What is wrong?

"Oh, Jon!" Mrs. Akatter, the elderly home room teacher cried. "You gave me such a fright!" Jon quickly apologized. "Mrs. Akkater, I looking for a... a kind of a..." He tried to think of a way that he could describe what he was looking for without sounding weird. He failed. "Kind of a stone, a smallish one... It's *very* important that I find it, because... um..." He tried to think of a really important reason why he might need to find a stone. He failed. But before he could go on, he noticed the old lady suddenly looking at him very oddly... "What on Earth...?" she said, staring at him.