by Coyan Hyde

(This story will probably make more sense if you read "Visit to the Clinic" first. If it doesn't, I'm sorry.)

Brian Cohen stood by his locker wearing only a pair of gym shorts. Unlike most of the other boys on this first day of middle school, he wasn't embarrassed to be naked in front of his whole class--and the gym teacher. He often went naked at home, in front of his family. Even his best friend, Lauren, had seen him naked more times than he could count--and she was a girl.

Brian was afraid of the strange room with all the big, vertical, stainless steel pipes running through it. From this distance, it looked like some mad scientist's laboratory, and Brian wasn't interested in becoming someone's lab rat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Brian saw the naked white butt of his friend Larry. Larry had started towards the strange room but had stopped half way. He was now looking back at Brian for support.

Before his nerve gave out, Brian shucked his shorts, tossed them into his locker, and set off after Larry, towel in hand. They were the first two boys to approach the shower room.

Brian heaved a sigh of relief. Upon closer inspection, the stainless steel pipes looked just like the multiple-head showers he used at the beach. This was no big deal, he thought to himself.

He hung up his towel on one of the hooks, turned on the water, and was happy to find that it was warm. Larry, looking a lot less nervous, himself, joined him.

Brian had told himself that he was just going to shower quickly and get out of there because he didn't want to risk being called a fag for checking out the other boys in the shower; however, curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't resist taking a look at Larry's boy parts.

Like Brian, Larry had a stubby little penis that stuck straight out from his body about an inch. Beneath his knob, Larry had a loose flap of darker skin--again, just like Brian. As other boys entered the shower, Brian was relieved to see that they were all, more or less, just like Larry and himself. Except for Richard.

Richard's penis looked as if someone had pulled on it and stretched it until it was almost three inches long! The flap of skin beneath his penis was swollen to half the size of his fist. Brian wondered if Richard had had some kind of accident.

"Take a picture: It'll last longer!"

Brian turned several shades of red at having been caught staring at Richard's boy parts, but when he looked up at Richard's face, he saw a smile.

"Too bad about that last goal," Richard said, nonchalantly. "I thought we were going to win."

"Yeah...oh, right! Well, better luck, next time." Brian had already forgotten about the game.

"Coach is gonna turn the water off on us, soon, if we don't hurry."

"Really?"

"I think he was in the navy, or something. 'Two minutes!' is what he always says."

As if on cue, the boys heard the coach shout, "Two minutes! You men have other classes to get to!"

Brian and Richard both laughed together.

"How did you know?"

"Coach runs the swim team, over the summer."

"You're on the swim team?"

"Hello?" Richard bellowed, holding his arms in a muscle pose, then framing his muscular chest and abdomen with his hands. "Do you think I got this ripped from picking my nose?" The last part was drowned out by a fit of uncontrolled laughter from both boys.

"Knock it off, in there!" came the coach's voice. Richard hurriedly washed the soap off his body just as the water trailed to a drip.

"Told you!"

Ten minutes later, Brian wormed his way through the maze of crowded hallways and found his science class. He was happy to see that Richard was there and that there was an empty seat next to him.

"Hey!"

"Hey, yourself!"

"Is anyone sitting there?"

Richard inspected the stool carefully, bending over to place his eyes inches from the seat. He then sat up and said, "Unless the Invisible Man has taken a sudden interest in earth science, I think this one's free."

Brian had already decided that he liked Richard. He was like the older brother that Brian wished he had. Even though he was Brian's age, Richard was a head taller and had the muscular body of a teenager.

Brian still had the nondescript body of a little boy: flat chest, skinny arms and legs, and just a hint of baby fat persisting on his belly. Which was precisely why Richard was attracted to him.

From the moment he saw Brian getting undressed in the locker room, Richard knew he wanted to get to know him. He wanted to believe that it was because Brian was like the little brother he had always wanted, but his stiffening penis told him that there was more to it than that.

Richard turned to conceal the growing bulge in his pants. (It was starting to do that more and more frequently.) Fortunately, the bell rang, and he could pretend to be interested in what the teacher was saying.

Friday evening, Richard found himself standing at the front door to Brian's house. He didn't like the term "sleepover"--it seemed too babyish--but he couldn't turn down an opportunity to spend the night with Brian.

Richard was surprised when a beautiful young woman answered the door: She looked way too young to be Brian's mother. They both seemed to realize simultaneously that they were checking each other out. Richard turned red; the young woman just smiled.

"So...I'm guessing you're Richard. I'm Stephanie, Brian's sister."

Richard unconsciously adjusted his penis in his shorts. It was confusing being attracted to little boys and teenaged girls. Richard was quickly learning firsthand how much trouble could be caused by two, small orbs.

"Do you want to come in, or are you okay gawking at me from the doorway?"

Richard turned a deeper shade of red. He was going to have to work on talking to girls without spazzing out. He didn't want his parents to regret their decision.

"Sorry," he said, sheepishly, as he stepped into the house.

"That's okay. It's nice when a cute boy shows a little interest--not many do, these days--but I'm nineteen, so don't even think about asking me out, or anything."

Richard felt his face grow even warmer. He was looking for an opportunity to escape, but Stephanie was having too much fun to let him get away easily.

"I take it you still have all your equipment because it seems to be working properly." She nodded to the now-obvious bulge in his shorts. Richard slipped his backpack off of his shoulder and held it in front of him.

"Um...Is Brian here?" Richard asked, hopefully.

"Yeah. He and his little friends are in the family room, but wouldn't you like to sit on the couch with me, for a little while?"

Richard liked that idea very much, but he also knew it could lead to some serious trouble, so he said, "Thanks. Maybe later," as he quickly walked past Stephanie without looking at her.

In the family room, Richard was pleasantly surprised to see a naked Brian; Larry and another boy were wearing only boxers.

"Richard!" Brian sprung off the ground and pounced on him. Richard staggered, but managed to stay on his feet as Brian crawled onto his back.

"Richard, that's Joey," Brian said, pointing with one arm as he wrapped the other around Richard's neck.

"Yeah, uh, I think I've seen you around school. Hey."

Joey nodded.

Richard tried to turn his head so he could see Brian but quickly realized that it was impossible with the boy clinging to his back, so he dropped his backpack and rolled Brian over his shoulder and onto the couch he was standing next to.

Brian beamed, and before Richard could say anything, announced, "You have to strip! It's guys' night, so we can't wear anything except underwear."

"What about you?"

"Brian always goes naked, at home," Larry explained.

"Yeah," Joey added. "He doesn't care who sees him starkers!"

Richard liked the idea, so without hesitation, he pulled his shirt off, then sat down next to Brian to remove his shoes and socks. Fortunately, his stiffy had gone away. As he stood to remove his shorts, an evil grin came to his face.

"If this is guy's night, why don't we all get 'starkers'? I mean, me, Brian, and Larry see each other naked every day in gym class. Joey, all the guys in your class have seen you naked, right?"

"Yeah! Come on, guys!" Brian encouraged.

Richard stood with his thumbs hooked in the waistband of his boxers, glancing back and forth between Joey and Larry. "Come on! Don't be chicken shit!"

Larry and Joey gave each other an uneasy look, then Larry stood up and pulled off his boxers. Joey hesitated, but he quickly gave in to the pressure of the stares from the other three boys.

Richard was surprised by Joey's boy package. His penis was barely longer than Brian's or Larry's--maybe two inches--but beneath it were two, round marbles held closely to his body but clearly visible in their loose sack.

Joey's eyes widened when Richard lowered his underwear.

"He's big, isn't he?" Brian remarked to Joey.

"He's almost as big as my dad," Larry commented.

Brian's face screwed up. "How do you know how big your dad is?"

"We used to shower together when I was little. Haven't you ever showered with your dad?"

"No way!"

Richard and Joey remained silent. They were both still studying each other's boy parts. Finally, Richard said, "Hmm. I didn't think you'd still have your balls. I thought you'd be like the others."

"What do you mean?" Brian asked.

"I thought Joey would be pricked, like you and Larry."

"Pricked?" Larry asked, suddenly concerned that he had been left out of something that everyone else already knew.

"Yeah, you know: Most boys have their balls pricked before middle school. They shrivel up and disappear. That's why I'm the only one in our gym class who has any. Mine haven't been pricked."

"I still have balls," Brian whined. "They just pulled back up inside my body." Larry gave an approving nod.

"You're shittin' me, right? You guys don't know?"

Brian and Larry answered with blank looks.

"They didn't pull back up inside of you! They shriveled up and went away. That's why your dicks don't get hard anymore."

Brian considered what Richard was saying. He hadn't ever really thought about it, but he couldn't remember the last time he had gotten a stiffy. It used to happen a lot when he was eight, and then...

"Do they stick needles in your balls?"

"Yeah, that's why it's called 'getting pricked.'"

"When I was eight, my mom took me to the clinic, and the doctor stuck needles in my balls. She said it was just a vaccine--like for the flu." Larry remembered a similar trip he had made with his mother two years ago.

"Right!" Richard said, sarcastically. "A vaccine against pregnancy!"

"But boys don't get pregnant!" Larry chimed in, beginning to resent that perhaps someone had deliberately kept him in the dark about something so very important.

"No, but girls do when they fool around with boys, so the boys get the vaccine and the girls get the protection." Richard laughed at the joke his father had told him.

Larry and Brian fell silent. It was a lot to take in, but it made a lot more sense than what they had previously believed.

Joey was curious about why he hadn't been pricked, and hoped that Richard could shed some light on the matter. "How come you weren't pricked?"

"I'm an only child. Usually, only boys with sisters get pricked, unless there's only boys in the family, then one of them gets to keep his balls--usually, it's the oldest."

"But I have two sisters!" Joey argued, then added, hopefully, "Maybe you're wrong."

"Well, if you have sisters, I'm surprised you haven't been pricked, yet. Usually, parents have it done when you're little, so you won't miss 'em."

"How do you know so much about it?"

"My parents told me all about it years ago. They said they only ever wanted one child, and they hoped it would be a girl. When I was born, they were a little disappointed, at first. They thought about trying to have a girl, but they really only wanted one kid.

"As I grew up, they said they were really proud of me. I learned fast, I was good at sports, and I did well in school. They were really happy with how I was turning out, so they gave up on having a girl.

"They told me all about how boys start getting into trouble with girls around ten or twelve years old. They told me how a boy's balls can kinda make him crazy. They said if I worked hard to control myself, and if I continued to do well in school and sports, I could keep my balls and maybe someday, when I'm grown up, I can help women have babies. They said I'd be 'in high demand,' but I'm not really sure what they meant by that part."

Brian, Larry, and Joey silently pondered the flood of information they were receiving. Bits and pieces of conversations they had all overheard suddenly started to make sense to them. Somehow, they knew Richard was right.

"That still doesn't explain why I haven't been pricked."

"I don't know, but Coach Mason was checking out all the boys in our gym class. I think the school sends home a letter, or something."

Joey's face suddenly went white. He spun around and ripped open his backpack. He tossed out his swimsuit, cell phone, and a pile of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before finding the letter. He held it up for Richard to see. It was addressed "To the parents of Joseph Lindquist."

Richard took the letter from Joey and inspected the flap. Part of it was sticking up. He pried gently but immediately realized that it was going to tear. Larry took the letter from him.

"I'll open it. My sisters do it all the time."

Larry charged towards the kitchen with the other boys following right behind.

"We need a kettle."

Brian opened one of the cabinets and produced a kettle. Larry filled it with water and put it on the stove. The boys waited anxiously for the water to boil.

When the kettle started whistling, Stephanie called from the living room, "What are you rug rats doing in there?"

"Making hot chocolate," Brian squeaked.

"Well, I just ordered pizza. It should be here in about twenty minutes, so don't go stuffing your faces with junk!"

It looked a lot easier when his sisters did it, but Larry managed to get the letter open without ripping the paper badly enough that anyone would notice--or so he hoped. They ran back to the family room and huddled around Joey as he read it.

Dear Parents,

Middle school is a difficult time for most boys. Their world is growing exponentially, and they are presented with many new challenges and opportunities. Unfortunately, not all of these opportunities are good ones. It's all too easy for a maturing boy to find himself pressured by urges he simply cannot control.

In these modern times, it's no longer necessary for boys to suffer the kind of anguish to which boys of previous generations were subjected. Neutering your boy is a simple, compassionate step that you can take to help ensure that he leads a happy, productive life, free from the distractions that can send him down the wrong path.

Most parents choose to have their boys neutered during their pre-teen years, before they become too attached to the source of so many problems. In middle school, your boy is exposed to a lot of information that we, the administrators, cannot control. If he hasn't already, your boy will quickly learn that he is different from most other boys, and he will become reluctant to submit to what was, for them, a simple, routine procedure. Once puberty starts, his reluctance will grow even stronger, often leading to a parent/child battle that can gravely disrupt your family.

As a service to parents, on the date listed below, Dr. Morgan, of the County Health Department, will be offering free neuterings for all sixth-grade boys who have yet to receive this important health benefit.

Please contact the school at your earliest convenience to discuss this opportunity.

"There's no way my mom's getting this letter!"

"She'll find out, anyway," Richard warned, then he offered Joey some hope, "Maybe your parents have already decided to let you keep your balls."

"I guess I should be mad, or something," Brian added, "But I didn't even know that I didn't have balls, anymore. I just thought they had pulled up inside me. I guess it's not as big of a deal as it sounds."

Larry felt better when he heard Brian say that. He was right: Larry didn't know, either, and it hadn't made any difference to him. Why should Joey worry about it?

"Yeah, Joey. Brian and I are just fine. You'll be okay, too."

The pizza arrived and helped to distract the boys from the cause of their sullen mood. The ensuing night of video games, popcorn, wrestling, and sometimes all three simultaneously put it out of their minds entirely.

Late that night (or very early the next morning, to be precise), Joey lay awake in his sleeping bag--tired, but unable to go to sleep. He clutched his testicles in one hand and his stiff penis in the other. He wanted to stroke himself, but he was afraid he would wake one of the other boys, and they would discover what he was doing. That would be way too embarrassing.

He thought about what Richard had said about how a pricked boy's dick wouldn't get hard, anymore. He had just, this summer, discovered how pleasurable it was to stroke it when it got stiff. He had done it almost every night, since. He wondered if it would feel just as good if he didn't have balls.

Richard was lying awake, too. He also held his stiff cock in his hand and wanted to stroke it, as well, but he was worried for a different reason. He had borrowed the sleeping bag from Brian. If he made a mess in it, Brian's parents might find out and tell his parents.

Brian and Larry couldn't sleep, either. Both boys carefully probed the hollow space above the loose skin that once held their testicles, half-hoping to discover that their testicles really were just hiding up inside their bodies, but each boy soon accepted the truth.

Eventually, exhaustion overcame them all.

Joey woke to the smell of bacon and maple syrup. He stumbled over Richard's body and staggered into the kitchen where Brian and Larry were already stuffing their faces with pancakes.

"You ready for some breakfast, sleepyhead?" Brian's mother asked in a way-too-cheerful voice. Joey grunted and looked for an empty chair.

He was awake enough to notice Brian's mother glance at his boy parts then whisper something to her husband. Joey had forgotten that he was naked. He covered himself with his hands and quickly sat down.

He had been taught that it was rude to whisper in front of people, but adults seemed to do it to kids all the time. He caught something about "call," but missed the rest. His growling stomach and a plate full of pancakes stopped any further consideration of what she might have said.

Monday morning, Joey went looking for his backpack. He was sure he hadn't left it at Brian's house. He walked into the kitchen to ask his mother if she had seen it and found her stuffing his lunch into it.

"'Morning, sweetie! How 'bout I drive you to school, this morning?"

Joey looked at his mother suspiciously. He hated when she used that voice with him.

"Uh, that's okay, Mom. I don't mind walking."

"It looks like it rained, last night. I'll drive you, in case it starts raining, again."

Joey got even more worried when his mother parked the car instead of just dropping him off at school.

"That's okay, Mom. I can find my way to class. I've been doing it for a whole week, now." Joey did his best to sound as annoyed as possible.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to walk you to class. I just need to talk to Mr. Stoddard about your schedule."

Mr. Stoddard was the guidance councilor, though Joey didn't understand what kind of "guidance" he was supposed to provide. He had met him at registration. He had harrumphed at Joey's schedule, then signed it without further comment. The encounter had lasted all of fifteen seconds.

"But Mom!" Joey drew out the "Mom" part in a pathetic whine. "There's nothing wrong with my schedule! I like the classes I have, I like my teachers, and my friends are all in my classes!"

"I just want to make sure you're getting what you need. Don't worry!"

Joey knew that when adults say, "Don't worry," that's when kids need to worry the most. He stomped off towards his first class. Half way there, he stopped suddenly and frantically searched through his backpack. The letter was gone! He knew he should have shredded it.

Fortunately, Brian was in his pre-algebra class.

"Dude! You gotta help me! I'm dead!"

"What are you talking about?"

"My mom found the letter, and she's in Stoddard's office, right now, talking to him!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I gotta skip school, today. How does that work?"

"How should I know? I've never skipped before! Besides, Dr. Morgan isn't coming until Friday, so you should be safe until then."

"Right! My mom might decide to yank me out of class and take me down to that clinic, today!"

"I don't know what you're so worried about. Larry and I are just fine."

"Nothing against you and Larry, but I don't want to lose my balls, okay? You gotta help me!"

Brian thought for a moment. The only idea he had wasn't very good. "If your mom comes for you, I'll fake throwing up, and you can break for the door."

He had intended it as a serious suggestion, but Joey didn't take it that way. "Thanks, a lot, friend!" He emphasized the last word.

The bell rang, and Brian turned his attention toward algebra. Joey didn't.

By lunch time, Joey was convinced that he was safe--at least for the day. He questioned every boy he knew in the cafeteria--and their friends, as well. He even got yelled at by Mrs. Smith for being out of his seat. It was all a waste because everyone either gave him a puzzled look or told him it was no big deal.

He wanted to talk to Richard--Richard seemed to know everything--but Richard wasn't in any of his classes, and he didn't really know him that well.

He settled for talking to Brian, again, after school. He walked home with him and joined him in his swimming pool. Maybe some laps would clear his mind and help him to think.

Brian had an idea. It wasn't what Joey was looking for, but it was the best he could do.

"Remember on Saturday, when you didn't want to go skinny dipping with the rest of us? We talked you into it, and you had fun. Now look at you: You didn't even think twice about stripping off and jumping into the pool with me!"

Joey had to look down to confirm that he was, in fact, naked. He had been so wrapped up in his problem that he hadn't given any thought to not having a bathing suit with him. He had just shed his clothes and dove into the pool.

"What's your point?"

Brian sighed. "You made a big deal over skinny dipping, then it turned out to be nothing. Now, you're making a big deal over this pricking thing, and you're gonna find out that it's not a big deal, either."

Well, that kind of made sense, but there had to be something wrong with it.

"You're talking about swimming; I'm talking about losing my balls. Hello? Not the same thing!"

"Who's talking about losing whose balls?"

Joey spun around in the water to determine the source of the question. It was Lauren--Brian's best friend since kindergarten. A girl! He became very aware that he was now naked in front of a girl! A very pretty girl. A very pretty girl in a tight tank top that showed off her budding breasts and a pair of shorty shorts that left her tan legs bare all the way down to her bare feet.

Joey felt a stiffy coming on and wondered how well Lauren could see into the water. He almost choked when she pulled off her shirt, and he caught a glimpse of her nipples before she straightened the bikini top she had on underneath. He knew she must have bikini bottoms on under her shorts, but his heart still jumped when she wiggled out of them.

Lauren smiled at him, and his face flushed. Caught!

"You mean you haven't been pricked, yet, Joey?"

Joey didn't like the "yet" part.

"How do you know about that?" Brian asked, accusingly.

"Coach Lindley gave us girls a talk on the first day of school. As soon as she explained it, I knew right away why you stopped trying to stick your dinky--sorry--'penis' in me and why I couldn't see your balls, anymore. I always wondered about that."

Lauren swam over to Joey. "So, do you mind if I check you out? I haven't seen a pair since Brian and I were eight."

Without waiting for an answer, she reached between Joey's legs and grabbed his balls. Joey instinctively pulled away, but he couldn't escape without hurting himself.

"Hey!"

Lauren ignored his protests and grabbed his penis with her other hand.

"Wow! I haven't seen a stiff one since then, either."

Joey put his hands on Lauren's shoulders to try to push her away, but as soon as he did, he found that he didn't really want her to go away, anymore. Her shoulders were soft--just like her hands. Once his initial panic had passed, he realized that he was actually enjoying her touch.

He gently caressed her shoulders, then instinctively started humping her hand. Lauren recognized the motion, giggled, then pushed off the bottom of the pool and swam several feet away from Joey.

"Oh, no. I know all about that! I never let Brian put his penis inside of me, and I'm not letting you, either!"

Joey was simultaneously confused and frustrated.

"That's why boys have to be pricked: They can't help themselves. Are you having it done this Friday?"

Her question helped deflate Joey's penis and reminded him why he was here.

"Not if I can stop it! Brian's helping me figure out a way."

Brian shrugged his shoulders and returned Lauren's questioning look with one of his own.

"It's no big deal, Joey," Lauren said.

If one more person told him that...

"Brian's cool, and he doesn't have any balls."

That comment reminded Brian that he was a little upset with Lauren.

"How long have you known that, Lauren?"

"I just figured it out, last Monday. Until then, I believed what you said about them going back up inside of you. I take it you just figured it out, too, huh?"

Brian nodded, his anger at Lauren passing as quickly as it had risen.

Lauren swam back over to Joey and grabbed his boy parts, again. She hadn't known she held so much power over boys, and it was fun watching the effect she had on Joey. Coach Lindley had warned the girls about that, too.

She rolled Joey's balls around. They felt about the same size that she remembered Brian's being. It took less than a dozen tugs before his penis stiffened, again. She stroked him until he started humping, then swam away from him. She looked closely at his face. She wasn't sure what she saw, but it was both a little scary and a little exciting.

When he looked a little calmer, she swam back to him. His penis was still stiff. She had only stroked it a few times when Joey wrapped his arms around her, pulled her towards him, and started humping his stiffy between her legs. It was a good thing she had a bikini on because she couldn't pull away from him.

She struggled against him, but it lasted less than twenty seconds. Joey pressed his body hard against hers and grunted loudly, then his whole body seemed to collapse. He floated in the water, breathing deeply.

Brian didn't know what to think.

As Joey started to recover, his face turned a different shade of red, and he couldn't look at Lauren for more than an instant. Lauren realized that he was ashamed of what he had done to her. Coach Lindley was right: This was not something a girl her age should be playing with. Boys really couldn't control themselves. She had just come close to serious trouble, and she was ashamed, herself, for what she had done to Joey.

Somehow, Joey knew that what he had just done was wrong, but he also knew that he wanted to do it again, and he was sure he wouldn't be able to if he let someone prick his balls. He just had to find a way to stop that from happening!

Joey literally worried himself sick, that night. He didn't get any sleep, and when his mother came into his room to tell him that breakfast was ready, he threw up on the floor. She helped him into the shower, and by the time he was done, she had cleaned up the mess he had made.

"Ah, sweetie! You don't have a fever, but no school for you, today."

"Mom! I don't want to lose my balls!"

Joey was as surprised as his mother that those words had come out of his mouth, but he took advantage of his moment of courage to plead his case with her, except that he really wasn't sure what his case was. It just involved him not getting his balls pricked.

"It's not fair! I shouldn't have to get my balls pricked!"

Why not? he thought, but he didn't have an answer for his own question. Fortunately, that wasn't the question his mother asked him.

"Where did you hear about that?"

"Well, you know, I'm in middle school, now, and the guys talk..."

"So, you've been getting information from boys who know less about it than you do?"

"No! Brian and Larry had their balls pricked, so I think they'd know something about it, and Richard..." Joey paused. He wasn't sure how much he should tell her about what Richard had said the night of the sleepover.

"Who's Richard?"

"He's...It doesn't matter. You talked to Mr. Stoddard about having my balls pricked, didn't you?"

"Stop saying that: It's vulgar. It's called 'neutering,' and yes, I did talk to Mr. Stoddard about having you neutered. He told me it was a very simple procedure that most boys had done when they were too young to be bothered about it, and that I had made a serous mistake in waiting so long to have you done."

"But Mom..."

"But..." She drew out the word to interrupt him. "I happen to disagree with him."

Joey was stunned into silence.

"Oh, your father and I planned to have you neutered, of course, but there never seemed to be a need to be in any hurry, and your father certainly wasn't anxious to have it done to you. Fathers have very particular feelings about neutering--and so do boys--which is why the decision is always left to the mother. If the decision was left to fathers and sons, no boy would ever be neutered."

Joey couldn't see how that was a problem, but his mother certainly thought it was, and she must have been reading his mind.

"I have two girls, and I was a girl, myself, once--believe it or not--so I know exactly how men and boys behave. Count the years between my birthday and Emily's, and you'll see my point."

Joey couldn't remember exactly how old his mother was or understand what that had to do with his oldest sister's age, but his mother didn't give him time to dwell on it.

"I told Mr. Stoddard, 'What's done, is done,' or rather, what's not done will just have to go undone. You're so small, I thought you hadn't started puberty, yet, but when I discovered that you've started masturbating, already..."

Joey's eyes went wide.

"Don't give me that look! Since the beginning of time, boys have tried to hide that from their mothers, and--for some reason--they always seem to think they're successful. I have brothers, you know--your uncles?--and I grew up with them before neutering became fashionable.

"Anyway, when I realized that you'd started masturbating, I knew it was too late for neutering. Once a boy grows attached to his jewels, there's no taking them from him."

Joey couldn't help laughing at the words his mother had used. She started to scold him but stopped herself when she realized it was rather funny. She laughed with him and hugged him close to her.

"Besides," she leaned over him and whispered, "I'll tell you this if you promise never to reveal it to another soul!"

Joey nodded.

Continuing her whisper, "The thought of my little boy getting all horny really gets my juices going, if you know what I mean!"

Joey had no idea what she meant, but he figured it must be something good because of the way his mother smiled when she said it.

In a normal voice, she said, "So, worry not, my boy, your precious little balls are safe, for the time being."

Joey was almost comforted, but that last phrase left some lingering doubt.