Part Two: Summer Camp

Mikey notices people talking about Asimov and Hernandez and he joins that group. "Are you talking about some floating balls?", he asks in his weird, deep teenager voice, trying to stick with the subtlety.

"Up here, Spud," Em says drolly, looking down at her old and very unfamiliar friend, drawing his eyes to hers. She is about to add, "How did you know it was me?" when a pillow flies and chaos reigns for a moment. Looking at the red-headed kid, the big jock and the pipsqueak, the pretty blonde teeny-bopper narrows her baby blues and tries to figure out who's who.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" she asks.

After they are herded reluctantly to the dining hall, before they got in line for chow...

Rey burns red at Em's comment and gathers his friends to the side. "I don't know how but all indications are that we've traveled back in time and we got stuck in others kids bodies. I don't know who I'm in, but you can still call me Spud. Those is Em, I'm sure the pillow throat is Jaden." He looks at the other two. The loud mouth is likely Andy, he thinks, so he points to the last two. "Andy and Mikey, right?"

"Travelled back in time?", Mikey asks. "That's not possible, right?" He freezes, then asks: "Wait, do you think this has to do with Cuckoo?" Another flash of revelation overcomes him as he remembers his dream and he asks: "When he told us to stop her, what did he say her name was again?"

Only after rattling off this series of thoughts, he says: "Yes, I'm Mikey. Even though I'm..." He shudders as he looks down at himself. "...not right."

Another chuckle ripples out from a second table as you wait in line for your food. A long line trails behind you, and that big fella enters the dining hall from outside looking frustrated.

"Marty! I told you to get into that thing after breakfast. We’re going to miss the launch if this keeps up… he gestures to the sea of kids impatiently waiting for food … Kitchen, Hernandez! And quick!"

The big man marches out as the astronaut heads for the kitchen. As a few of you chat in line, you look around the room at the decorations.

Launch?…

Georgie-Rey spies an old flyer that was used to advertise this year’s camp. It’s doubled as interior decoration on a shoe-string budget here in the dining hall. It’s space themed, with friendly little ufos waving from a space shuttle!

"ROADRUNNER COVE SUMMER CAMP
——-————- 1969 —————-—
Come Experience the Apollo 11 launch at…"

---

Jaden-Annie and Andy-Andy take in the room. It looks cleaner than it did at dinner last night, but the people look… well, not totally different. But different! The style. The hair. The colors. It’s like the stuff your mom and dad, aunts and uncles used to talk about around the table at family gatherings. The good old days.

"Hippy crap!" Grandpa or Grandma might offer to the conversation.

You shuffle forward slowly in the line. The extra hands are making things move a little quicker. The Rattlesnakes are next!

You grab your trays and look over this morning’s offerings. Beans, eggs, bacon, sausages. Potato waffles in the vague shape of starships.

The man that was sent back to the kitchen turns from his precious ‘customer’ and greets you.

"Mornin’ Rattlesnakes! What can I get ya? Boy, you guys sure did a great job with that obstacle course yesterday!"

Mikey-Devon looks into the face of the man serving you breakfast. He does a double take. How…

Right there, on his shirt:

Camp Volunteer:
Martin Hernandez

You stand in line, as impatient kids wait for you to order your breakfast, staring into the face of the Ridgeview Math teacher. Except he’s 20 years younger. Barely a man.

What did he say her name was again?

Mikey's not-Mikey-eyes go wide when he sees the name tag. He freezes for a moment, then says: "Uhm, sure, yes." Once the initial surprise has passed, he adds boldly, trying to get his fellow rattlesnakes to notice: "It was really easy, Mr. Cuckoo."

"Cuckoo?" he laughs, lighthearted.

"Don’t tell me that’s what you guys call me, is it?" he feigns disappointment.

"Why couldn’t it be something cool, like Viper? Or Silverback!"

The matronly woman running the kitchen operation gives him a quizzical ‘Really? You?’ kind of look.

"That settles that then!"

Ye... yeah ... yeah it's me. Georgie? Mikey? Mr Hernandez?

The freckled Andy knows four things. He's very confused, still frightened, has found some of his friends and somehow Mr Hernandez albeit many years younger and last but not at all least, He's very hungry.

"Andy," Em says, whispering in the boy's ear in her raspy voice, "he won't know us! Not if Georgie is right. And it's really... 1969."

1969?!

The thought is incredible, and it prompts another one in the blonde, making her mouth fall open and her eyes shoot to the side in a look that screams 'the pretty blonde is deep in thought.' There also might be the sound of rushing air.

Turning to the others after she gets her breakfast tray loaded up, Em whispers, "what do you think is happening back... I mean forward... whatever, in 1989 right now? With... our bodies?" She places a finger on the peace sign that marks the center of her chest. "Do you think she is... there?"

---

Later, the girl smacks Georgie for his earlier 'those' comment. She's not 100% sure if he meant what she thinks he meant, but it's worth a smack regardless. And maybe a kick!

1969!? Oh man! No wonder he looked at me funny. But Em. That is really you right?

He moves closer, almost in her face, concentrating on her features. I mean you look so different, and I have freckles. I don't even know if I can still play soccer.

"It's me," Em replies with a nod, peering back at the boy. Glancing at the little pipsqueak tagging along behind them, she adds, "And yeah. We all look different."

"Tell me about it," Mikey says unhappily. "God, I feel like shit right now." He looks around his group of friends. He knows which one of the group is Em but his eyes fix on the other girl. "Wait, who are you?", he asks. Then, calculating it over in his mind, he figures out it must be Jaden. "Oh wow," he says. "Well, you're lucky. At least you get to experience something fun and cool while I'm stuck in..." He shrugs his wide, muscular shoulders. "...this."

"Rey" looks at the small pile of food on his plate, and asks for extra rocket pancakes, but doesn't get anything but sideeye.

"I'm going to starve, maybe that's why I'm so skinny," he rues, and shuffles his feet to an empty table.

"Cool Mikey? Really? Waking up as princess pipsqueak ain't cool or fun!" he said trying to keep his voice down.

He had absentmindedly got some food on his tray and sat down with the others.
"I mean, how can you find anything cool at the moment? Time travel, body swapping... How did we got into this mess?"

Jaden stopped and took a couple breaths.

"We need a battle plan. And some snacks. I'm low on sugar and can't think straight."

He abruptly got up and went straight for Hernandez. He begun acting shy and all, trying to get his attention.
"Excuse me, I have this condition that I need sugar on a daily basis or else something goes bad and I feint randomly. My parents didn't write it in the application because I wouldn't get accepted and I want sooo much to see that rocket. Can you please get me something please? Pleasepleaseplease pleaaase?

Mikey/Devon looks somewhat surprised at Jaden's response. "I mean, trying out what it'd be like to be a girl," he says. "Who wouldn't want to do that? I'm a bit jealous." He looks at Em. "I don't know, would you want to try out being a boy? It's kind of boring but..." He shrugs.

His eyes wandering back to Cuckoo who has left their table by now, he says: "We should definitely keep an eye on him, though. Maybe we can find out what his plans are. He did say we should stop Kim, right? Kim, like Kim Johnson, the camp leader back in our time."

The malnutrioned Mexican boy says, "Holy fu---dge, Batman! That's it! That's the missing link! Kim Fudging Johnson."

He looks over at Hernandez. "What happened to him here? And we need to get to see that rocket. It may not be what it appears to be."

He's eaten one potato waffle rocket and feels faint. "Ugh, I can't eat any more." He pushes his beans and sausages and the other waffle to the middle. "Maybe I do have cancer."

Do you really have cancer? Andy looks at the painfully skinny boy. You're not Georgie, are you? Andy's voice rises an octave when he says "you". Who's your dad? What does he do? he ask as he begs for more food for his plate.

"You know my dad is dead. Why are you being like this?" He stares at the taller kid. Why does this happen? He's always so healthy and good at everything? And I get stupid can't eat a pancake boy body.