You Load 50 Kilos of Dragon Dung--

Coraline giggled at him. “You’re welcome,” she said. “Oh, and Kerry…" Coraline placed her hand under his cheek, tilting his face up toward hers. "She won’t always be eleven.” She ruffled his ginger hair and held the door for him.

“Come visit me anytime,” she winked and watched them both head off toward the dining hall.

Annie waited until they were halfway down the stairs before stopping. “What was that about?” she asked, eying Kerry carefully.

Kerry gave Annie a strange look, mostly because her body language seemed suddenly defensive and Kerry found it sort of a sudden change in demeanor. "She wanted to make sure I still wasn't clueless," he said, "and that everything was better now."

He took Annie's hand and slowly strolled down the Hospital Stairs. "She also told me that you're going to, um, grow pretty soon, and if things get, you know, like . . ." He was really having a difficult time finding words. "I think she's worried you're gonna grow up faster than me and I'm going to have a hard time dealing with it."

He got extremely red in the face at that moment: not because he wasn't being completely honest with Annie, but because it was something he was starting to realize could very well happen.

Annie could see how uncomfortable Kerry was and she regretted pushing him. “Hey,” she said, putting her arms around his neck. “I know it’s weird—believe me, I know…” she smiled at him. “But we have a long time to figure out what is going on here.”

She took her hands away from him and stepped back. “I am sorry if I have pushed too hard. It’s just that, well—I’ve seen what is possible and I want it so desperately. Perhaps I’ve been too…aggressive.”

And with that, Kerry sort of knew Annie's dilemma. "You've seen stuff from years away," he said, speaking softly. You've seen us kinda grown up--and, you know . . ." He shrugged as if that would convey the word he was trying to get across.

"It's gotta be hard, because you're already thinking and feeling things that aren't gonna happen until you're like 16 or 17." He paused, his voice silent for the moment. "And I haven't seen it or felt it. So it's like, you are already ahead of me as far as maturity goes." He stopped and turned Annie so they face to face. "I'm still 11, while you're kinda 16 in the body of an 11 year old girl."

Shrugging, Kerry turned and continued on towards the Dinner Hall entrance, Annie's hand still in his. "Not that it matters; these days it's cool to have an older girlfriend."

Annie stayed quiet as they walked along, thinking about his curious reply. She never thought of herself in that way. A sixteen year old in the body of an eleven year old.That is what he said…is that what he thinks?

Then he shrugged and said it didn’t matter…but it did. For the first time since they had arrived at the Institute, Annie was unsure if Kerry might not really understand just what it was he had gotten himself into.