no point in arguing with him when he was like this. So she then decided to change the topic slightly. "Hey, Aang, don't you know the Prince?"

"Yeah, I've met him a few times," the young actor took a sip of his drink.

"Really?" Toph perked her head up a bit.

"Nothing all that intimate," Aang shrugged. "Just saw him a few times at some formal gatherings and movie premieres. Don't really know all that much about the guy." There was a hint of lying in his voice; however the others didn't pick it up.

"Oh…" Katara sighed softly. She had always thought the life of the fabulous was glamorous and dreamy. Something girls liked her hoped for but could never achieve. Sadly, ordinary girls like her grew up to be nurses, not famous celebrities. It was only luck that she was friends with Toph and Aang. Pure luck and nothing more.

Suddenly, there was an important announcement on the television behind them. Just about everyone in the shop turned to look. The dark-skinned reporter was talking about how the Royal Family was settling in and that there was an important announcement involving the Prince. Something about announcing the winners of the dating contest. It seemed that earlier (because it was a known fact the Prince was rather lazy about dating and hardly ever left the mansion except for mandatory public appearances) there was a competition for some lucky girl in the city to win the chance to spend a week with him living the life of luxury. The reporter then said that after the break the finalists would be announced. Once the show flipped to commercials the shop buzzed with conversation, and our group was no different.

"Like anyone would be desperate enough to enter something lame like that," Toph scoffed, a grin on her face.

"I know!" Sokka laughed. "Only dumb floozies would be into that kind of thing."

Aang chuckled as well, "I remember my agent tried to do something like that with me but I refused. I'd rather meet my special someone on my own and not have someone draw names out of a hat to choose for me." He cast a sideways glance at Katara but she didn't notice.

"I know I wouldn't have!" Katara smiled, though the dreamy expression still shown in her eyes. "I mean, what are the chances of winning that kind of thing?"

"Yeah," Toph nodded. "I'm sure thousands of girls sent in their applications. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to live with a Prince for a week?"

"Not me!" Sokka raised his hand.

"Well, we know you wouldn't," Katara giggled. "But I'm sure there are lots of girls who would kill for that."

"Like you?" Aang grinned.

Katara blushed nervously. "Well, maybe…but that could never happen! I'm just plain old Katara!"

Aang was about to say something about Katara not being plain when he was hushed because the show came back on. The reporter went on to explain about the premise of the contest and the fact there were so many entrants it was hard to pick. She then explained that the girls announced were picked from the different rings and that the final choice would be made by the Prince himself after meeting the finalists. Finally, she pulled out a list and then read from it.

"From the upper ring," the reporter began. "Mai for her interesting skill in knife wielding…Ty Lee for her peculiar acrobatic talent…"

The group laughed. Of course the upper ring girls were picked for their interesting talents. In this city, when you're rich you could learn anything. It didn't really make you special. All it proved was that your family could afford to make you special. Katara knew about Mai and Ty Lee from some of her wealthier classmates at school. She had been told Mai was apathetic and Ty Lee was spoiled and hyper. She had a feeling they probably wouldn't be chosen anyway…That is…If the Prince had any taste.

"Now for the lower ring…Song for her extraordinary talent in the kitchen….Jin for her knowledge of plants and tea making….."

Katara smiled brightly. Song was even lower of a class than she was, but she was one of the nicest girls in her school. She had tasted her cooking first hand during a Home Economics class and liked her personality a lot. However she didn't really know Jin well, but from what she heard she was a kind and down to earth type of girl. Both of them seemed like much better picks compared to the snobs. Hopefully the Prince could see passed the barrier of rich and poor and look into their souls. However, she was disturbed from her wonderings when the final winner was announced.

"…..and last but not least, Katara, for her wonderful and touching essay about acceptance and the joy in helping others. "

Everyone at the table gasped and looked at her. Had they heard right? Was Katara's name just announced? Yes, indeed it was.

The final winner, a girl who had the chance of a lifetime to meet the Prince…

…was an ordinary girl named Katara.

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Note: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know what you all think! I love to hear what others think of my writing, whether the opinions are good or bad. Thanks for reading. I'll update as soon as possible!

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