Date: Thu, 01 Jun 2023 22:24:33 +0000 From: CraigsMyth <1craigs.mith@proton.me> Subject: The Pervy Neighbor - 2 The Pervy Neighbor - 2 This story is an original work of fiction, none of the people or events are real. Nothing is real but a story of fictional people doing fictional things to each other. Keep fun afloat by donating. Andre is my name, and exploring is my game. I have had a busy year. The yearly picnic came around, the one where we meet the neighbors. I was fifteen last year. Obviously I'm older. I haven't seen Jerry, no wait, Larry for a year. I bike over to the neighbors. I wear long shorts and light pink tank top that fits pretty loose. The neighbors greet me and i talk with some of them. They complain about taxes and shit. I pretend I know what the fuck is going on and I smile in agreement with whatever topic comes up. I don't know why, but I feel some disappointment that Larry wasn't there. I kind of liked that guy. I go get some more soda and notice that there's a Samuel Adams beer in the bucket with ice. There's also some hard coolers. I guess the neighbors aren't finding the neighbors entertaining anymore and have to up the ante. Well, who am I to argue. I crack open the beer and start drinking. That beer is my favorite. A familiar voice rises over the visiting, "Rectum? Rectum? Damn near killed him!" Larry says and the little audience burst out in laughter. I make my way over the little knot of people. Larry has trimmed up and he looks like he's been working out. Larry immediately spots me. He calls out, "Hey Andre! I haven't seen you for a long time." I smile, "About a year." "Yeah. Right. The lake. How have you been?" "Well, good, I guess." "Sounds ominous." "You look good." I try to change the subject, "You have been working out? How have you been invisible for a year? I been to Lancing a few times and you are never there." "Yeah. I guess you never heard. I was in a car accident." "Pretty bad?" "Yeah. A drunk crossed the yellow and took out a minivan. The minivan bounced back and rolled onto me. I was told." "What? Why were you told?" "I don't remember anything. I was driving home one moment and the next I wake up in the hospital. I guess I was in a coma for a couple weeks. I spent the next three months healing. So, yeah. a year. I guess I became a home body. I stayed home so much. I go out for groceries and supplies." "That's pretty awful. Did you heal up okay?" "Yeah, for the most part. I had a few broken ribs and the like. I can feel it when it rains now." He lets out a laugh, "And you? What have you been doing for a year?" He sips his drink. "I told my family I wanted to be a nudist." I say. He spits the water out as he laughs, "That's awesome. How'd that go?" "At first my family was pretty supportive, until I actually followed through. I think my little sister wants to be lesbian now because of me. My dad rolled his eyes at first and Mom just turned red and couldn't speak, so I decided to set that one on the back burner." I couldn't say exaclty why, but I am beginning to really like Larry. Sure he was older, but he treated me differently. "You are a good man, Andre. Sometimes we need to sacrifice a little for the greater good. Then there are other times it's important to stand our ground. Your level head lets you know what time it is. By the way, I saw your Mom. Sally looked a bit off. Your Dad had to work or couldn't make it?" "Yeah. That. Well, him and Mom have been at each other throats. I think that Dad has a drug problem, money problems, gambling problems and Mom is cheating. So yeah, there's that. "Woah. Sorry to hear all that. And how are you coping?" He asks. He seems genuinely concerned. I shrug my shoulders. I have no idea how I'm doing. He says, "Given all that, why don't you stop by my house, especially when you need a break. If your parents are okay with that, or however that works." This time I laughed, "You have no idea eh. Well, I guess that makes two of us. Thanks for the offer. You never know, one day I might take you up on that." I play it cool, aloof, like I don't care. But something about Larry I couldn't shake. He is nice. We talk for a little bit more. The mingling resumes. I have another beer. Mom gives me a look. I smile back. It is true. My life went to shit. I am pretty sure it is coming from my shitty parents. I had it all and now it's all gone. I did pick up some sports, had a fling or two and was still doing better than everyone else in school. The elephant in the room, as they say, was Mom and Dad fought and if I am being honest, they both changed over the last little while. I didn't even recognize Dad sometimes. It is all over. The only thing left for them to do is whip out the lawyers, and since they stopped communicating, they probably already have them lined up ready to serve papers. We used to be happy. What happened? I pull my mind from the past and visit with some of the neighbors a little more. Another beer and I could act stupid. I grab a lemonade. The little get together is nice. It's a little grounding to see how other people live and what they do, in the smallest of things. I probably won't visit Larry. I have bigger fish to fry and he is nice, but... I run out of words. We will see what the future brings. I walk home. I think I always knew that he lives there. There is a space in the cedar hedge. It always seemed off, somehow. I think that the space didn't really look like a space. It is obvious now that I ride my bike past. The entrance is inset, so you can turn left or right and the hedge continues. I can't see in or anything, but it always sat there, just like Larry, I guess. I ride home. Dad is stoned. He used to only get stoned at night so we can't see him. But now, he's acting plenty weird. He is tweaking in the kitchen, rocking back and forth, talking to himself and then he digs into the cupboards looking for something. I can't watch. I go to my room. Mom get's home. The yelling starts. She is pissed more than I ever heard before. Things are thrown. I leave. With a foul mood I leave. I could take my car. I could go to Joel's. He is happy. His family is happy. I can't put my shitty families problems on him and his. I decide to take Larry up on his offer. He will be surprised. I grab my bike. I book it out. Out. I want out. He cedar hedge seems almost invisible. I take my bike through. I expect a run down shack, I don't know why. The yard opens up. It's wonderful. Private. Trees run around the large yard. The little house sits nearly at the back. There is a trellis for shade and a couple of small pools beside some exercise equipment. The house is almost a cabin, but a little bigger. I spot Larry. He's sitting in a lawnchair in the shade reading a book or something. He's wearing a dress or skirt or something. He has no shirt on so it's a skirt. Larry sees me and smiles, "I wasn't expecting you this soon. Last time it took a year to see you again." His smile dims when he sees me not smile back. "Your wearing a skirt." I say. "A kilt." "There's a difference?" "I guess not really. Men in Scotland wear kilts and they have rules over there about it. Here I guess it probably is a skirt here." "I can hang here for a bit. My house is toxic." "Stay as long as you want. You want a beer?" He offers. I accept. We sit and talk. Not really about much. He turns on some music. He has a TV outside. His sound system is pretty dope. He asks me a few questions, nothing very personal. It sort of feels like a date, but different. I didn't come here for sex, and I think it shows. Plus, I am grumpy. "Why do you have two hot tubs?" I finally ask. "I don't. One is a hot tub the other is a river pool." he replies. "What's a river pool?" "It is both a river and a pool. You can sit in it, but it has pumps so that you can swim laps without actually going any where. Here, I'll show you." He says. We walk up to the pool. It sits up on top of a little platform. There were some stairs up to it. The walls were see through. There were some large button type things on the side of it. The water began to move. He tapped a button and the water stopped. "Cool." I say. "Yeah, that's how I managed to get rid of my big gut. The other is just a hot tub." "Can I try it?" I ask. I am thinking it might pick up my mood. Maybe a diversion. "You can. You have to tap the side here to make it speed up and tap it here to slow it down. If you stop swimming and hit the back, the motor will kick off. If you press on the back, the computer will think you are in trouble and dump all the water out. It makes a big mess if you do, so don't do that unless you are really are in trouble. It gives me confidence to swim alone." He says. "Nice." I say. I shuck my shirt. Larry pretended not to watch. I toss my sandals to the side and pull off my shorts. In my underwear, I ask, "Do the neighbors care?" "You can whatever you want. Or Nothing at all. They come over once in a while, but caught me doing things, so they ring the bell and wait to be called in." He replies. I pull off my underwear and get into the pool. The water is a little warm, but not cold like the lake. I push the button and the water starts to rush over me. I swim to keep up. The current is pretty strong and I feel my toe touch the back. I feel Larry's eyes pouring over my body. I don't care. I see him adjusting his kilt. I see his kilt tent. I slow the current down and try again. I am swim. The current pushes me back to the wall again and it stops. I slow it down by two taps to the sidewall. I try again. This time I keep up, but barely. I put a little power into my strokes and pretty soon I feel my lungs burn and I push through it. I feel the energy go down in me after a few minutes. I finally stop and float to the back and touch it with my toe and the pool stops moving. I get out. Larry is standing there without his tent in his kilt, but is holding out a towel for me. I towel off and say, "Man, that was really fun. No wonder you are so buff. I would swim way more if I had one of these. I think I am going to ask Mom if we can buy one before the Big D" "Dick?" Larry looks confused. "No." I say, the bad mood threatens to come back, "Divorce." "Well, they are hard to find. You can come over anytime you want and use mine, so long as I'm not in it." He smiles warmly and adds, "Well, if you are going to be nude, I think it's rude for me not to join you." "Sure, Larry." I reply. We sit and talk into the evening. I drink sodas. I need to go home with a clear head I finally pull on my clothes and thank him and pedal home.