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…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 in all, it was boring.

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.

He wasn’t there the next day either.

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.

I was right, and that was the first time I saw him up close.

It was the very end of May, and school was finally 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 2 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.

“OK, it’s his yard,” I thought, as he then sat up and stretched.

I just stared.

Once he moved, I could see that the kid was stacked up!

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…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…

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!

Then something beeped.

I jumped, nearly tripping over the mower.

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.

“So he can’t get it off without cutting it?” I thought, “What the heck?”

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!

He ran inside, leaving the door open.

“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!

CRASH!

I hit the ground and just laid there, the wind knocked out of me.

“Hello?” I heard him say, “Are you OK over there?”

“Yeah,” I gasped, when I finally got my breath.

“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.

“Do you…you…usually walk around…?” I fumbled.

“Naked, you mean? Yes. We’re nudists, as some call it. Say, how old are you?”

I think I told him 12.

“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?”

“I’m sure it will be,” he replied. “Your mum?”

“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!”

“Uhm, I should go get my swimsuit?” I offered lamely.

“Why?” He asked.

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?

“Oh! How silly! I’m Canyon. Pleased to meet you, erm,….?”

“Ben,” I told him. “Weird name?”

“Well, Benny,” he shrugged, “I suppose I am a bit ‘weird’, then, to you?” But he smiled when he said it.

‘Benny?’ I thought, ‘Well, he seems friendly enough?’

“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.”

“Are you one of those smart kids?” I had to ask, which made him stop.

“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.”

“Nice earrings,” I had to say.

“Father said it was a waste to buy two and only wear one,” Canyon shrugged.

“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 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.

I was staring again.

And for good reason this time.

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.

“Uhhh?” I managed.

“Yes?” Canyon looked up at me again.

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.

And Canyon laughed as he dove in.

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…there, and it finally clicked over in my mind what I was seeing.

Canyon didn’t have any balls!

So help me, he didn’t have any BALLS!

“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?

“No,” I squeaked. “What…what…can I ask?”

“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!

“C-cut off?” I managed.

“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!

He also didn’t seem to be done explaining, either.

“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…you didn’t get fake ones put in, so you’d l-look…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!

“Ah, so I was right! Never seen a eunuch before?” He offered, almost on queue.

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.

“Oh!”

“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.”

That part I remembered, as Canyon grabbed up his bottle of SPF.

“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?”

‘A good rub?’

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!

I fell off the board with a great SPLASH!