Fountain of Youth Ch. 04: Purpose

"Ok, Jeremy. Let's do lunch." Lily looked into his eyes and smiled. She did quickly grab her sign and slide it into her coat as he turned toward the door.

Jeremy looked back into her eyes, blue irises with disturbing yellow where white should be, and pulled the handle to the restaurant door. "Ladies first."

It was late for lunch, so there wasn't much of a crowd. Jeremy led his companion to the corner booth and they both sat down. Soon the waitress came over and took the order, leaving them to wait for their food.

"So I thought your family moved in our sophomore year? When did you get back into town?" Jeremy asked.

"My parents left, I stayed here. I had a boyfriend and I didn't want to go, so I dropped out of school and lived with him for a while. Thought I was in love. Maybe I was, but, turns out he wasn't."

"So you broke up? That sucks."

Lilly looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression. "Seriously Jeremy? You don't already know all of this?"

"How would I know? We haven't seen each other for what, four and a half years?"

"Come on, I know people talk, you have to have heard some of this."

Jeremy was genuinely confused. "Lilly, I swear I had no idea you still lived in town, I probably haven't even heard your name since just a little after your family left."

"So you just saw me and thought you would take me to lunch? That was it?"

"Well... I saw your sign, and you look like maybe you could use something to eat. I mean, are you OK Lilly?"

The girl gave him doubtful look. "So this was just charity? You just thought you would help me out?"

"I don't know about charity I was just trying to be nice. You were always nice to me."

"That is... I really appreciate that Jeremy. Thanks." Jeremy could see tears welling up in Lilly's eyes. "Like I said I have had some health issues, and other people we went to school with haven't been very, well they haven't been kind when I've run into them.

"It's just a hamburger, any time Lilly."

The waitress brought 3 hamburgers and a large order of fries to the table and refilled their sodas, but once they were alone again the conversation continued on a lighter note. Jeremy carried most of it, relating stories about people they both knew from school. Pregnant cheerleaders, teachers caught in closets, the scandals of a small town.

Jeremy had always liked Lilly, she had never treated her with the disdain of their classmates. They hadn't been friends really, but as he said, she had always been nice to him. Lilly wasn't in the top tier of the social structure, just higher than Jeremy. She was neither athletic, nor pretty enough to be one of the elite, but she was smart and funny. Always a bit thin and plain, with whatever Lilly's current health problems were, she bordered on gaunt. Her teeth, still clean and white despite her living situation, had always been uneven and a bit large for her face, but as the conversation went on, her laugh and smile made it easy to ignore her unhealthy color and thinness and remember the 14 year old girl he had known. Hours slid by quickly until Lilly suddenly stood.

"Sorry, I need to use the little girl's room," she said quickly before moving toward the back of the restaurant. When she came back to the table she was a bit pale, with a light sheen of sweat.

"Are you OK?" Jeremy said with concern.

"Yeah, yeah, I just ate too much I think."

"Too much? It was one hamburger. I was going to ask if you wanted another one."

"That's nice of you, but I'm fine. You don't need to do that. Besides it's getting dark, I should probably get going."

"Where are you going Lily, the sign... I mean, what's going on?"

Lilly looked at him as if she had been dreading this moment. "I've just had a rough few months. I got sick and got kicked out of my apartment, couldn't work. But I'm getting better. I have a place to sleep so don't worry about me. It's been really nice though. Thank you for the burger, and the conversation."

"Are you going to the Church shelter?" Jeremy said.

Lilly's face was picture of contempt. "The shelter? Hell no, I wouldn't give Father McFeelme the satisfaction. That old perv can burn in hell. No, I have spot in a building at 7th and Park."

Jeremy was still absorbing the comment about the priest at St. James Cathedral when he processed the address she mentioned. "7th and Park? Lilly you can't sleep there, that whole part of town is horrible! There's nothing there but..."

"Junkies and whores." Lilly finished his sentence with a quiet voice.

"And abandoned warehouses, with no power and broken windows. You'll freeze to death." Jeremy continued as if she had never spoken.

"What do you suggest Jeremy? Should I come stay with you in a nice warm house?" Lilly gave the young man a look of suspicion.

"What? No, I mean normally you could, but Mom and I just sort of had a fight, she would freak if I brought someone home. I just mean there has to be a better place."

Lilly pinched the bridge of her nose as if warding off a headache then looked at him with a small smile. "Jeremy, you're sweet, but I'll be fine. Go home and talk to your Mom. Maybe I'll see you around."

Jeremy considered what he and his mother were fighting about and had a thought. "How about tomorrow? We can do the pizza buffet at Pizzuchi's."

"Seriously Jeremy, you don't have to do that. It's been a good day, but I don't want to be your charity case."

"It's not charity, I haven't eaten out with a friend in forever and it was kind of nice. Pizzuchi's is $5, $6.50 if you insist on having a drink with your endless pizza."

"It's a nice offer, but Pizzuchi's is on the other side of town and I don't have a car..."

"I'll pick you up at 11:30 right here. If you say no, I would have to assume it's because you don't want to be seen with me in public two days in a row. That would be hurtful Lilly. To know that you would give up free pizza just to avoid me? Crushing."

"Don't you have a class or something?"

"Evening class. Come on..."

"OK, 11:30. But if anything comes up, I'll understand, really."

"I won't understand Lilly, I will be deeply hurt, and you will destroy my faith in humanity if you don't show," Jeremy said with a smile.

"Well then, hope you have never done anything that would make me want to destroy you, Mr. Lerner." Lilly arched an eyebrow as she turned toward the door. "See you tomorrow, maybe." She walked out with a smile. Jeremy had left her in a position of control, something she hadn't felt in a very long time.

Jeremy had paid the check while Lilly was in the restroom, but he took his time busing the table, sensing that Lilly wouldn't have wanted him to offer to walk her to her place. It had been a good evening, and he didn't want to mess it up now.

Stepping outside the drop in temperature caught him by surprise. Jeremy crossed his arms and started a jog toward home.

It was well past 8pm when Jeremy arrived home. He tried to make as little noise as possible as he came through the front door, but his mother's voice rang out from the kitchen as he cleared the door.

"Jeremy, can you come here for a moment? I have a couple of things I need you to do tomorrow."

Walking into the kitchen Jeremy was greeted by the most officious looking sexy teenager on Earth. Sitting at the table, in old, loose fitting clothes looking adorable and gorgeous, Abby, his mother.

"Tomorrow, I need you to do two things. First, take this to Debbie's house," Abby slid a travel size bottle with a very clinical looking label and a envelope across the table. "Then, of course, I need you to do your best at creating a new batch of your formula. This time, take careful notes and measurements."

"Debbie? Do you think that is a good idea? I mean, we don't even have this figured out with you, and now her?"

"It's only a quarter full, and it is the lotion. It isn't likely to hurt her and it will give us a good comparison." Her voice had such certainty he knew better than to argue.

"OK, Mom, I'll drop it off."

"Make her read the instructions off of the bottle, out loud, to you and then have her sign the form in the envelope, bring that form back." Jeremy gathered together the items and started to turn and leave when his Mother spoke again.

"And Jeremy? The other part, recreating your formula? It's important. Measurements, details, anything you can do to make sure you get it right. A lot depends on it."

"I know Mom, I will do my best." Jeremy replied, knowing he had no clue as to how he was going to pull this off. With that he headed to his bedroom and quickly fell asleep, emotionally exhausted and too tired to think more about his situation.

***

Jeremy awoke to the sounds of chairs moving, drawers opening, and general activity in the house, with a glance at his phone he saw it was a little after 6:30AM. Rolling over it was suddenly apparent he had a massive case of morning wood.

"Seriously?" he said looking at his stiff member. "Haven't you caused enough trouble this week?"

Ignoring his "condition" Jeremy picked up his phone and checked through his scant social messaging, local news, and weather as he planned the day in his mind.

* Make his delivery to Debbie.

* Pick up Lilly for lunch.

* Come back home and re-read his notes for his 5pm class. Professor Tennet hadn't given a quiz in a couple of weeks and Jeremy expected they were due.

The first two items caused Jeremy's thoughts to wander a bit. Debbie, his mother's best and oldest friend, was going to start using the same cream his mother had been using for some time and that thought, bizarrely, made his already stiff cock lurch a little. Debbie Wehrlacher was not a woman that most men would have seen as attractive. She was short and round, with almost clownishly red hair, a colorful taste in makeup to match. Her face, where it wasn't covered with blush, excessive eye shadow, and radioactively bright red lipstick drawn outside the natural lines of her lips, was pale and unattractively shiny, as if coated with petroleum jelly. Even in the deepest clutches of pubescent lust Jeremy had only found her massive breasts, of the sort that only overweight older women had, of any interest at all. Now, the thought of her smearing her semen on his skin caused a tingle down Jeremy's spine.

Lilly on the other hand, made Jeremy wonder about some of the effects of his semen on his mother. Certainly she was younger and healthier looking (down boy, Jeremy thought as his cock stiffened at his internal picture of his mother lying naked on her bed), but she also seemed healthier. Her scars, varicose veins, and sun damage had disappeared. Recovery from last night's horrible bought of vomiting and sickness was complete within hours. She seemed to be in peak health. Lilly clearly was not in peak health, and Jeremy wondered if his "discovery" could help her. Lilly's sign had explicitly stated she was dying, and while he hoped that was exaggeration, her jaundiced appearance didn't rule out something truly awful. Jeremy hadn't been his best self the last few days, just based on the things he had said and done to his mother, but he had always thought of himself as a decent person otherwise, and he wondered if this youth and health giving effect would help his old friend. His mother was thinking about selling youth and beauty, but what if he had the key to health? Wasn't that more important? If there was a chance, didn't he have to try? How much would it take? How could it be applied? Should he tell her what he was doing? Jeremy laid there staring at the ceiling, wondering, thinking, and for the first time in two days the thought of someone using "Ingredient X" didn't go straight to his cock.

Jeremy had some things to do.

***

Debbie's house was like something out of a 1950's TV show, perfect lawn, picket fence, flower boxes under the window. She was only a couple of years older than his mom, but her husband Frank had been about ten years older than her, and worked himself into an early grave providing for her idyllic existence. Three years ago he has suffered a massive stroke and left his beloved wife with a comfortable insurance payout and a tiny dog named Carlos. It was a shame really, they were devoted to one another, and would never get to spend his retirement years together as they had planned. Jeremy knocked firmly on the forest green door of the picturesque bungalow illicting a flood of yippy barking from the small dog within.

A moment later, he could hear the locks being undone as Debbie scolded Carlos for the excessive noise. "Jeremy! It's nice to see you, honey. I'm sorry you had to come out this way. I told your mother I would drop by, but she insisted."

"It's OK Ms. Wehrlacher, I was out for the day, it was no trouble." The chubby woman was in full make-up, short heels, and a wrap around dress that gave little indication of a waistline even with a belt. The narrowest part of her body, which may have been her waist, seemed to be immediately below her pendulous breasts. Jeremy offered the clinically labeled bottle of lotion and two copies of the application instructions. "So mom told me I had to have you read the instructions out loud and then then sign one of the copies she has a notary friend who will put a seal on it without actually being here, she thought that would be easier for you."

"Read them out loud? Seriously? Your mother is a little paranoid about this stuff!" Debbie said as she rolled her eyes.

"It's not her, it is the company that makes the stuff. They want to keep this all hush-hush until they are ready to go to market," Jeremy said with a smile.

With a shrug the red haired woman read the instructions to Jeremy and signed the papers. The cream was to be applied once a week, to hands, knees and elbows ONLY. The signer was required to never reveal any information about the product to any person or person(s) except for the unnamed company's designee (Jeremy's mother). In exchange the signer would receive the product without charge for the duration of the trial.

Jeremy spotted Lilly's thin figure as soon as she rounded the corner. He waved animatedly as she crossed the street and unlocked the passenger door to allow her to open the door and climb in.

"Hey!" He said cheerfully.

"Hey," said Lilly quietly as she fastened her seatbelt.

"I'm glad you showed, all you can eat pizza alone is just not the same," Jeremy said as he placed the car into drive and pulled away from the curb. "Did you have a good night?"

"It was fine, did you and your mom work out whatever you were arguing about?" Lilly replied.

"Oh, yeah, I think we are good now. Are you ready to eat some serious pizza?"

"Well I probably won't eat a lot, I don't have a big appetite today." Lilly said.

"I noticed you didn't eat a lot yesterday either, and I sort of saw your sign yesterday. Lilly, are you OK? I mean, is the sign for real?" Jeremy said, glancing toward the young girl while trying to pay attention to the road.

Lilly turn to look out the window and answered in a quiet voice, "Don't worry about the sign Jeremy, it's fine."

"Seriously Lilly, I am asking for a reason," Jeremy said firmly.

"I could be better, but I don't want to spoil the day, it isn't your problem." As she finished the sentence Lilly turned to look directly at Jeremy. He could see liquid welled at the bottom of her eyes, not yet having broken over the lid into falling tears. She was on the edge.

"OK, pizza and pleasant topics only. Got it." Jeremy smiled at Lilly, refocused his attention on the road and let the subject change to the recent weather.

Pizzuchi's was bright and cheerful, lunch time on a weekday bustled but wasn't crowded. As predicted Lilly didn't eat much, but she did manage a few small slices of regular pizza along with a slice of apple cinnamon dessert pizza. The conversation was simply reminiscing about their school years, laughing about old teachers, and discussing favorite foods around town. As they prepared to leave Jeremy volunteered to get drink refills while Lilly stacked the plates and refuse. Together they walked to the self bussing station and out toward the car.

"Jeremy, I just wanted to say thank you. Today has been the most normal day I have had in a long time. I really appreciate it." Lilly opened the passenger side door of Jeremy's car and climbed in.

"My pleasure Lilly. It has been a nice day." Jeremy sat in the driver seat and fit the drinks in the cup holders between the driver and passenger.

Jeremy started the car, pulled out of the parking lot and rolled into traffic.

"So, do you have anything else planned for the day? If not I have one other thing I would like to do," Jeremy said.

"Oh, really?" Lilly cocked an eyebrow at the young man as she took a sip from the straw of her drink.