The next two days Jules and Verne spent separately. Jules had went off with the kids to learn about the inner mechanics of new space technology. Verne had went off with the kids with regular activities and joined a game of astro soccer. Which was basically soccer with a brown ball and a costumed goalie. Verne had fun but during those days he wondered exactly when they would go into space. How long would they have to train before they could blast off?

"My estimation would be soon, brother." Jules said after Verne had asked him one afternoon.

"Can you be more specific?" Verne asked.

"Look I do not know the exact date," Jules said, his temper flaring up. "I'm just as anxious about it as you are."

"Jeez you don't have to snap at me," Verne muttered and then changed the subject. "Who do you want to be on the rocket?"

"An engineer," Jules answered without a pause.

"Engineers don't go up in the rocket," Verne said. "They just build it and watch it fly off."

Jules stopped walking and stared down at his brother.

"They go up in it," He said as if it were recited to him. They had to go up in it after all. What if something malfunctioned along the journey?

"No they don't." Verne stated.

"Yes they do." Jules stated.

"No they don't!"

"Yes they do! Oh, forget this! Let's just go to the main building, okay?" Jules started running and Verne followed him. The main building was a mess of parental and child activity. Today was visiting day. All the parents or guardians drove or flew over here to momentarily reunite with their children. Verne compared it like Open House at school. Jules and Verne spotted Allan hugging a red-headed woman (probably his mother). They saw that he was busy so they didn't say hi. A lot of cars were parked in the camp's parking lot but there was no sign of the white Enterprises van. Jules turned to his brother.

"I wonder where-" but he didn't finish because a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder and Verne's shoulder.

"Surprise squirts!" a very familiar voice said.

"Marty!" Verne shouted and tackled the long-time family friend. He knocked Marty down to the ground. They wrestled a little until Marty picked Verne up in a piggy-back.

"Hello Marty," Jules said.

"Hey Jules," Marty said and pointed to the twelve-year-old's tee shirt. "Nice badges."

Jules pinched the newest badge on his shirt with pride.

"I got this one yesterday for building the most efficient toy rocket," He said with a smile. Marty shifted from the weight of Verne.

"That's cool," He said and looked back at Verne. "Hey Verne, what are they feeding you here? My knees are about to cave."

"Dumb cafeteria food," the ten-year-old answered.

"Well get off me fattie!" Marty teased and Verne fell off of him from laughing. "How about you guys show me around this place?"

They started with showing Marty the big rocket. Jules didn't add that it wasn't real, for Verne's sake. Marty took a few pictures with Jules and Verne in front of the rocket and one with the three of them in front of it. One-of-a-kind soveiners, as he said. Then they showed him the insides of all the buildings where they trained. Like the one with the giant trampoline floor and moon décor. And the one with all the replica props from space's history. Jules pointed out the cafeteria but they didn't go inside because it was really crowded with hungry kids and parents. They even showed Marty their living quarters.

"This is our bunk," Verne said and hopped up on his claimed bed. Boy did he love sleeping on the top bunk. Marty plopped down on the bottom bunk next to Jules. He noticed Jules just sitting there very quietly. The kid hadn't said anything for awhile.

"You okay Jules?" Marty asked. Jules looked down at his sneakers as if he couldn't lift up his neck anymore.

"I'm glad to see you Marty but…" Jules's voice trailed off until he found it again. "I was sort of expecting mother and father to come up to see us. We haven't seen them for days you know. Verne and I have never been away from them for so long. I don't know, I guess I was just expecting them to miss us in return."

"Hey they were on their way," Marty said and patted a very surprised Jules. "I was going to meet up with them here. But Clara called me and said that there was a mess of road work on the highway and they were stuck in gridlock traffic."

"I hate traffic," Verne said and sprawled out on his bed.

"And if I know my father correctly," Jules started and chuckled. "He probably is yelling obscenities out the window."

"Oh yeah I could hear him over the phone!" Marty said and laughed. Jules and Verne laughed too. Soon they were all sprawled out in the bunk, laughing and wrestling each other in their trademark ways.

Marty left around dinner time, saying he had to get back to his parents's house before six. Jules and Verne waved and followed Marty's truck to the gate of the camp. Then they watched him disappear down the road and turn onto the highway. Verne felt an extreme feeling of loneliness invade him. However, he remembered his brother and tapped his shoulder.

"Let's eat," Verne said and they raced to the cafeteria. Verne won.