PZA: The New Neighbor Boy 1-5

A man recalls the day that the new neighbors moved in next door to him, nearly 20 years ago, and the new boy finally invited him over.

Even though it was over 20 years ago, I still remember it like it happened yesterday:

We lived in one of those 'not-quite-Suburbia' housing projects for upper-middle class or wanna-be-rich families 3; you know, places with names like 'Hawks' Ridge' or 'Kingfisher Creek' that are only like a 10-15 minute drive to town. (Not that I knew what a 'kingfisher' was anyway?) It was one of those neighborhoods where everybody knew everybody else, everybody had kids and dogs, and usually a huge mortgage too. Both parents worked, and us kids usually just ran wild all day when school was out. The houses all looked all the same – but 'different', you know? You know the type of place?

All that changed for me when the new boy in town showed up late that one spring, though.

I didn't get a very good look at him when they moved in, and my mom wouldn't let me go over and 'pester the new neighbors already!' So I just watched from my upstairs window while they unloaded the truck.

It looked like they had a lot of boxes, and a lot of cool stuff like a big-screen TV, as well as really good audio equipment.

Then I saw a kinda big, but boring-looking guy in jeans and a T-shirt leading a boy with dark red hair up the front walk, and then they went inside. I thought the kid's T and shorts looked like they were a bit too little, and he was barefooted. Strange, for it being so cool out, I thought. I figured that was probably why he walked a little funny, like he was afraid to put his feet flat on the ground. He looked to be about my age, too, and I laughed when I saw his dad was holding his hand.

That was the last I saw of them that day. In fact, I was expecting to see the new kid at school come Monday, but he never showed up.

A week went by, and I still hadn't seen him again. As half of May passed, the mystery only got worse for me. None of my friends had seen him, either, or knew a thing about him. The rumors started up, naturally, but after a while, everybody figured the kid was either sick, handicapped, or home-schooled.

Still, I wanted to know. I mean, they were right next door to us – and with all that cool stuff?!

My mom was the private type, and since my dad had taken off when I was really little, it was just the two of us, as it appeared to be just the two of them next door. She wouldn't let me go over and meet the kid, and it was driving me nuts trying to figure out why he wasn't in school or why he never went outside. I figured that when she went to work, or one of her sales trips for the drug company she worked for, I'd have the chance to at least sneak around and find out who had moved in next door.

My room was on the second floor, and my idea of spying on them that way fell apart when I got up the day after they arrived to see that the windows facing our house had been covered with something black, like very heavy curtains. Their house had a pool, though, and I knew that when it got hot out, that'd bring our mysterious new neighbors out.

Our houses had a high wood-plank fence between them, but over time, a knothole had come out here and there and the cracks between boards had widened some. I was out mowing the grass, glad that summer had finally come so I could screw off with my friends, and I'd just stopped to pee on that stupid bush I was always had to trim around. I just wanted to get it done so I could run over to Scott's house, when I heard it:

I heard someone talking, and it sounded like a boy ordering food in a Mexican joint – in Spanish. But he just kept repeating the same phrases, like he was practicing it or something. I had to have a look. After all, the kid had been there for like two months, and no one had seen him or his dad. All we ever saw was their van parked out front, which hardly ever moved.

Since I'd been running the mower, I wasn't worried about noise when I fired it up and pushed it over to the fence so I could peek through a knothole.

What I saw was this kid, about my age, laying on his belly on a towel near the pool. He had dark red hair, shaved bald on the sides, and spiked up flat on top. That made me do a double-take right off, because I'd never seen a haircut like that – except on Army or Marine guys on TV. He had an earring, a big diamond (or a good fake), and when he turned his head, I could see he had one in each ear.

'Weird,' I thought, moving to get the best view through the knothole I could. 'Wonder if he's gay, or what?' Of course, if you had two earrings, you had to be gay. Everyone said so.

I could see he wasn't wearing a shirt, and he was shiny. Sunblock, I figured, since redheads usually burn up fast. Maybe that was why he never went outside? He had headphones on, plugged into a boombox, and he was apparently listening to a tape. He kept rewinding it, then he'd talk in Spanish, then rewind. Then he'd nod his head, make a note on his little tablet, and move on to a new phrase. When he cocked his head, I could see he had some freckles, but not a whole lot like some redheads.

He had one of those woven and beaded necklaces on, a pretty thick one, too, with something hanging in the front and what looked like a little metal ring on the back of it. It looked like something you'd tie your dog out with. I moved over a bit, to see the rest of him, and that was when I saw that he was naked!

I saw that there weren't any tanlines anywhere, that he was the same lightly tanned tone all over, and concluded that he must sunbathe nude all the time. That, to me, was downright strange for a boy my age.

I gasped, not thinking, and realized too late that his finger was on the 'pause' key.

He looked around like he was nervous, fidgeted some, then went back to his studies or whatever he was doing.

He wasn't any taller than I was, but it looked like he worked out every day. I could see his biceps hump up, and I swear, he had a six-pack stomach. It made me feel stupid, thinking about making muscles at myself (or lack thereof) in the mirror when I took a bath. Then I wondered what it felt like to be outside, naked? I started getting hard when I thought about it, thinking all I had to do was kick off my sneakers and pull off my shorts. 'Nuts,' I told myself, realizing that the fence opposite our yard was chain link! 'Not a good idea,' I thought, although I'd had a few close calls walking around the house naked when mom was at work.

But still, there he was, and there I was – still staring at him 3; with my hard little dick.

Like I said, I was one of those 'late bloomers,' though, and I didn't have any idea about things like sex or jerking off. All I knew was what I'd seen at school in 'the film', and what me and my friends made up. You know, we thought we knew a lot back then, when we didn't know shit! Hell, I didn't even know what jackin' off was 3;

I just knew it felt good to touch my dick, it felt better when it was hard, and that it made me feel funny if I did it long enough. Of course, by then, I'd usually have to stop to go pee.

OK, I had a sheltered life and no man around. We didn't have cable yet, and satellite was too iffy to buy into!

The kid had one of those digital alarm watches, and it just kept beeping until he hit 'pause' on the cassette again and heard it. Then he sat up, turned it off, and with his back to me, started putting on more sunscreen. 'Smart kid,' I thought, realizing I'd probably just started a good sunburn on myself and thinking how good that big pool looked.

'What the hell do they feed this kid?' I wondered, watching him move as he coated up again. This kid had muscles where I only had daydreams!

"Rats!" He mumbled, trying to reach his back, and looking all around again. Then he checked his watch again.

As he raised his head, I then saw that the 'charm' or whatever on his woven necklace was a very small brass padlock.

Figuring I needed a better look at him, I went and got a lawn chair from the patio to stand on. I fired up the mower to cover any noise, fetched the chair, then set it up and climbed up on it with the mower still running.

My luck, two things happened at once: the stupid thing ran out of gas and died right as I put my hands on top of the fence to pull myself up a bit higher, and the kid's phone started ringing. He ran inside for it, giving me a full moon view, and I thought how he'd make a heck of a ball player if he could dash like that!

"Yes, sir," I could hear him saying, "OK, yes, sir, I did! I am. One more hour? But it's hot out! OK," he then whined. "How long? No, sir, I didn't eat anything. OK, love you, too! Adios!"

When he came back out, smiling, he was carrying a big red towel in front of him, so I couldn't see anything. I mean, I'd seen my friends naked before. We skinny-dipped in the creek all the time, or at Scott's house in their pool. It was no big deal, but lookin' back, boys are just naturally curious and like to brag and make fun, too.

I got made fun of the most, and didn't go swimming with them much anymore, unless I had a swimsuit, because I hated being called 'Shrimp' or 'Tiny' and didn't even have that first hair yet. Like mom said, I was a 'late bloomer'.

But I wasn't going to get to see anything of the new kid's stuff, it seemed, as he went back to his language lesson. The only thing he did different was lay down on his back and put on a pair of mirrored sunglasses. I couldn't see a thing.

I guess I must have stared around for a good hour, not realizing how time was passing, when the kid got up as his watch chimed the hour. He stretched again, turned, and as luck would have it, the seat of the damn chair gave way on me!

"I say," he added, with just very little bit of some kind of accent, "Are you sure? Oh! If you're out of gasoline, you can borrow some of ours?"

"No, I'm done, it's good," I wheezed, hoping that he wouldn't realize I'd been staring at him.

"You could have just come over, you know," he went on, as my jaw dropped. "I thought you were going to get a splinter in your eye for a moment, there! Are you sure you're quite all right?"

So there it was, he knew I'd been staring at him the whole time! I could feel my face beginning to burn as bad as my shoulders and back.

"That's 'ow old I am!" He declared. "It's awfully hot. Would you like to come over and cool off in the pool?"

"Better ask," I tried to dodge him, suddenly too embarrassed to think straight, much less meet him face to face. "Is it OK with your dad?"

"She's at work 'til late," I told him, "But we go and do stuff, the kids here, I mean, all the time. She won't care."

"Splendid!" He answered, "I can give you a hand up, you know?" He offered, as that red head appeared over the fence and he reached his arms over. "Don't worry, the picnic table I'm on won't move!"

I had to admit, he had a point. That, and being the new kid, I figured he wouldn't make fun – since he didn't have any friends yet. He also sounded like his voice hadn't changed, so I thought, 'He can't have that much more than me.'

He surprised me when he grabbed my wrists and hauled me up and over the fence like a sack of potatoes. I rolled over, off the table, and looked around the yard to make sure no one else was there or watching.

"My, but you're a puny one, aren't you?" He asked, heading for the deep end with his back to me again.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr., uhmmm?" I replied sarcastically. 'Puny?' I wondered if he always insulted his new neighbors?

"Well, Benny," he shrugged, "I suppose I am a bit 'weird', then, to you?" But he smiled when he said it.

"Father says I have to swim for one hour now, since I've sunned for one already. The water's still a bit chilly, but it should feel just excellent?" He offered. "Good thing you happened along, since one shouldn't swim alone, and he didn't expect to have to work today."

"Father's very big on learning," Canyon informed me, as he stopped – right behind a deck chair! "Well don't just stand there, strip off and get wet!" He smiled.

Reluctantly, I pulled my shorts off and just stood there in my white briefs. I must have been staring at him, but he laughed again.

"I've never had hair so long as yours," he commented. "And it's fine. No one's going to come over, the gate's locked."

"Well, I don't have any muscles like yours," I fudged, hoping I wasn't looking too stupid. After all, the kid had a pool, I'd seen all the cool stuff when the movers had unloaded, and it would be nice to have someone next door who wouldn't call me 'Shrimp' all the time.

"I have a very rigid diet and exercise regimen," he informed me, as I finally pulled my briefs off to reveal my 'average-ness,' as I thought of it. I'd taken to measuring it lately, and I was pushing two inches [5 cm] fully hard. I could hear Scott and Fred and them making fun of me in my head already.

Canyon, however, didn't seem to give me a second glance as he headed for the diving board. Then again, I supposed he was used to seeing naked people?

"I'm trying to learn some trick dives, you know. I'm rather good, if I do say so," he added, stepping up onto the end of the board.

Canyon was standing there, maybe deciding on what kind of dive to do, and giving me the angle I'd been waiting to see all afternoon.

I know I must have seemed like a moron, but I was so surprised that I didn't know what to do or say. So I just stared.

When he came back up, climbing the pool ladder to go again, he turned to face me. I hadn't moved. My eyes followed his crotch the entire time, and I knew I must be being rude, but I could not – so help me – I could not look away!

"Oh, this? I'm sorry!" Canyon apologized, as if he'd done something wrong to offend ME, and not the reverse! He was touching himself 3; there, and it finally clicked over in my mind what I was seeing.

"I guess you've never seen a eunuch before, Benny?" He asked, as if the subject came up all the time! Hell, for all I knew, maybe it did? After all, he was a nudist? I kept telling myself that. Were boys with no balls that common wherever he came from?

"Nothing much, really. Bicycle accident some years ago, you know. Smashed them flat," Canyon informed me, as if announcing the weather or something. Then I realized why he hadn't given ME a second look, or made fun of what I thought was my deficiency! At least 'I' had balls!

"Yes, it called being castrated," Canyon explained. (It sounded like he'd said, 'Cawh-STRAY-ted.') "Father worked in hospital, you see, and the doctors said they'd have to come right out. There was no saving them, mashed up as they were."

I then realized that Canyon didn't seem to have a sac, either. Well, OK, the film called it a 'scrotum'. But he didn't have one. In fact, his dick didn't look like much more than a tiny little acorn stuck onto his hairless and smooth crotch. There didn't even seem to be a scar!

"Lacerated my foreskin and scrotum badly, too, I'm afraid. Father's all for neatness, you know, so they trimmed that all right off as well. I'm a bit embarrassed that the cold water has made it almost vanish, though!" He then laughed.

"You 3; you didn't get fake ones put in, so you'd l-look 3; OK?" I had to ask, still staring in shock at what I was seeing – a boy with no balls! What had he called it again? His 'foreskin'? I didn't remember that from the film, but I thought his tiny little dick looked just like mine – only smaller, which I was glad of!

I just shook my head. "A what?" I had to ask, having never heard that word before.

"A eunuch! A castrated male? A boy what's got no bollocks?" Canyon explained, and I assumed 'bollocks' were balls.

"Well, come on, then! We only have less than an hour now to swim, and say," he noticed, his eyes going wide. "You're burning already! We should put some SPF on that, shall we?" Then he snickered again. "You're going to burn your cock, mate, if it doesn't stand down soon!"

If my face was burning before, it was on fire now! There I was, listening to my new neighbor tell me all about how he'd had most of his 'boyness' cut off like it was nothing more than a bad scrape or splinter, and I had a raging hard-on!

"I don't get those very often anymore," Canyon sighed, "Erections, I mean. Haven't had one in months. Father says it's because my balls have been out for so long, you see."

"Turn around," he ordered me, and began squirting the cold white cream all over my back. I had to admit, it was a relief. I sighed.

"My, but you're tense," Canyon offered, as he rubbed me down. "Perhaps Father should give you a good rub when he gets in?"

I was wondering what he meant by that as we swam. Canyon didn't float aimlessly around the pool either. He swam as if in training for the Olympics. He dived, tried to show me how, and I guess we lost track of all time.

I had just reached the end of the diving board when the patio door opened and I heard a man's voice:

"Well, who's this then, boy?" The voice called out, as I looked up to see the biggest (and first) naked man that I'd ever seen in my life!

Chapter Two

Our hero meets Canyon's daddy, and gets a sunburn.

Seeing Canyon's dad standing there – naked – was something I never expected! I know, you're thinking 'well dumbass, he told you they were nudists'! And he did, OK, yeah, but he DIDN'T tell me when his dad would be home. Maybe I should have expected those kinds of surprises out of a boy who didn't think it was a big deal to invite a strange boy over, when he was naked, and who wasn't bothered by the fact that he didn't have any balls?

Canyon had a lot more surprises for me, other than this, but we'll get to those later.

So there I was, splashing around and trying to get back to the surface, when I was suddenly pulled up out of the water. The next thing I knew, I was upside down, and Canyon's dad had me over this shoulder, bouncing me, and slapping my back while I coughed and spit out water.

"Well, I see you're breathing?" This big, hairy brute of a man asked me, "No need for mouth-to-mouth, then?"

I was looking up at this man who was so big he made a shadow over me. If Canyon was muscular for a kid, then his dad was built like a pro wrestler! I thought of Hulk Hogan or somebody, but he had black hair – and a lot of it. He had a black beard, neatly trimmed, and his hair was a man-cut, but thick and neat. He had hair just about everywhere else, too, but it wasn't the bushy type that looked like a rug. It was trimmed to all the same length – neat. But it was black, and he looked like a 'neat bear' to me. Looking back, he wasn't bad looking, but I was like 12 – and he scared me. I remembered Canyon saying that his dad was all about neatness when he'd had him fixed up at the hospital.

I could see him telling the doctors, something like: "Just go ahead and neatly cut off all that extra skin. Make it look nice and neat, yes!' With that faint accent of his.

One thing was certain, as I glanced at Canyon again – his crotch was neat with just that little bump of a dick there and nothing else – not a single hair – on all that smooth, 'neat' skin.

I tried to put that thought out of my head, but it was no good. As soon as I thought about Canyon and his lack of 'bits', my own little cock stood up again. And this big, naked man laughed at me.

"Th-thanks for p-pulling me out," I spluttered, as Canyon brought me a towel. I wiped my face off with it, and intentionally let it fall over my front to try and hide my little erection.

"Nice to finally meet you," Canyon's dad replied with a big smile, offering his hand.

OK, you remember it, don't deny it. When you were that age, you tried to sneak a peek at the man or boy next to you in the public restroom, didn't you? And you were surprised at how big a grown man's dick could get?

So there he was, and I had NO clue what to do when he started getting hard as well. I mean, good God, he was HUGE! I'd never seen a dick that big, not even on cable TV or at Scott's when we'd sneaked down one night to watch a porno on his dad's VCR! (We didn't have MP4 or DVD's back then; we had video tape. VHS. Beta had just died.)

I could have sworn his dick was as big as my forearm, no kidding. Looking back, I'd say it was a good, thick 10 inches [25 cm], though. If I had to guess. But since I was just about 5 feet [1.50 m] tall, and my dick was all of two inches [5 cm] hard, he looked like a monster!

It didn't help that he had a gold ring in it, either. It looked like a fat key ring, that wide, and it went into his pee-hole and came out the bottom side. I didn't see how it closed; it looked solid to me, but him taking it out wasn't something I was thinking about just then. I was also looking at his balls, which weren't as big or low as I thought they'd be, and how there wasn't any hair on his scrotum at all.

"They DO have a mind of their own, don't they?" He joked, touching his dick for just a second to make it kinda 'sproing' up and down once. "Not that we can just say 'don't do that right now'!"

"Y-yeah," I fumbled, unsure of what to do since he seemed to want to talk about dicks. I changed the subject, even though I could feel my face burning again. "Th-thanks," I said again, and I shook his hand. After all, he was huge – I didn't want him mad at me! What was I supposed to do? I mean, heck, he'd just pulled me out of the pool and I might have drowned.

"You two just go sit over there," he then told us in a flat tone. "It's been an hour?" He asked, and Canyon nodded at him. "I'll go get you something to drink, then. Sit!"

Canyon just shrugged. "I don't know, Benny. If you're bothered, you can leave? I'm sure Father won't be angry? It takes a lot, you know."

OK, so I was wanting to get another look at him, I admit it! My little dick might have gone down some, but I was still just entranced by the sight of Canyon's dad. It made me wonder what my own absent dad looked like. Not like him, I bet, I thought.

When he came back out, Canyon's dad introduced himself as "Mr. Poore, but we're anything but!" He laughed. He handed us both tall, frosted glasses full of what like frothy chocolate milk with straws.

"Mannerly," Mr. Poore observed. "So, Canyon, my boy," he asked with that same very faint accent, "How did you chance to meet Mr 3; ahh 3;?"

"Father, this is Benny, from next door," Canyon introduced us. "I heard him having a scrap with the mower, and I had to see if he was quite all right!" Canyon quickly added, his brown eyes going a bit wide as he nodded as squirmed on his deck chair.

I sipped at my drink. It wasn't chocolate milk, but it tasted really good. It was thick and minty and really sweet, and it had a sort of bite to it. I'd even forgot that I was sitting there naked, still, with the towel over my now-pink shoulders.

"We'll talk about that later, boy," Mr. Poore said sternly, and I saw Canyon flinch just a little bit. "Of course, you had to find out if he was all right. And I must say, it was a good idea to have him over so you two could swim. I thought I'd be back by now, but Mar- 3; my business associate 3; ran a bit long."

"Yes, sir," Canyon repeated, and I almost laughed at how he talked to his dad. None of my friends talked like that to their folks.

"You see, Benny, Canyon has a strict routine. That's why you've not seen much of him, until now. He's a very busy boy, what with his schooling, exercise, studying, and chores."

"Canyon is home-schooled, by me," Mr. Poore informed me, and that confirmed that suspicion.

"Yes, sir," I replied automatically, surprising myself as I did, and continuing to suck on my drink. I was starting to feel a little dizzy, though, and my back was beginning to sting as we just sat there.

Mr. Poore wanted to hear all about me, though, so I told him about my mom, my friends, and my absent dad. I was giving him a full run-down on the neighborhood in general when I saw him glance once at Canyon. The boy was fidgeting with his necklace, and when he pulled at it, I could see it was leaving a red imprint in the skin of his neck.

"I almost forgot! Excuse me!" He then got up, and came right back with a set of keys. He used a small one to unlock the tiny padlock on Canyon's necklace and removed it. Canyon just sat there, rubbing at the indented form of the material on his neck.

"That can happen when you're distracted," Mr. Poore told him, and I had to wonder. I'd read somewhere that Indians used to soak leather in cold water, then strap it tight around their vicitms' necks, so that the hot sun would shrink it and strangle them. But I didn't ask. Surely he didn't do that to his kid on purpose?

But then again, why did that necklace have an itty-bitty little padlock on it, through the little woven-in metal rings? I could see that there was no way Canyon could have removed it, without a knife, and then he'd probably cut his own neck if he tried.

"Father, Benny has a sunburn," Canyon then offered, "And he's quite tense. Do you have something for it?"

"I have just the thing. Come along, boys. We'll go in where it's cool, and we'll get something for that sunburn."

So I was finally going to get a look inside the house, it seemed. We went on in, and the patio exited right into their living room. There was that huge TV, and a stereo system that took up the whole south wall. There was video equipment, too, and a lot of it. They even had movie projectors, a slide machine, and a silk white screen on the opposite wall. It was better stocked than the A/V center at school, even!

Back then, no one would have thought a thing about going inside with the new kid and his folks, or just his dad. You didn't see stuff all over the news all the time about some weirdo luring a kid into his house then killing him to bury him under the lilac bushes, or something! So that's why I just went in – I was a kid, Canyon was a kid, and his dad was home from work. That, and I had a sunburn. Big deal?

"Finish those drinks," he ordered us, and he was ordering. We did that, and he took the glasses to the kitchen while I looked around, careful not to touch anything. The last thing I wanted was for mom to have to pay for some of this stuff if I broke it.

"Follow me," Mr. Poore then told us, and we followed him down the hall to a door that apparently led to the basement. I looked all around the hallway, but every single door was closed. He then flicked a switch, and one little light came on down there. It made me dizzy to look down, and I almost fell.

"Ho, there!" Mr. Poore exclaimed, grabbing my arm in a tight grip that made my hand go numb at once. "Have to fix these narrow steps, what?"

"Yeah," I sort of slurred, and yawned, thinking that I wasn't used to swimming for the season yet. I must have been really tired.

I couldn't see much past the washer/dryer or the water heater, but it looked like the basement was dry and finished into a nice utility room. There seemed to be a full bathroom off to the side, which was where Canyon had come from with the gel.

"Why don't you get the bench?" Mr. Poore then asked, and Canyon dashed off to somewhere in the dark. There was a bump, a gasp, and then Canyon was back pulling what looked like a padded bench that had mated with a barber's chair and had a weird looking offspring on wheels.

I was wanting to figure out a way to ask Mr. Poore about Canyon's not having any balls, but I yawned again. He then grabbed me up, putting me on the bench on my stomach. I looked down, as he got me into position, and I could have sworn there were leather straps, like belts, on the ends of the legs of the thing.

"Are you 3; a massage therapist?" I asked, yawning again, hardly able to keep my eyes open.

"Feel good?" Mr. Poore asked me, as Canyon just looked on. Was it me, me being tired, or the light? I thought Canyon looked very nervous and fidgety, shifting from foot to foot with his hands behind his back as he watched me.

"Oh, yeah," I moaned, as my back cooled and his hands began to loosen up my muscles. I started to drift off.

All I wanted to do was lay there and go to sleep, whatever he was doing felt so good. I was just limp, and my dick wasn't even hard anymore.

"I have to admit, it's very open of you to not be upset about our lifestyle," he went on.

"You seemed to have picked a good one, Canyon," he was saying, as my head started to spin, "The perfect friend?"

"What the 3;?" I remember thinking, as I got up. I was wearing my shorts again, and someone had put me on the couch, on my stomach, with a pillow. I looked at the clock, saw that it was like 7, and heard mom turning on the TV. "Mom?" I called out, thinking that I had to go to the bathroom.

"Oh, you're awake!" Mom greeted me, sounding like she was talking to someone at work, which was how she usually talked to me. "Mr. Poore said you boys were just exhausted." She then came over and gave me a peck on the cheek, and went back to the kitchen to make dinner – something frozen, no doubt. TV dinners. To this day, I can't look at one!

"I 3; I 3;" I started, trying to remember. But the last thing that came to mind was the sunburn gel and me getting what Canyon must have been referring to before as 'a good rub.' He was right on that – I felt pretty good, if not a bit wobbly. But I was hungry. I was so hungry that even TV dinner sounded good just then.

"It's so nice you made a new friend," Mom was going on, "Mr. Poore brought you over, you know. Said you fell asleep watching TV with Canyon after all that swimming?"

"I 3; I guess?" I wondered, since I didn't remember the TV being on. A TV that big, I think I would have remembered watching! The last thing I did remember was laying on the bench having gel put on my back.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I began to realize that the whole afternoon was kind of blurry. I remembered mowing the grass, spying on Canyon, climbing the fence, and swimming. I remembered his dad, and how big he was, like a WWF star, the burn gel, but beyond that? And the drinks we had 3;

I was sure I hadn't done anything to make him mad, I didn't think, and if mom was right, he'd carried me home when I'd fallen asleep. But why didn't I remember things, then? We watched TV, she said?

"No, sweetheart," she replied, shoving the aluminum trays into the oven, "Mr. Poore carried you in. He said Canyon had to have his nap. Lovely man, isn't he?" She then went off on a tangent. "That black hair, the beard, and those muscles? He must really work out!" Mom mused, her face a bit flushed.

"You know, Mr. Poore said you looked thin," mom was saying then, "He said he hopes you'll come back tomorrow after lunch, 1 hour after, so that you and Canyon can swim some more? He's also invited you to come and work out with his son. Isn't that lovely?" She pitched it like she was trying to sell me a used car or something. Then again, that was my mom.

"Lovely man," she repeated. "And raising that boy all alone. Poor little thing, doesn't have any friends, and he's so shy. Shame about the wife, really." She then paused, and I could hear the wheels turning in her head.

I'd never thought to ask about Canyon's mom. I'd told them all about me, and living here, but I realized that they hadn't told me a thing about them!

Well, OK, Canyon had told me about his 'neat' dad and the bike wreck that almost turned him into a girl!

"She died in childbirth," mom told me, dabbing at her eyes with the dishtowel – the usual drama 3;

"Oh," I just huffed, as I looked at the TV. Mom's favorite game show was coming on, and I saw that I'd slept for two hours. 'Canyon takes naps?' I said to myself.

"Well, you must have needed one, too," mom cut in, "And I see you got some color?" She patted me on the shoulder.

It was a woven necklace, made of that fuzzy, hemp-looking stuff and leather strips too. It had a few colored stone beads woven into it, and a white flat porcelain square at my Adam's apple with a black Japanese symbol on it. I thought it was Japanese. That was the style, you remember: T-shirts with Asian letters on them, and you wore it without knowing what it really said?

The necklace was soft though, like it had been washed in Downey and it didn't itch. I was glad of that when I started turning it around, looking for the clasp.

It was woven into one piece, and I couldn't even find the knots where the ends joined! It was snug, too.

"What the 3;?" I gasped, as I noticed more of that 'gotta go' feeling. I forgot the necklace for a minute, and pissed about a gallon, I think. Then I felt something else, and yanked my shorts down to sit.

'Thought I had to shit?' I wondered, since my butt felt like it. It felt funny, though, like maybe I'd already went. Did I go at Canyon's and not remember that, either? How rude would that have been? 'Pardon me, where's the john? I gotta shit, buddy!'

"Take a bath while you're up there," mom was yelling through the door, "You smell like chlorine!"

"No way am I getting' this thing wet," I muttered, remembering Canyon fiddling with his when his dad had unlocked it. "It'll shrink when it dries!"

Mine didn't have one, and I figured the only way it had got around my neck was if I was asleep long enough for someone to have woven it into place there. I didn't know what time it had been when I'd gone over the fence, but it had been hot out. Maybe noon? Now it was 7?

I went to get a T-shirt, since Mom had this thing about 'eating naked'. I wondered if she knew about Canyon and his dad, though?! 'Lovely man'? What would she think about him and a kid being naked 24/7?

"Yes?" Mom was saying, "Oh, why, yes, he's up. No, no, he's fine, thanks so much for calling! What? Oh, I'm sure he'll want to, yes, I'll tell him. Thank you, Mr. Poore, thank you so much. He can certainly use it! You know, we should have a late house-warming party for you!" Mom was going on and on with her 'hook a man' speech.

"Ben?" She was yelling at me, as I came back down. "Mr. Poore would like to know if you can come over tomorrow? Canyon has a doctor's checkup at ten, but Mr. Poore has to work late, and I think I will too. He doesn't want Canyon home alone all day long."

I know I was thinking, 'Hell every kid around here is home alone all day long, what's it matter?' But I just nodded. If nothing else, I could ask Canyon about the necklace that was woven around my neck, why I passed out all afternoon, and just what the heck had been in that drink!

It was the only explanation, I'd worked it out – Mr. Poore had slipped me a mickey!

"Dinner's almost ready," mom then informed me, as she hung up the phone. "I told him you'd be over as soon as they got back. Maybe you could introduce poor little Canyon to some of your friends?" She suggested.

I thought about Canyon's lack of balls, and his lack of clothes. I figured if they made fun of me, they'd have a heyday with Canyon.

"I don't think so," I replied, "He's 3; he's been sick," I said, and it wasn't really a lie. After all, he'd had major surgery on his boy-parts! If that wasn't sick, I didn't know what was! "I don't think his dad wants him to leave the house."

"Sorry! Oh, and Mr. Poore's right, I think," she added, "I think it's time you had a summer haircut, Benny!" She ruffled my hair. "I wonder if you still have ears under all that?"

I thought about telling her about how weird Canyon and his dad were just then, but when I swallowed, I could feel the necklace rubbing my Adam's apple.

I had to find out what was going on with new, weird, ball-less, new neighbor boy next door.

Chapter Three

Benny goes over to see Canyon again, and instead of answers – he gets even more surprises.

I had too much to think about that night to stay up and watch that hospital show, 'St. Nowhere' or something that I really used to like. I've forgot the name, but it was a good show. I asked mom to tape it with the new VCR, and went to my room to sort it all out. Or try to.

I would have took a bath, but I was afraid that the necklace would shrink it if got wet. I still had no idea how it got there, but the more I thought, it was pretty obvious – Canyon's dad must have put it there while I was asleep, and when I'd tried to test cut it with a butter knife when I was doin' dishes, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to cut it without slashing my own throat.

And he must have put something in my drink. That's all there was to it. I hadn't taken a nap since I was like 7 or 8, and I couldn't believe Canyon still did.

OK, so he said he'd had a bike crash. I'd racked myself enough, and it hurt like heck, so I figured if you hit the handlebars right, or the brakes or the gear shifters on a 10 speed, you might tear your balls off or smash 'em on that stupid crossbar on boys' bikes.

Then he said he'd had something called a 'foreskin' that got trimmed off, 'neat.'

OK, maybe that was normal where they moved in from, but not around here! Then again, if the neighbors were nudists, would you know unless they invited you over?! I guess not.

But it was OK to invite me over, when they're naked? Was that even legal? I thought about telling mom, but I figured she'd freak – and I had to know more about Canyon.

I thought about it. He had an alarm watch, an expensive one. He sunned for an hour, swam for an hour, then his dad got home. Mr. Poore said he had a rigid schedule, and he was obsessed, Canyon said, with being 'neat'.

I figured I'd look in my encyclopedia to see what a 'foreskin' was, since I didn't remember that from the film at school. 'Birds and the Bees.' Right 3; (Remember, there wasn't any Internet back then. I couldn't just Google the word and get a billion pages to tell me what it was!)

I got the ol' Britannia set out, turned to 'F', and got something like 'the skin covering the end of the penis, bell-shaped. Sometimes removed via circumcision.' There wasn't a picture, either.

"Shit," I muttered, putting up 'F' and going for 'C'. Actually, it was probably the first time I'd ever opened the silly things. Mom wanted me to be a scholar, you know, but I was just lucky to have a C+ on my report card.

I was muttering about Canyon being a smart kid when I started feeing hot. 'Damn AC,' I thought, and sure enough the central air was blowing just 'air' again – not cold air.

I did that, but it was already getting hot, even in early June, and muggy. My room was gonna get stuffy, and fast. I peeled off my shirt before it got sweaty, and tossed my shorts on the floor. You remember shorts back then? Short pants, not down to your knees, and usually light material in color, with the white trim that just did cover your butt? That's them.

OK, you know what it is, I don't need to tell you. Needless to say, I'd just found out I'd been born with some skin – maybe a lot – that had covered the end of my dick like a bell or something. There was even a sketch of 'before' and 'after', and the 'after' looked like my dick!

"The hell?" I muttered, as my little dick started to get hard again. I moved the book. "Common procedure on newborn boys?" I read aloud. "Nobody asked ME if I wanted the end of my dick cut off?!" I complained.

But then, I knew what Canyon had meant. He'd had that skin and remembered it, and now he didn't have it. He had a dick like mine. OK, not like mine – his was a lot smaller. Yeah, I liked that idea.

"Shrimp 3; Tiny 3; ' or 'when you gonna hit puberty, Ben?' Is your dick ever gonna grow?'"

"Hehe," I snorted, as it hit me, "I wonder if Scott knows somebody chopped off the end of his dick when was a baby?" I had to laugh. After all, we used to swim naked, remember? In fact, as my room got stuffy, a pool started to sound good again.

Then I realized the Mr. Poore's dick looked circumcised, too. Why? But he had that big gold ring in it. I wondered if it had a name, but I didn't know it, so I couldn't look it up.

My little dick was still hard, and I was rubbing it when I remembered Canyon saying 'cawh-STRAY-ted' in that accent of his, and calling himself a 'eunuch.' I flipped back in my book 'C' for the word 'castrated,' and there was a whole page of fine print on it.

What it came down to was when a male animal, or person, had their balls cut off, and there a few ways to do it to livestock. One way was with little green rubber bands and this thing that looked like pliers. There were even sketches. The more I read, too, the more my dick throbbed until it almost hurt.

"They used to cut little boys' balls off so they could sing better?" I gasped, reading back to the side effects of being castrated. I knew what puberty was, and the book said a boy castrated before puberty would never hit puberty without drugs to make up for him not having balls.

Canyon wasn't lying – impotence, or no erections. Sterility, as in, no havin' kids.

He couldn't get hard and fuck a girl. His dick was never gonna grow. He couldn't get a blowjob like those guys in the porno we'd watched at Scott's house. He'd never have any kids, either. Hell, he couldn't even 'masturbate'.

"Any artificial stimulation which produces an orgasm?" I read. And then it hit me – "Jackin' off!"

"Hell, I gotta try this!" I thought, taking my newfound knowledge (thank you, Mr. Britannia!) of sex back to my bed.

I stayed hard, I rubbed it for a while, it felt real good, better, funny, then it started to get sore and red.

"Shit, you must have to be a grown up," I muttered, wondering if I'd hurt myself if I did it wrong. I mean, after all, Mr. Britannia had just said that going blind or getting hair on your palms was a myth! (Talk about a relief!)

One thing it did do, though, was make my erection go down. I guess my dick got scared or something, I didn't know. I laid down on top of my blanket, since it was getting hot in there, and just stared at the ceiling.

"Why not?" I thought. "Canyon swims naked. He doesn't care." So I decided to sleep naked for the first time.

I mean, I'd walked around the house naked before, when I was home alone, or usually to and from the bathroom, but I'd never went to sleep naked before.

It made me feel funny inside, as I squirmed around on the blanket, feeling it on my bare butt.

I started thinking about Canyon again, and thought about him until I went to sleep. I didn't think I would, since I'd had that nap and my mind was going full tilt with all the weird shit that day, but I did.

I had weird dreams that night about Canyon, and he kept asking me how come I had balls. "It's so much better without them," he told me, and I woke up scared.

"Stupid," I told myself, but I did check and make sure my balls were still there!

The phone woke me up the next morning, and it was mom at work calling to remind me not to forget my appointment. I had an appointment? It was kinda funny, really.

On impulse, I asked her, "Mom, why'd you call me 'Benny' last night? You ain't called me that since I was little?"

"Oh, I don't know," mom sighed, "I guess since Mr. Poore did. Now don't forget, I gave him our number, and Canyon's going to call when he gets home from the doctor. Mr. Poore has to go back to work, so we want you to go right over."

"OK," I said, and thought of Canyon saying 'yes, sir!' all the time. "Yes, Ma'am," I added for some reason.

I looked at the clock, and the numbers had just flipped over to 10:00 on the Midland radio. I turned it on to my favorite station, hoping that DD would on singing "Girls on Film" or something, but it was news time. Hourly news. I hated that, wondering how Canyon was doing at the doctor's office.

"Probably something about having had his nuts cut," I said to myself, amused a bit at the rhyme. I went to pee, with the usual 'wake up-hard on', but it went down pretty quick like it always did. I hated that. Every morning, almost, made it so hard to piss.

I went downstairs, very much aware that I was still naked, and got myself a bowl of cereal. I turned on the TV, and broke the big rule – I ate in the living room! I had to watch out the window, though, for Canyon's van. No more than it ever moved, it was something, you know.

Remember, a van back then was a big thing. Dodge had just invented the minivan, and it wasn't catching on yet. You could stuff two-dozen guys in a van-van back then.

"Ben, they're running a bit late, and I wanted to tell you since I forgot earlier! Go get a bath and wash your hair. Mr. Poore is going trim up your hair this afternoon."

"MOMMMMM!" I whined, thinking about Canyon's GI-Joe haircut and how silly I'd look with one. That, and the necklace.

"Don't argue, Benny!" She snapped back at me, which sorta surprised me. "I told you, you need a haircut, and you still smell like bleach! I won't have you embarrassing me going over there dirty and smelly!"

I did wash up, but it was in the shower with a washrag and soap, more like a sponge bath. I washed my head in the sink. I was REALLY careful to not get that necklace wet. I was feeling like I was gonna puke when I brushed my wet hair, wondering how much he was gonna cut off.

He laughed. "Of course, I'm quite all right. Just a checkup, a booster shot, and a blood and piss test, the usual. Are you coming right over?"

"I'll explain," he promised, "Oh, and Father's made a gate in the fence. When he leaves, the front door is locked and so is the front gate. You can come over through our fence, this time, though, mate."

"Be right there," I promised, looking forward to that explanation. And what kind of shot did he get? The last shot I had was when I'd stepped on a rusty nail in March, punched it right through my tennis shoe, and had to get two shots.

I don't know why I did it, but I didn't even put my shorts on when I walked out the back door. I did look to see that no one was in the Smith's yard, though. I figured ol' Mrs. Smith, who was about 200 years old, would have had heart failure if she saw me naked! I guess it was exciting, and as soon as I got out in the sun, my dick was hard again and my heart was racing. I went around the border hedge next to the house, figured that stupid bush mom loved so much would hide me, and stopped.

Sure enough, there was a handle on my side of the fence, and a set of hinges that made a door about three planks wide. There was even a brass latch. Mr. Poore had, I guess, made a real door for us sometime yesterday evening.

"While I was napping," I thought, as I squeezed the handle, which clicked loudly, and pulled the gate open. It shut behind me when I let go of it.

"There's the spirit!" Canyon greeted me, standing there on the patio wearing only his padlocked necklace and mirrored sunglasses.

"No, s'OK," I answered fast, "We just don't hug each other a lot around here, you know?"

"Oh, I didn't know," Canyon replied, "I won't do it again, all right?" Then he snickered. "I thought you were glad to see me, Benny?" He pointed at my dick.

I looked down at it, and my dick was just pulsing. It was even starting to hurt again. I felt my face getting hot.

Canyon smiled again, but I think he looked at my dick again too. I couldn't really tell with the glasses, though.

"Fine, fine," he explained. "They drew some blood, took a piss sample, examined me for hernias, checked my bowels, the usual things."

"You have to turn your head and cough while the doctor feels your nuts?" I asked without thinking.

"Honestly, Benny, I don't know how you could have forgot about me being a eunuch already?"

"Well," I offered, "It's not like a lot of us around here are castrated, you know. I just didn't think about it, I guess. I hate it when the doctor does that!"

"I had to get checked out down there, though," Canyon went on, "To make sure everything is staying where they put it. Eunuchs can still get hernias, you know. Did you know that years ago, castration was used to cure and even prevent hernias?"

"They cut boys' balls off so they wouldn't get hernias?" I had to ask, remembering something like from the encyclopedia the night before. "Is there anything you don't know?"

"Cut off their bollocks and scrotum, too, make it nice and tight and neat," Canyon explained.

"That's like cutting off your nose to spite your face," I replied, remembering my aunt liked to say that.

"Anyhow, we should get some sunblock on us, you know. Father's given us a rather lax schedule for the afternoon, until he gets home around 7."

Canyon turned around to get a paper from the stack of books on the patio table, but when he did, I saw how red his butt was.

"Father spanks me when I make mistakes," Canyon explained. "He wasn't too happy about me contacting you yesterday, Benny," he said in that 'smart voice' of his, like he was going to make speech. "Or having you over."

"What did I do?" I asked, because it made me feel guilty that I'd got him in trouble. "Canyon, I'm sorry!" I pleaded, looking at his butt again.

"Oh, it wasn't you, Benny, it was me. You see, I wasn't supposed to leave the yard, or talk to strangers."

"Yes, but some people might not like the idea of a naked eunuch, you know," Canyon added, "Or a nudist family."

"Because I thought you might be hurt," he replied. "And 3; and I do so want a friend?" He seemed to ask.

"I 3; I don't have many friends, much less any that come over regularly," Canyon informed me. "Some, but not a lot. Acquaintances, actually. It's nice to meet someone new, you see, especially someone who 3; who," he seemed at a loss for words.

"Yes," he nodded, "or understand us. You don't know how glad I was when you just walked in naked! It was like you were so accepting of us!"

"Oh yes, but it wasn't so bad," Canyon told me, doing a complete 180 turn. "And I know I deserved it. Now, if I'd left the yard, I'd have probably have welts!" He laughed.

"Only if I'm bad," Canyon held up his hand, grabbing up the bottle of sun-block as he gave me the paper. "And sometimes, I'm very bad. All boys are. Didn't your mum ever spank your bare arse?"

"No, I kept my pants on and she hit me with her hand," I offered, "But that was like two or three years ago?"

"You must be a good boy, then," Canyon smiled. "Read that while I do your back!"

It seemed that Mr. Poore had our afternoon all planned out, right down to the minute. "What about the necklaces, though?" I had to ask, remembering that I wanted some answers. "Won't they shrink?"

"Not if we go in and stay in where it's cool," Canyon replied. "Do you like yours?"

"That's what I wanna know," I retorted, as Canyon put the lotion on my back. I had to admit, it felt nice, but funny, having him touching me like that. "Why'd I go to sleep, and how'd this thing get around my neck? How do I take it off?" I demanded.

Canyon shrugged. "Do me now, please," he said, turning his red backside to me again. I couldn't help but look at his butt. Man, if he was that red, still, after all night, his dad must have whipped the shit outta him!

I started rubbing his back with the oil, and asked again. "How do I get this thing off'a my neck?"

"You don't," Canyon replied simply. "Father can undo it, if you don't like it. Did your mum like it?"

"Well, jolly good!" he replied, smiling at me, "I made it for you, you know! Then what's the problem, Benny?"

"He drugged me, didn't he?" I snapped. "I never fall asleep in the daytime! I haven't had a nap since I was like 7! And why do you call me Benny? My name's 'Ben'!" I stopped. "You made this? And put it on me while I was out cold?"

"I didn't think. It was a surprise." Canyon just looked crushed, and I knew I'd screwed up. He was actually trembling, and he dropped the bottle of SPF.

"Look, I 3; I'm sorry," I offered lamely, "It's a great necklace, but it's so damn weird! It 3; it scares me, OK? I mean, I got like a two hour blank in my memory?"

"You just fell asleep, we were tired," Canyon offered in a very small voice, turning away. "Father wouldn't harm you."

"I didn't say he did," I tried to cover myself, but I knew I'd just said I thought he'd drugged me.

"M-maybe I should just go home?" I asked. "Wait for them to get home, so he can talk to Mom?"

But Canyon just shook his head as he got out the boombox and laid down. He patted the towel beside him. "We can't deviate from the schedule," he told me seriously. "Not unless you want a spanking."

That was it, I thought, I was outta there! Mom saying that Mr. Poore could cut my hair? Telling me I was going to stay with Canyon, whether I wanted to or not? And then saying he was going to spank me if I didn't do his schedule like he wanted? I wasn't HIS kid! He couldn't make ME do anything! He wasn't MY dad!

Canyon's back yard was surrounded by the wood fence, and his side of it was sanded and varnished smooth as glass. I looked up at the six foot [1.80 m] tall fence, knowing I couldn't get over it. I saw that it met the house at its front corners, so there was no going around it, either. That left cutting through the house, and going down Canyon's front drive, around the front hedge, and out onto the sidewalk and down two yard widths to get to my own drive. Then it was up my drive, around the back, and into my own house.

"I need to borrow a pair of your shorts," I told Canyon, as he just laid there and got his pencil and paper out.

"Well what do you wear when you go somewhere?" I had to ask, thinking he just couldn't ride around in the van all day, naked!

"The front door is locked, and it's key-only. We're not allowed to go inside yet, either," Canyon informed me. "The windows don't open. If you break one, an alarm will go off, and Father will be very angry."

He looked so innocent, and so upset just then. He just looked at me, like a lost puppy or something, and said, "So I can have a playmate! And besides, it's safe! If we can't get out, no one else can get in!"

"Look, Canyon," I said, figuring I might as well sit back down. "This is too weird. You move in, no one sees you for a month. You don't come to school, then I find out you're a nudist – you and your dad – and you got no balls! Next thing I know, I conk out for two hours and wake up at home! Now I'm here, locked in, naked, with a collar of some kind on my neck I can't get off, and with a schedule of stuff to do? What the hell is THAT?!"

"My life," Canyon said simply. "It's grand, really. I can tell, Benny – I think you'll like it. Just wait until we've swum, and watch the video tape! That'll explain it all, I'm sure of it!"

"I promise, Father can explain. Please just do this, and then come eat and watch TV with me, Benny?" He begged, and I thought he was gonna cry.

OK, I caved. Well, I did want to see that big screen TV, and I like movies. And there was food for us, and the drinks yesterday were good. I figured I'd stay awake this time, for sure! I'd pinch myself if I had to!

"You know, you'd best put some lotion on that awful prick of yours, unless you want it burnt!" Canyon warned me.

Then he just reached over, squirted some onto his palm, and started rubbing it on for me! He was touching my dick!

"Canyon, I'm n-not 3; ." I fumbled, but by then, he was done and saying something like "Gracias," and writing his name and the time on his note paper. Then he took his watch off.

"Spanish isn't that bad," He said, like nothing at all had happened. "It's maths I hate! Say, I didn't hurt your balls, did I?" He added.

"Uh, no, they're OK," I mumbled, not sure what to say to him. For just a second, he'd been jacking me off – and I thought of something: what if I used lotion to jack off with? Would that work?

"You shouldn't play with your cock, Benny," Canyon then warned me, "It's red, I see, so you were doing it wrong. You'll hurt it, you know."

Canyon nodded, as the tape said something about when to say 'por favor' or something like that.

"I know how to do it, but I can't do it," Canyon grinned. "Now, on your stomach for an hour! Goodness, but I don't want to have to turn over later!"

I looked at Canyon's little red butt again, and I saw something like a small clear ring just showing between his butt-cheeks.

"Canyon?" I asked, thinking that things could NOT get any weirder than they were, "What's that thing between your cheeks?"

"Oh, that?" Canyon grinned, as he just made more notes and said something in Spanish that the tape said meant 'you are very welcome, sir.'

Chapter Four

The boys watch a porno at Canyon's house. Benny goes home with another mystery – a BIG one.

Looking back, I think the natural response to everything going on with Canyon should have been "run away, fast, and don't look back!" But I didn't.

You're probably thinking something like, "I would have run!" Well, I was thinking about it, yeah, but I guess there were a lot of reasons that I didn't.

For starters, in my gang of friends, I was on the bottom of the pecking order. I was the smallest, I didn't have things like a video game setup, we didn't have a pool, and like I said, I was the least mature. Canyon showing up made him take that bottom place in that lineup, even though I was the only boy in the neighborhood he'd met so far. I don't think I'd have been mean to him, but I don't know – there was something about him that kind of made me feel sorry for him. And he did have all this cool stuff.

What kind of kid would do something like he did with my necklace, for a present? I mean, if he wanted me to like him, he could have wrapped it up in a box and gave it to me, right? And he said things like – "I know how to jack off, even though I can't do it."

The list just kept getting longer: no balls, weird haircut, earrings, sheltered, home-schooled, said he didn't own any clothes, both him and his dad nudists and so open about it, worried I'd hurt myself with the mower 3; even though he didn't know me and took that huge chance that I might call the cops when he introduced himself and invited me over. Did it even cross his mind I might laugh at him? And he was so damn smart, had a schedule, and said he didn't leave the house? What was that?! And how'd he get so built up? That didn't happen with just swimming.

AND he was so 3; affectionate 3; I guess? He hugged me, got upset when he thought I might get myself in trouble, and went so far as to rub me down with SPF and then – hell! – he touched me dick?! Then just went on doing his homework like it was nothing, and asked if he'd hurt me?

Sure, me and the guys skinny-dipped and joked, but we hadn't touched each other! Hell, the thought of hugging Scott (much less touching his dick!) was just 3; unimaginable!

Comes home, is naked, finds a strange boy in his pool with his naked and castrated son, pulls me out of the water, makes sure I'm OK, then invited me in to fix my sunburn and then treats me like I'm his favorite nephew, or something? Carries me home when I fall asleep – which I NEVER do? Then gets my mom's permission to give me a haircut, but had it set up so I was trapped naked at his house all day long?

And why was mom so taken with him? Was she man-hunting, or something?! Did she think I needed a new dad?

NO, I fuckin' had to find out what was going on, and THAT was why I went back.

Calling the cops was still in my head, I'll tell you, but I figured the only way to find out was to keep Canyon talking.

Not that I was going anywhere, anyhow. Not unless I wanted everyone in the neighborhood to see me walking two lots over, stark naked! (And break a window mom would have to pay for!)

"Sunburn," Canyon smiled at me. "Yours is much better. Father's gel kept it from getting bad! I wager you won't even peel that much."

"No, I meant that thing between your butt cheeks!" I explained, but I'd just realized something: Canyon might be really smart, and the same age as me, but he wasn't very mature – emotionally. It was like talking to a six year old sometimes, or a little brother.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He shrugged, pausing the cassette, "That's from the doctor, you see. I have some bowel problems, and that's so I don't have an accident this afternoon."

'What the hell?' I wondered, 'Did he have cancer, or something?' That really made me feel even worse.

"Do you wanna tell me?" I asked, thinking 'what did they do, put a cork in his butt?!'

Weirder and weirder, I thought. How was holding a little clear plastic ring between your butt cheeks supposed to keep you from shitting yourself, if that's what he meant? Because he had to keep his cheeks clenched to hold it?

So I didn't push it. I knew if I came back from the doctor with something weird, and someone saw it, I wouldn't wanna have to explain it to them. Damn, how would Scott have come back at me?

"My friend, Scott," I told him, which made him want to know all about Scott. I gave him a fast rundown.

"I think this Scotty-kid needs a good spanking, if you ask me," Canyon replied seriously, "And we're getting behind in the lesson!"

That was that for that conversation. Canyon turned the tape back on and it was all business for the next two hours while we laid there and cooked in the sun.

We were just about done with that lesson in Spanish (I thought it was kinda cool, after all 3; ) when I thought of something.

"Yes," Canyon nodded, "But you're going to have to even out before you worry about that. You have the whitest arse I've ever seen!" He laughed, as his watch beeped and we headed for the diving board. "I hope I have enough notes. Father won't be pleased if we didn't get far enough with the lesson today."

"Guess not," I sighed. "Look, if you get in trouble, I'll take the wrap for it. It's my fault for distracting you."

Again, I thought he was going to cry! He just looked at me with that sad face and hugged me again! And damned if I didn't get hard again. 'Shit,' I thought, 'WHY do I do THAT?!'

OK, I should probably tell you, even though we all joked and called each other stuff like 'fag' or 'homo', I had NO clue what it meant. It wasn't in the film at school, and I had no idea that some guys had sex with guys instead of girls. I'd never met anyone who was gay, and didn't know a thing about it. Hell, I didn't know anything about sex until 'the film.' It was that bad!

I did notice, though, when Canyon got up on the diving board, that he still walked a bit funny, and that I couldn't see that ring anymore. But since it was hot, I was hot, and the pool looked good, we did our diving and swimming for two hours to keep on Canyon's holy schedule.

You ever swim, nonstop, for an hour? Or dive? In and out, up and down, back and forth 3; when it was time to go in for the protein shakes at 4PM, I was ready to sit down and rest! I was beat. But at least my 'quemadura del sol' wasn't any worse. Good stuff, that SPF he used?

So we dried off and went in, and Canyon started rooting around in the cabinet and fridge, both of which were packed with groceries. Hell, I don't think my mom even knew how to open a can of tuna, much less make tuna salad! As for cooking a meal, well, if not for Mrs. Swansson, I guess I'd have starved to death by age 5.

It was cool in the house, and still naked, I was shivering a little. But like he'd said, if we were out of the hot sun, the necklaces wouldn't shrink. Still, HIS had a lock on it. Mine was woven. Weird 3;

I nodded. Sure I liked it, but I'd also passed out after drinking it. But he made two drinks, right there in front of me, and I didn't see anything strange go into it.

"Hallway, first door, left," Canyon grinned, taking a drink of his shake and giving himself a foamy moustache. I smiled, it was funny. But didn't the book say a boy with no balls, like Canyon, would never grow facial hair?

"Oh, no!" Canyon flinched a little. "You might trip on those narrow steps! We're not allowed down there without Father here!"

So I went to the door he said. It was open, but the rest of them were locked. ALL of them. And for once, no mystery. It was a normal, nice bathroom.

When I got done, though, I saw that Canyon hadn't finished his drink. I just looked at mine.

"You think I put something in it while you were gone?" He looked at me with that 'face' again, and it made me feel bad – again. What WAS it with him?!

"No, I mean 3; uh 3; ," I fumbled, and YES, that was EXACTLY what I was thinking.

"Take mine, then," He switched them. "I already drank out of it, so that should be proof it's safe, Benny." Then he started drinking my full one.

We finished them off, and when I was done, my stomach felt really full and heavy.

"OH!" Canyon gasped, and he dashed outside to collect his homework. He brought it all in, and arranged it neatly on the kitchen table. "You need to put your initials on all the words you remember," He then told me.

I was surprised that I remembered so many and wrote out what they were in English. It was kinda cool, really.

Canyon clapped his hands. "Father will like that!" He just smiled, as he straightened the papers. "Come on, then, we've got pallets in the living room to lay down on." He then grabbed my hand and pulled me that way.

"What about the TV?" I yawned, and tripped over the step down into the living room. My legs were kinda wobbly, and I said something.

"Benny, when was the last time you swam for two hours in a ROW?" Canyon demanded. "Of COURSE you're shaky! You're not in the best shape, mate, you know," he added, flexing a bicep at me. "Feel that!"

"What do you do, and what do you EAT?" I had to ask, declining his offer to see my muscle, or lack thereof 3;

"Good food, lots of shakes, and I have an exercise program," Canyon explained, as we stretched out on the 'pallets', as he called them. They were warm! "If you did it with me, you could have muscles like mine!" He told me hopefully. "You want to? I'm sure it would be quite all right!"

OK, Canyon wasn't bulging like a man would be with muscles, but he was hard-looking and wiry. He just didn't look 3; soft. I thought about it, and if nothing else, if I had muscles like that 3;

"What was that?" I asked, thinking I'd seen something red flash out of the corner of my eye. But when I looked over, it was gone. Canyon just shrugged. I yawned, tried to stay awake, but I was so damn wobbly and tired and full that I couldn't.

I could have swore, right before I drifted off again, that Canyon leaned over and kissed my cheek!

"You're just the best, Benny!" He told me, and that was all I remembered until an alarm clock woke us up two hours later.

"Let's eat! I'm starving!" Canyon was yelling at me from the kitchen, while I was trying to get up off that nice, warm palette that was more comfy than my own bed. I stretched, thought I had to go the bathroom again, and told him. But again, even though I felt like I had to crap, nothing happened.

"My butt feels kinda funny," I told him, when I got back and saw him putting plates in the microwave oven.

Yeah, Canyon had a microwave. We didn't, but his was great. I mean, it could cook bacon in like two minutes with no mess! I wanted Mom to get one so bad, but 3;

I couldn't believe the meals his dad had left for us: there was meat – real meat! A steak, in fact, and green beans with mashed potatoes (that tasted funny) and butter and a bowl on the side of cold fruit and berries for dessert. "I can't eat all this!" I gasped.

"Right," I nodded, as we did that. 'Don't wanna make 'Father' mad!' I thought. "You got any pop?"

"Fizzy drinks? No!" Canyon answered me flatly. "Not allowed." But he got up and got a pitcher of water out of the fridge. It kinda tasted lemony. Why was I not surprised?!

When we were finished, I felt stuffed. Almost as heavy as I had after that shake. We cleaned up the mess, and by then, it was like 6:30.

"Now we can watch TV," Canyon reminded me, and it was back to the living room. "This isn't my normal routine, but since Father's working, and you came over, we get a break."

He then turned on the VCR and started the tape. It looked great on the big TV, but I could tell right off that it wasn't a rental movie. It looked like whoever filmed it knew what they were doing. I mean, it was a movie, but it wasn't a Hollywood one.

It started off with what looked like adults, well, college kids, maybe? I didn't know where it was filmed, but nowhere I'd ever seen. This guy and some hot girl got together, and drove his car back to their place. They had some drinks, and then 3;

"Well 3;" I just spluttered, as the woman pulled off her top and the guy started kissing her tits! I got hard at once.

"Haven't you ever seen a naughty movie before?" Canyon asked, laughing at me. "I think you like it, so far, though, Benny?" He pointed at my hard little two inches [5 cm].

"Oh my gosh," I just breathed, when the guy got naked and they started going at it. "Your dad lets you watch pornos?!"

"Sure," Canyon nodded, and I could see that he really, really didn't understand why I was upset. "He says they're very educational."

"I bet!" I smiled. "Shit, she's gonna jack him off, isn't she?" I asked, as the woman started rubbing the guy's dick. And it was huge. Not like Canyon's dad's, but it was really big, even though I only had Mr. Poore's to compare it to. And she was fingering herself!

Canyon sighed. "Yeah, she's won't make him cum, yet, though," Canyon informed me.

"Cum?" I asked, "Oh, right, 'ejaculation,'" I remembered from the film. "Won't she get pregnant if they do it, like, he puts it in her?" I asked.

"I'm sure she's on the pill," Canyon explained, as the woman started rubbing lotion all over the guy's dick. "That's where you went wrong, mate," Canyon then told me.

"Why else would your dick be a bit pink when you got over here this afternoon? You were playing with it, and you didn't use lotion, did you? Can you cum?" He then added seriously.

"N-no, I never have," I managed, my face on fire again. "I mean, I didn't know how to 3;" WHAT WAS I SAYING?!

I was watching the couple in the movie going at it, but I was listening to him. "But you do?" I said, "No wonder!"

"Eh, I've seen this one before," Canyon assured me, "It gets better, though. Hang on," he snorted, as he got up and left the room. When he came back, he had a bottle of Vazeline skin care lotion. I was watching the screen, and didn't see him just pop it open and squirt some into my hand. "Put that on your cock before you rub it raw," He said.

I looked at him. Then I looked down. Sure enough, my other hand was on my dick! "Uh, thanks?" I managed.

My little dick was so hard it was starting to hurt by the time the woman stopped. The actors got on a bed, then got into what Canyon called 'a 69 position'.

I was too distracted, though, to wonder about how Canyon knew so much about sex. Besides, he might have just been saying shit like we did. I doubted that Mary Jane Anders had ever let Scott feel her budding tits!

"Pause!" I said. Canyon hit a button. The movie stopped. "How do you know all this stuff?!"

"I knew where babies came from when I was 5," Canyon informed me. He looked sad, though, and when he touched his little dick, I saw it wasn't even hard. "I guess I won't ever make a baby, or do what that guy is doing."

"I 3; I d-dunno what to say, Canyon," I told him, feeling bad about sitting there playing with my aching hard-on while he just watched and gave advice.

"s'OK, this film is for you, anyway!" He smiled at me. "I told father I didn't think you knew shite, and he thought it would be a smashing idea if you learned!"

The woman sucked the guy's dick for like ten minutes, I think! Then he mounted her. He put his dick in her pussy. They were going to FUCK, and I was going to get to see it!

They went on and on, fucking, gasping, shouting, sweating 3; and my dick was so hard I thought it was gonna break off. It was starting to burn inside, and I thought, not now! I can't go pee now!

"Slow down," Canyon told me, as the guy pulled his dick out of her and shot his load all over her tits!

"No baby this time," Canyon shrugged, as the couple embraced, mess and all, and the screen faded to black.

"Nope, that was a man'n'woman, now it goes to woman'n'woman. Lesbians!" Canyon smiled. "They get fairly creative, too. Watch!"

The porno at Scott's didn't have lesbians in it. I guess his dad didn't like that stuff, but to me, it was just 3; I dunno what I thought! I never knew two women could do that – oral sex, like the man and woman, and kissing and sucking each other's tits. Then they did a 69. They just kept going at it, and my dick stayed hard. I was so into the movie, though, I wasn't playing with it. I was using both hands to hold myself up!

"OH 3; MY 3; GOSH!" I was just panting by then, "What is THAT?!" I pointed at the screen, where the one lady was holding what looked like a fake dick!

"Dildo, or maybe a vibrator," Canyon answered. "Women don't have penises, you know, so they use a model."

"Maybe she got paid to do it?" Canyon shrugged. "How should I know? I wasn't there!"

So the two women just kept going at it, trading places, until finally, the one being fucked by the dildo had a screaming 3;

"Yeah," I nodded, amazed. "Uhm, what's next?" I had to ask, although I thought I had an idea.

"Your dick seems interested," Canyon reminded me, as he pointed at the screen where two young men were walking down the street together, talking. It looked normal to me.

"I dunno," I fudged, but he was right – my dick was still hard, and I'd never seen it before.

"Besides, we have to watch the whole tape and not rewind it," Canyon informed me.

"Or you dad will be mad?" I supplied, as the two guys were driving to a motel somewhere.

"Well, it IS on the schedule," Canyon reminded me, as the actors started taking their clothes off, kissing, touching each other 3;

And they were built like Canyon's dad, too. Not like Scott's dad, who made you think, 'put it back on' when he took his shirt off and his beer-gut got out.

OK, to make a long story short, they sucked each others' dicks! I didn't know what the hell to think, but Canyon was just sitting there watching it like it was nothing! He was touching himself, though, finally, and I realized I was too.

Right 3; I thought. All boys my age have heard the word 'butt-fuck' before, but I never really thought guys did it!

Then the one guy got on his back, spread his legs, and leaned back some. You could see his asshole, there was hair around it, and the other guy was rubbing gel or something on it and sticking his fingers in it!

"He's got to loosen him up first, or it'll hurt him," Canyon informed me, and I glanced over to see that he finally had a hard-on!

Well, if you could call it that. I bet it wasn't even an inch, but he was rubbing that little 3; acorn 3; and biting at his lower lip.

"Don't turn it off, Benny! Please!" Canyon begged me. "I got permission for tonight for this, for YOU! I don't get to DO this very often!"

"I can't, not really, but it still feels good," Canyon replied, "Please, just watch it with me?"

"No," He told me flatly, still rubbing at his little dick and the place below it. "Being gay is a boy'n'a'boy – or a girl'n'a'girl. Straight is a guy and a girl."

"But these two guys are getting you hard? You said you hardly ever get hard?" I gasped.

"Not in a LONG time," Canyon shook his head, "No. It's hard to do when you don't have the bollocks."

On the screen, the guy on his back raised his legs more. The camera zoomed in on his asshole, shiny with lotion.

"But if you get 3; excited, watchin' this, then don't that make you gay? It means you like boys!" I said, shocked and not knowing what else to say.

"Boys have cocks and bollocks, nuts, you call 'em! I don't. I'm not a boy anymore, since they cut my mine off."

"Well, you're NOT a girl!" I choked, watching the screen again, "And neither is he! He's a guy!"

"Maybe," Canyon shrugged. "What if he has fake bollocks in that sac? I don't even get that," he added.

"Then why you watchin' it, still?" Canyon asked. "Why you still hard? You're touchin' yourself, you know?"

I moved my hand, but Canyon just shook his head and continued to try and jack off while I watched the guy on top moving his big, hard dick to the other guy's hole. He touched it, then started to push it in.

"OH 3; MY 3; GOSH!" I must have yelled, as the guy's dick slid right on into the other guy, who was just moaning. "He likes it!"

"'Course he does!" Canyon looked at me like I was stupid or something. "It feels good for him!"

OK, so we sat there and watched the smaller guy get fucked up the ass. His dick was leaking juice, even though he never touched it. He never shot cum, but a lot ran out of him while he was getting fucked and puddled up on his belly. When he was just starting to go soft, and Canyon was whimpering and getting sweaty, the other guy on TV pulled his dick out and shot his cum all over his front.

He was sweating, shaking, and when he kinda cried a little, he just stopped and laid back on the palette, flexing his legs like he was trying to take a crap or something. His little dick was soft again, shrinking up like it was before. He looked like he was trying to fuck the air, with a dick far too tiny. There wasn't any mess on him, but for the lotion on his skin.

"YOU OK?!" I yelled at him, grabbing those tough arms of his and shaking him. He had this dumb look on his face, and then he smiled at me.

"No, the one who got fucked is empty now. All his cum came out, because he was having his prostate rubbed so hard, so much," Canyon panted. "He got off, just like I did just now. Thank you, Benny," He added.

"I'm sorry," He said, so low I almost didn't hear him. "I didn't mean to. I just 3;"

"But I'm NOT a boy, remember?" He asked, and so help me, he said it so innocent, and his face was so 3; he had that look AGAIN! It was like he really believed that he wasn't a real boy.

"You're the one with the wooden dick," Canyon said back, "It was all I could do, to just do what I did. It's not like I can really cum like you can."

"C'mon, Benny, leave the tape." Canyon stopped it and left it in. "It's almost 8, and I always have a bath at 8. You need one, too, since you smell like sweat and chlorine."

"We just watched a porno together, played with our cocks, and we're naked?" He reminded me.

Canyon ran us a bath, and I hadn't paid attention to the tub when I'd gone to pee before. It was pretty big, round, and it looked like you could get three or four people in it. Canyon turned the water on, hot, and threw in some powdery stuff that smelled 3; pretty. We got cleaned up, then just sat there in the warm water. It was very soothing, that smell. I didn't know what it was, but it was good and me relax.

"You got turned on," Canyon nodded seriously. "You should have kept jackin' it, and you would have got off, I bet."

"It's not like getting off, for me," he told me, "I mean, not like a man would. I don't jerk and yell and shoot cum. I never will, I guess," he shrugged. "But there's other ways to have sex, too, you know."

"Like what?" I had to ask again, and YES, I was wondering what I was doing taking a bath with my new friend (friend?) after having just watched gay porn?! But there it was again – me not wanting to hurt his feelings. And what IF he was sick? Why did they do blood tests on him? I figured if he up and died on me, after I told him to fuck off, I'd never be able to live with myself.

"That's in another video," He told me, and then he was touching my dick under the receding water!

"If you don't do it right, you'll hurt yourself," he told me, putting some soap on his hand. "Besides, it's really cool when someone else does it."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" I asked him, as Canyon began jacking me off with his soapy hand.

"Besides, mutual masturbation is perfectly normal," he threw in. "My sex lesson said so!" OK, who was I to argue with Canyon's lesson plans?!

My balls were hurting, my dick was aching, and that burning feeling like I had to pee was back. This was the second time that Canyon had touched my dick, but he was right 3; I wasn't stopping him.

I tried, but it was no use. I was tensing up, shaking, and then my hips started to move. It was like I was trying to fuck Canyon's hand!

Then the best feeling I'd ever had came over me! It was like something had to get out, and get out BAD. And it was getting out, like an explosion inside! I really thought my dick was gonna fly off, or my head was! It felt like a balloon.

I think I screamed and fell over backwards in the tub. Good thing it wasn't full!

"You had a dry orgasm. No discharge. You ejaculated, but you're not making cum yet," He explained. "Not even precum."

"Right," I panted, as he helped me up and we toweled off. My dick was finally going limp again, pulling back, and looking really small again.

"Father!" Canyon exclaimed, dropping his towel and running out of the room. I peeked out, put the towels in a hamper, and edged my way down the hall to the living room.

Sure enough, there was Mr. Poore, and he was naked. His huge dick was hard, that gold ring shining, and he had picked Canyon up and was hugging him. Then he kissed him – on the mouth!

I had to wonder, though – what did it feel like? I never knew my dad, and watching them, it was clear enough that Canyon loved his daddy – and that Mr. Poore loved him. I mean, my mom hugged me. It wasn't like she ignored me, but when I saw them, I felt like I wanted him to hug me, too. He was just holding him, touching him, and I was 3; jealous?

"Here, sir," I said, not realizing I was moving through the living room towards them. He just ruffled my shaggy, damp, hair, though and smiled at me. Then he turned back to Canyon.

"Did you get everything done? Homework? Swimming? Dinner? Movie? Bath?" He asked in a harder tone. "Because you know I'll check!"

"Yes, sir!" Canyon said happily, showing him the stuff he'd been writing while we'd sunned for two hours, but he just took it with him.

He then went and checked the fridge, drainboard, checked the VCR tape, and checked the bathroom. Then he came back to look over 'our' homework.

"You didn't make it through the whole side of the cassette?" Mr. Poore accused him, and Canyon's eyes were filling up. He was going to cry.

"Sir!" I spoke up, and not knowing why I did it, "That's my fault! I was distracting him, asking him questions about the doctor! I thought he was sick, and 3; and I was worried. Please don't be mad at him, sir!" I thought about it for just a second, Canyon giving me a pleading look behind his dad's back, and then I said it:

"If you're going to punish him for messing up his schedule, sir, then punish me. I told him I'd take responsibility for it, if we got behind. It was MY fault, sir."

Mr. Poore then smiled, and just for a second. Then his face turned harsh. I thought he was going to throw me out of the house! He then came over and grabbed me around the shoulders, giving me a good shake and messing up my hair again.

He held me for a while, and I could still hear him saying, "I love you," to his son in that deep voice.

My stupid dick twitched again, but I ignored it. I thought I saw that red light again and looked up.

"Oh, the warning on the smoke alarm, it wants a new battery," Mr. Poore explained.

When he let go, after giving me a squeeze that forced air out of my lungs, I felt 3; deserted. Alone.

"You chose very, VERY well, Canyon," he then said to his son, and Canyon's watch beeped.

"Good grief, it's 9 already!" Mr. Poore exclaimed. "Did your bath run long, too, boys?" He asked.

"My fault, too, Mr. Poore," I held up my hand, thinking that I must be stupid, or something. I wasn't in school! "I 3; I never been in a bathroom so nice."

(And I sure as hell didn't want Canyon telling him we'd ran long in the tub because he'd jacked me off!)

"You are an exceptional, boy, Benny, do you know that?" Mr. Poore asked me, giving me a slight swat on the butt. I saw that Canyon was smiling again. "To admit what you did wrong, even though you didn't really know if there would be punishment, or even what kind? You could have just let Canyon take the blame?"

I remembered one time Scott had broken a window when were playing ball. Thrown his football right through it, and then blamed me! Mom had had to pay for it, and I got beat! I think I was 9 3; No way was I doing that to Canyon. I made a mental note to find Scott and kick his ass the next day.

"NO, sir," I shook my head, "Canyon did nothing wrong. I just wouldn't let him do his work! I never had a Spanish lesson, and it was 3; fun? Nos divertimos?"

"Well, partly, it is MY fault, too. I ran late as well, and I didn't plan to. It's now 9, and Canyon MUST go to bed at 9." He turned to his son. "You go to your room, I'll take Benny home, then come tuck you in!"

Canyon nodded and took off, but turned on his heel just past me. Then he hugged me again, and kissed my cheek!

"Goodnight, Benny!" Canyon just beamed at me. "Thank you for coming over to play!"

"There are always consequences, Benny," he then told me, as he gestured at the patio door and picked up his keyring. "You have to go home now, but I also have to get back and put Canyon to bed. I'm sorry that your haircut will have to wait. That is all my fault. Perhaps tomorrow? I don't have nearly as much work, and I'll be home all day."

"s'OK, sir," I replied, almost automatically, and not knowing why I did. Hell, I didn't WANT a haircut! But he made it sound 3; good, somehow?

He was big, and strong – and Canyon's red butt told me he didn't hesitate to give out punishments.

We walked out into the back yard, and an automatic light came on. Motion sensor, I knew. Lots of folks had them.

"Good. Glad you learned something. I only let Canyon watch educational films on TV. None of this mindless dribble about game shows or stupid cartoons!"

"I will call your mother shortly, Benny, about what punishment you should be given for your small errors in judgment today. I'm sorry, but one cannot let things like this slide!" Mr. Poore then informed me.

I ran inside my house, but thank God, mom wasn't home yet to see me coming in naked! I got a can of pop out of the fridge, opened it, then realized I had to pee – bad.

I put the pop can on the sink, raised the toilet lid to go, but then felt hot piss spraying all over my balls and running down my leg!

My dick was covered in a tight, clear, plastic tube that had it aimed down, and I was soft.

"What the fuck?!" I gasped again, realizing that pulling on the plastic tube only made my dick stretch out and hurt.

Chapter Five

Benny overhears some stuff and begins to worry. Mr. Poore invites them to dinner. Benny finds out his friend Scott has seen Mr. Poore before in town. Benny & Scott read the newspaper and find out something new.

Things were racing through my mind on the second ring, one thing after another: It had to be Mr. Poore on the line. What if Canyon told about the porno and jackin' me off? What if Mom found out the nudism? What if he told her I messed up his homework? What if she found out about the bath?

And how the hell was I going to tell her I had to go to the ER because there was a plastic tube stuck to my dick?!

"Yes he's going to bed," I heard her telling someone, "He did? Oh, I'm sorry, but I could have told you, Ben just loves Mexican food, and he actually got a B- on his report card when they were studying the Mexican/American Wars 3; the Alamo, you know? Yes, he does!" She was sounding happy. A good sign! "I'm sure he didn't mean to upset Canyon's schedule, Mr. Poore. He's been wanting one of those phonics things for Spanish ever since they came out!"

And what was THAT, me telling him to punish ME and not him? I thought about Scott again, hanging ME out to dry when HE broke the window. My mind was racing. Canyon thought that Scott needed a spanking. No – 'Scotty'. Everyone had a 'y' or 'ie' sound on the end of their name when Canyon and Mr. Poore talked.

"He's British, or used to be," I realized, and she was still listening on the phone.

"If he's not asleep yet, I'll tell him, Mr. Poore. Yes, I think it's a fine idea! I do a lot of traveling you know, and Benny's home alone a great deal. Sometimes his Aunt comes over if I'm to be gone for an extended trip, but other than that? Well, sometimes he stays over at Scott's house. Lovely woman, Mrs. Simonsen."

(Mom pronounced it like 'Sih-MOAN-zen'. It was like that kid in school with the name 'Bucket'; his mom said it was pronounced like 'bouquet.' Yeah, right 3; )

"Oh, God, not Aunt Mabel again," I groaned. See, Aunt Mabel was about 140 years old, and she smelled like powder and dead leaves. And she had blue hair. No kidding. And she always brought this nasty little Chihuahua that was really a rat-dropping-acid, who shit on the floor and pissed all over the corners of my bed if I left the door open.

Hell, Canyon's house made Scott's look like a welfare pit, and Mr. Simonson was all about home repair. We called him the hardware king.

Surely she wouldn't send me over to 3; not if they'd just moved in? Not for at least a week? Or longer? The last time she went on a trip, I had Aunt Mabel for 2½ weeks! She'd only just MET Mr. Poore last night, in person!

I touched the tube that let me SEE my dick, but not touch it. I hadn't even thought to put clothes on when I got home, and I didn't want her to see me naked! How the HELL did that thing get on me?! I tugged it again. No luck. It was stuck tight.

"I understand. No, I don't think he'll mind at all. He wanted me to get him a membership at the 'Y', you know – weight room, and such. I thought it would last about two weeks, and I'd have to drive him all the time. You do? Well how can you afford that? Oh, I'm sorry! How rude of me!"

"I'm sure he'll love it, and yes, that's fine by me! I mean, with as much as I work, who knows what he gets away with? Oh, and we'd love to come, yes! Yes, Goodnight, Mr. Poore."

"Benny, are you awake?" She asked. If I hadn't been, I would have been then. That was mom 3;

"You've had big day it seemed," and she brought in a fan. It was stuffy in there; the AC was still out. "Mr. Poore came over and looked at the AC unit. Seems you bumped the copper line with the mower yesterday and let all the freon out?"

THAT made no sense. I didn't even get close to it! There was still grass needing trimmed around the base of it! I hated hand-trimming, and always 'forgot' to do it.

"He also said that Canyon had such a good time today, and that he's so glad he's found a new friend so soon!"

"Don't talk back at me, young man!" She snapped. "Mr. Poore has invited us to dinner on Friday, and they'll be cleaning and getting ready for us all day. I'm afraid you'll have to entertain yourself tomorrow, because they'll be too busy for you to come over."

If I couldn't go back tomorrow, how was I supposed to find about the tube stuck to my dick, or worse, HOW DID I GET IF OFF ME?!

But I couldn't tell mom! Oh, shit, no! What if she called the cops, and Mr. Poore went to jail? Canyon would be in foster care, or something, wouldn't he?

My mind raced through the day again. Canyon might be 12, like I said before, but he was more like a little brother-type. In fact, he reminded me a lot of Scott's little brother, Evan. (Scott didn't know Evan was even alive, I don't think, and Evan always looked like he was about to cry for some reason.)

No, there was no way I was letting welfare take Canyon. No way could Mom find out, and call the cops. Not until I figured it all out. If anything happened to Canyon, the answers to the mysteries would go right along with him if they shipped him off – and I'd have a necklace and a tube stuck to me forever!

Mom was still blathering away: "Now, on Friday, Mr. Poore will come to collect you at 8 in the morning. BE UP! He has to leave for a bit, but he'll be back promptly. You'll have breakfast and lunch with them, and then I'll be over at 3;"

"8, for dinner," I cut in, "Because Canyon has a nap from 4-6, has his protein drink at 4, has two hours of free time at 6-8, then dinner at 8, because he has to get a bath after that and be in bed by 9."

"And don't you DARE mess up his schoolwork again!" Mom warned me. "Your punishment for that is that you've lost an hour of swim time day after tomorrow."

But still, I wouldn't know if Canyon got punished for another day 3; unless I spied on him again? And it was arranged for me to go back that next day, already?

It wasn't like I could up and tell her 'he's got a weird Army haircut, wears earrings like a girl, doesn't own clothes, has muscles no kid should, and his doctor put a cork in his butt, or something.'

I started getting hard thinking about it again, but I got a surprise! I couldn't GET hard! My trapped dick had nowhere to go, and the tube wouldn't give! And it hurt. I tried to think about something else.

"That's no way to talk about your new friend," she shook her head in disgust, "you keep that up, I'll just slap your fresh mouth!" She warned me.

The last time she ever did that was last summer when I said 'fuck' in front of her. It was when the mower wouldn't start, I remembered 3; the mower?

"I have a trip next Monday, too, so I have to work out what to do with you in the interim," she concluded, patting my full belly.

"Ooof!" I grunted. God, I was full. I hadn't eaten like that since Christmas at Aunt Mabel's. (The only good thing about her, she could cook! Wish Mom had spent more time with her growing up!)

She'd made it to the doorway when I heard her say to herself, "I just can't impose on that man already! What WILL he think?" She was mumbling on down the hall. "Copper tubing, repair bill, stupid boy 3;"

I laid there in the dark, the fan blowing warm air on me, and threw the sheet off. It was stuffy in that room. I got up and looked out the window.

On impulse, I opened my window and threw an old practice baseball down and over the fence. The motion lights came on.

I waited until the light from the crack under mom's door went out. Then I pulled on a pair of shorts, got my flashlight, and tip-toed out the back door.

Yeah, the last thing I wanted was for old Mr. or Mrs. Smith, to see me out in the yard in the middle of the night, naked.

I sneaked around the AC unit, shined the light, and sure enough, the copper tubing was ruptured.

I army-crawled on my belly over to the fence, shutting off my flashlight at once. I peeked through a knothole, and there he was – sitting at the patio table having a tall drink. He was naked, of course, and the cat was rubbing on his leg. He had a cordless phone, too. I watched him for a while, then the phone rang once. He had the volume turned way down.

"Hello, Leon! How are you?" He was saying. "No, the job went fine. Took longer than I wanted, but the client should be thrilled. What? Oh no, a month-at most. It takes time to recover, you know. Yes, in fact I do! Canyon's made a new little friend, right next door in fact! What? Oh my, yes, he's a wonderful boy if I do say so!" Mr. Poore started going on.

"He's 12, and somewhat underdeveloped. Not a hair on him, except for his head. Shaggy little cub, I tell you. I was going to trim him up tonight, but I ran long at work. What? Oh yes, it was amazing! Canyon invited him over, just like I knew he would! Devious little scamp, isn't he? Well, you know how he loves company, Leon. I know, it broke his heart to have to move here, but it was getting too tight back there. Oh, thanks again for finding us this house! How IS the real estate business these days, old boy?"

OK, Mr. Poore was sitting out late, having a drink, and telling someone in real estate by the name of Leon that I was underdeveloped and didn't have any body-hair? What the hell?!

"That good? Smashing!" Mr. Poore said, after listening a while. "This place was certainly a steal, and this huge basement, what? Took us months to fix it up, it's so enormous! Say, Leon, can you call Bob? I need a section of copper tubing for a Trainne AC until, Model II? Yes, the main freon tubing. Our neighbor boy seems to have had a rupture!" He then laughed.

"That long? Sold out, you say? Poor child. His mother's going out of town next week, though, and if it hits 90F [32°C] here, what with all this miserable American humidity, he's going to be suffering, I'm certain. What? Yes, I did. She didn't say. Thinks she's imposing. I am! I'm having them over for dinner day-after. I know, can you send something of Tyrone's over for Canyon to wear? Something in white? Perhaps something angelic, maybe from the wedding Shoppe, in satin? Oh, and tailor it up-size a bit? We want to look our best, and I don't think Benny's mum would take well to a nude dinner party!"

I just listened. Mr. Poore was new in town, but he knew a 'Leon' in real estate. That had to be the Millennium 22 place downtown, I thought. And 'Bob'? There were several hardware stores within driving distance, I knew from Scott's dad. Surely there was a 'Bob' in one of them – a 'Bob' with AC parts. But how did Mr. Poore know what model we had, and what part we needed?

"Because he scoped it out when he came over and bashed the line," I thought. Then I got another chill. The forecast called for unseasonable heat and humidity, and the power companies were gearing up for increased AC use. "He came over and knocked out our AC unit, right before Mom's trip?" I wondered. "And the part isn't in stock? Sold out?"

Scott's dad was always griping that the hardware store took two weeks to get a special order part in, too. It looked like no AC for me for two weeks, then. "And my aunt sure won't come if the AC won't work!" I realized. That was sort of a relief, but things were sure beginning to look like a set-up.

"What? Oh no, they all work days. Hardly a parent home around here. Of course they're all over-extended on money! It's not like they take in a quarter-a-pop! It's just a perfect spot, Leon! You do your job so well. Oh, yes, they're everywhere. Tell me, old boy, how's Kim getting along with his new little playmate?"

"Well, I don't expect him to be too active yet, goodness, no!" He paused. "Yes, I agree. Shame about his parents. I can't believe the things that the system here lets people get away with. Filth! Lice, you say? Pity. Well, he's better off then, idn't he? Spoil him rotten, and he sure as hell won't wish to go back, I say!" He paused again. "Yes, I think it's just the novel thing to do. He'll have such a better lifestyle now!"

I started thinking, since Mr. Poore was now just nodding his head and listening, sipping his drink.

There was a 'Leon' in real estate, and a 'Bob' in hardware. Leon apparently had a boy named 'Tyrone'. Sounded like a black name to me, and there weren't any 'Tyrone's' in my school, I was sure. Sure, there were black kids around, but our school was small enough that you pretty much knew names. And Tyrone or Kim had a new playmate? But WHO was Tyrone?

Mr. Poore listened for a while, then got up. My heart almost stopped – he bent down and picked up the baseball! Then he went back inside, taking my ball with him.

I waited for the motion lights to go off, then crawled over to the back door. I eased it open, crawled in, slid the drapes shut, and went into my garage, just off the kitchen. I turned the flashlight on and shined it where I'd left the mower.

I shined the light around, and saw it just a couple feet from where I'd left it.

I woke up around 3:30, and my stomach was cramping. I had pains that were talking to me, and I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. OK, I'll just say this much – I dropped a load like I'd never had before! It was like I gave birth, or something, and I had to get the plunger out and flush twice. It took half a roll of toilet paper to get the sticky stuff off me, too. And pissing? That damn tube stuck to me needed a bigger hole, I think, because it backed up and I could feel it inside. Gross! That, and my butt was sore when I finally got it clean. "Fuckin' high fiber, I guess," I muttered, as I flushed it the second time. My belly had sure deflated, though! But God, what a dinner! I never had a bowel movement like that.

"Oh, man," I groaned, realizing that I'd just flushed the evidence. It must have come off when I'd been sitting on the stool. So now, if I confronted Canyon about it, he could easily deny knowing. Thing was, WHEN had it gotten put on me? There was NO way you could glue a tube to someone's dick without him knowing, and it had to happen after the bath, but before I got home. It made no sense.

Still, I was glad that it was off, and my dick seemed to be, too. It stood right up when I touched it, pulled it a bit. I rubbed it a little, but by the time I got back to my room, it had gone soft again.

I went back to bed. I would have tried to jack myself off, but I didn't know what half the stuff in the cabinet was, or if it was even safe to use as lube, and I didn't want it red again. After all, Canyon had told me I was doing it wrong, and Canyon seemed to know everything!

I got up the next morning, hard as usual, and went to pee. It was great standing there to do it too! Mom was already gone, since I slept in until like 10. I went for my shorts, saw the grass and stains all over them, and threw them in the hamper. I got another bright blue pair, put on some white socks, and grabbed a hot pink OP sleeveless T. I grabbed my tennis shoes, pushed my socks down, and didn't tie the shoes. Nobody tied their high tops back then, remember, and colored strings? Yeah, it was a fashion nightmare, but we were in style!

Thinking I'd grab a granola bar at the little gas station around the bend, and a pop, I grabbed some change and jumped on my bike to head over to Scott's. I needed to know some stuff, and Scott would know.

I found him tinkering around the garage, trying to fix the brakes on his bike. He had grease on his hands, and his dishwater-blond hair was a mess. He didn't have a shirt on, just shoes and jeans.

"Gotta have a dick first," he grinned, then he held up his arm. Of course, he flexed it. I thought Canyon could break this idiot in half if he wanted to. "Dude, check it out! I got another hair!"

"What's that make, 3?" I asked, leaning in to look. Sure enough, he did have another one. It was a big deal, you know – armpit hairs. I had to do it! I reached up fast, and yanked it out! "Now you're back to 2!"

"Look," I changed the subject, "You wanna ride up and get something at The Shack?"

"Got money?" Scott asked. I nodded. The mooch. "Guess I can make it with 1 brake," he decided, "I gotta tell mom."

"Sick," Scott said, "But I think she's lyin'. Got paid sick days, and she's all freaked out over that kid missing in Leavitstown."

OK, Leavitstown was on the other side of the county, and it was like "the wrong side of the tracks", you know, tracks and all. Most of the bums and scuds lived over there. You could always tell a Leavitstown kid by their clothes, or their smell. Some of them went to our school, but mostly the Jr. Hi. They had their own elementary.

"They found his shoes, tied together and throwed up, hangin' over a power line down by the mall," Scott informed me. "Weird thing is, they were clean?"

"Who messes with puttin' ratty old tennies in the washer, then tosses 'em?" Scott wondered, as he yelled in at his mom – "We're gonna run to the shack!"

OK, the Shack was a little gas station with three pumps about a half-mile down from our housing complex. It was around a bend in the highway, and it was like a grocery store and a gas station had had a baby, you know? Not like convenience stores today, but it was getting there.

"You be back in 20 minutes, or I'm calling the police!" Scott's mom yelled back.

While we were biking it up there, I asked Scott about the hardware stores. "You know anyone named Bob who works at one?"

"Bob 3; Bob 3; Bob 3; over at Gillin's. Been there?" I shook my head. "You wouldn't be, I guess. You gotta go sometime, they got all this cool shit! Anyway, I think Bob's a fag. Kinda, you know?" He waved his wrist, letting it go limp.

Scott overreacted and spilled it. That was another thing to do, too – make each other crash. Great fun.

"Like you got a big enough target to find!" Scott snorted. "When you gonna have your sex-change operation, anyway?"

When we got there, he pointed to a newspaper rack. "See? There is it – Ronnie T. King, black kid, missing since April 2."

I picked up the paper and read it, absently handing Scott the change so he could go get two pops and two bars.

"Asshole," I said loud enough for the clerk to hear. I stuffed the paper in the back of my shorts, and we went outside to eat. As luck would have it, Scott saw a dollar bill blow by. "There's two more!" He exclaimed, and I was surprised he bought us candy bars.

"No," I lied, "But mom talked to his dad on the phone. We're having dinner with them tomorrow."

"I think he's been sick, mom said," I told him. No WAY was I telling him all the weird shit going on so far! "He's home-schooled."

"Oh," Scott nodded. "Well, yeah," he tried to sound like he knew all about it. That was Scott for you.

"Yeah, and he's got the bucks, too! We saw him at Gillin's Hardware when they moved in. Bought shit like you wouldn't believe! In there every day. He must have gutted that house? Dad wanted to help, but he said no. Guy's fuckin' built, ain't he?" Scott seemed impressed.

"Bought a water heater, fridge from Sanders' place next door, huge-ass TV, and all this pipe and shit from Gillin's. He must be remodeling something big! And tools, too. You're right, the kid must be sick."

"Dad saw a receipt he dropped, fell out of his wallet when he was paying. He's got a Gold Card!" Scott sounded impressed even more. "From Myers' Pharmacy. Dad said it had shit like 'tubing' and 'vitamins', protein drink shit, lotta that."

"He still got it?" I asked. That explained a lot, too. Protein drink shit, vitamins? But tubing? What was he building in that basement? Another apartment?

"Take this to your neighbor, he just phoned it in, with a tip!" The happy clerk said. "Hell, nobody tips! And he said to give you these." He handed us two more bottles of pop, and two of those super high-energy protein bars with fake chocolate. The expensive kind.

That made me wonder, how did Mr. Poore know I was here, and how did he know that Scott was with me?

"Let's go take it to him, maybe we'll get a look at what he's buildin'!" Scott suggested.

I doubted that, somehow. After being trapped there yesterday, I doubted if Mr. Poore would let Scott even peek in the front door.

I didn't know what Canyon's schedule had him doing at 12, but I thought it would probably be lunch. We walked up and rang the doorbell.

"No, he's home," I said, and sure enough, before Scott could hit the bell again, the door opened. I handed him the sealed bag.

"How's the garage door?" Mr. Poore asked Scott, as if trying to find something to say instead of just what his expression did – 'leave'!

"It's good, he got if fixed. Hey! Dad was asking if you needed any help?" Scott offered.

"No, we're quite all right," Mr. Poore replied, giving me a nod. "I'd invite you in, but my son is having physical therapy right now." He appraised Scott again. "Work on those pecs, boy," he suggested, with a wink at me.

I blinked at him. What the heck was that? Knowing how Canyon was built, I figured he was busy working out – and couldn't have his routine interrupted for anything.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, boys, I'm sure? I have a fussy water pipe that I must tend to!" He then closed the door. Then he stuck his head back out. "Watch the language, please? Or you could find your mouths washed out with soap!"

"Thanks?" Scott said to the door. "Damn, he's built!" Scott pointed out, "I bet he could be a wrestling star if he wanted! Maybe he is!" Scott snapped his fingers, "But he made the cash, and retired?"

But still – how did Mr. Poore know that we said things like 'shit' and 'fuck' to each other a lot? Canyon didn't talk like that to him, and he didn't have any other boys around that did.

So we went back to Scott's to do that. When we went in, his mom was hysterical that we were five minutes late. AND she was on the phone 3;

"No, officer, they've just walked in! What? Why of all the 3; !" She slammed the phone down and untangled herself from the cord. "The nerve of him!" She yelled. "Did you know they won't even LOOK for you until it's been 24 hours?"

"Mom," Scott tried to say, but she shoved him towards the living room. "To your room, and don't come out until I say so!" Then she rounded on me. "Your mother 3; leaving you alone all day, what with kids disappearing right and left 3;"

I biked it back home, and went in to study that story about Ronnie King again. As I read it, I saw the poor kid had it rough. Mom and dad both with arrest records, drugs, mainly, and Ronnie in and out of temporary foster care a couple times. I went to the fridge and got a can of pop. I put it down on the paper, right on top of Ronnie's picture, but I did a double-take.

I went to the end table in the living room and got the phone book out for the yellow pages.

"Hello, can I speak to Leon, please?" I asked the secretary of 'Land One'. "No? 'K, sorry, wrong number."

TNNB

The New Neighbor Boy

Summary

Characters

Category & Story codes

Disclaimer

Author's note

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five