Nothing But Normal

Part One.

Loud music blared through the radio of the car. There were five people in the front and passenger seats, each eagerly waiting to visit the Gulf of Mexico. Behind them were five other cars almost exactly the same way. Exactly 26 people, 15 boys, 11 girls. Except for the young Julie Anderson.

She absolutely hated herself for signing up for this trip. Her teacher was the small truck ahead of the car she was in, a total of seven cars, and not one of them was one of her friends. Her friends who signed up for the trip bailed at the very last second. A college student should know by now not to count on people when they say they'll do something.

The trip was for the students, and a few teachers, of a small university that no one ever heard of in Nevada, in a small little town that people only visited on their way to Salt Lake City. Julie hated her parents for sending her there.

She grew up in Pennsylvania but her parents wanted to send her away. Help her get more in touch with people from different areas. They thought it would be fun in Nevada because then when they visited, they could go skiing or head to Las Vegas. Mainly it was Vegas for them. Bit of a gambling problem. Thank goodness Julie had enough sense to keep her parents away from the blackjack table, kenopop, and craps.

Bad enough she was stuck with these people but the worst part was how much they complained. All of them were sort of like her, pretty decent people when they needed to be but wild when they wanted. The group complained every five minutes. "Its too hot." "Turn up the radio." "Turn down the radio." "Open the windows." "Why are we going here?" Most of them were there to try and snag Cuban cigars, drugs, and drink till they piss vodka.

Julie wanted the hot weather. She absolutely loved summer during her time in Pennsylvania. It could get about ninety degrees on some days. The hotter the better for Julie. Nevada wasn't hot long enough for her tastes.

Julie was sitting all the way in the back of the car, where the luggage was. Every bump and turn would send her into the sides. She was the only one tiny enough to fit back there. She was only five foot six, maybe seven. Long legs but hated when people looked at her feet. People said they were normal but she couldn't stand them. Sure there wasn't much difference between hers and anyone else's but she hated her feet more than anything. Usually she wore jeans but liked shorts better. Today it was a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. Not perfectly toned abs but didn't have much stomach fat. Most of the food at school made her sick. Nothing like fresh apple pie like back home.

Julie hit her head against the back window. She rubbed her forehead and felt a goose egg. Thankfully she was able to pull out her mirror and see. It wasn't a bad bump but it hurt.

She liked her face. Nice brown eyes, a cute nose, but she wished her lips were a little rosier. They looked pale sometimes. Her brown hair was one of her best features. It only went to her shoulders but it was her favorite part about her entire body. Whether she wanted to have her hair straight, wavy, or curled, her hair was able to conform easily. It was never frizzy, never had split ends, and never greasy.

"You okay back there, Julie?" the driver asked.

"Fine, Justin," she said trying to hide her forehead.

Justin was sort of okay. He was really loud but knew when to keep his mouth shut. Unlike Stephanie...she was the definition of Daddy's girl. All she did was say how her dad is a lawyer and is going to buy her a new car for when she graduates.

Pretty much the trip was taking a day and a night to get to the Gulf. They were headed for New Orleans. Julie wished she could jump out of the car.

The group of cars stopped in a nearly empty town in Texas. Travis County.

Travis...the name of one my friends who SAID THEY WERE COMING!

Julie groaned as everyone started piling out of the cars. She couldn't take it. Her car was filled with people she wanted to strangle them and their parents. There was a couple who were making out the entire way here, Justin, who looked at himself every ten seconds, Stephanie, and finally Shannon. Shannon wasn't completely bad. Of course she was asleep the entire way so it wasn't as if Julie could get a complete read on her.

She headed into an old gas station while everyone was enjoying getting out of the cars. An older woman was there, smoking. It looked like it was a mix of a bar and a meat store. There was a lineup of meat across from the woman.

"What can I do for you?"

"Got anything to get rid of a headache?"

"Something wrong?"

"I'm traveling with a load of kids who would rather party and do drugs than do anything else. One of these days they'll figure out the world isn't as easy as they think."

The woman laughed.

"I like you. You've got a good head on your shoulder."

"Thanks. Got any water around here?" she said placing a five dollar bill on the bar.

"Not used to this weather?" she asked getting a glass out.

"I'm loving it. I like hot weather. Cold weather is terrible for your health."

"Here you go."

Julie tried handing the money to the woman but she shook her head.

"On the house."

"Thank you very much."

All of the students started heading inside. They all started freaking out about the flies on the meat, the dust on the floor, and the way the bathroom was kept.

"See what I mean?" Julie said over the roar of people.

The woman put her fingers to her mouth and whistled.

"You lot better pipe down!"

One of the teachers stepped forward.

"I'm sorry. We've been in our cars for hours. Is there a hotel we can stay in for the night?"

The woman smiled. "If you behave yourselves, you can stay at my house. I have more than enough room for you."

Everyone started cheering. Julie smacked her head on the bar. The woman placed her hand on her head.

"Its all right. My name is Luda Mae. Luda Mae Hewitt."

"Julie Anderson. Pleasure is mine."

The cars started up as Luda Mae sat shotgun in the car Julie was in. As everyone started coming into the car, she started screaming when she saw Julie all the way in the back.

"Why is a young woman sitting all the way back there? A man should drive and a man should be behind there!"

The group didn't want to risk losing a place to sleep for the night and quickly switched places.

They arrived at the large Texas mansion. It was a bit damaged in some areas but otherwise very nice. A man was on the front porch in a wheelchair. He didn't have legs after his knees.

"Uncle Monty. We gave a big group with us today. They'll be spending the night."

He smiled at everyone. It wasn't exactly the smile that said 'welcome.'

"I'm going to make them their own dinner first."

"I'll go call the others and tell them."

Luda went into the house as everyone started carrying in their stuff. The living room was old but very large. One of the girls asked if she could get something to eat but Luda told her to wait.

She took everyone upstairs.

"Now, I don't got enough rooms for all of you so the boys in these rooms, boys in these."

Everyone started piling into rooms but Luda Mae pulled Julie aside.

"You can stay in this room down here."

Luda Mae took Julie to a small room, there was a bed, a few blankets in the corner, a bookshelf with pictures and books, drawings taped to the walls, and a rocking chair in one corner.

"Thank you very much."

"Now, I'll cook for your friends first. I wouldn't mind if you wanted to eat with my family later."

Julie could have cried out in joy.

"Mrs. Hewitt, you are an angel."

The woman smiled before she closed the door and headed to the large group.

Luda Mae had to cook a lot and fast. Those kids wouldn't be able to stay occupied for long up there. Thomas and the Sheriff would be back soon and didn't want them seeing he feast upstairs. The kids wouldn't care what they were eating but she had to make sure they couldn't taste a few 'special' ingredients.

Lately there hadn't been any new visitors to Travis County and now an entire group! Luda called her friends and told them to come over tomorrow for a feast. Thomas would have to work fast preparing the people but he sometimes spent too much time admiring their faces.

Thomas had a condition that slowly ate away his nose and face. His face was slightly deformed from birth and didn't help with his other condition. He was a bit slow. He barely talked and couldn't communicate well.

Julie was a sweet girl. She could help Thomas, she just knew it. It was her friends that had to go.

Dinner was served. The youngsters and teachers eagerly awaited the dinner. It was one of the largest servings of chilli Luda Mae had ever made. She laced it with a sleeping drug she found on a few bikers a while back. Some kind of herbal crap. It would work fast...she hoped. Sure enough, the group started scarffing down the food.

An hour later they were all asleep in her living room.

Sheriff and Thomas came minutes later.

"Hot damn! We're set for a year! Tommy, let's get these maggots into the basement!"

"There's one who I'm going to keep."

"Huh?"

"A girl. She's very nice. Julie. I'm sure she would like it here."

Hoyt looked at the people and groaned.

"Hoyt. I. Want. To. Keep. Her."

"Fine."