It's that afternoon after school when Bella next visits the Witchnook. (She already made another nighttime visit to pick up her powder, and it's safely stashed under the false bottom in the box full of notebooks under her bed.) This time she just needs beetle wings and a reasonably clear chunk of quartz. Her books and the goldvine bramble she ordered aren't in yet.
Bella digs the heel of one hand into her eye. "It's adorable." And she goes, grumbling softly, to the bulk bins and the pick-a-crystal bowl to scoop up what she needs.
"Cheer up," he says, "now I can buy my own groceries. Are you still planning to come over for dinner?"
"Yes," she says, "that's the plan." She stuffs her purchases into a an old shopping bag from a clothing store sufficiently upscale to have opaque plastic.
She shows up at the Webber household in time for dinner.
Bella hangs out with Angie; they do some homework together while they wait for dinner. Angie's brothers set the table.
The food is delicious, but Sherlock barely serves himself any; he does, however, make a pot of equally delicious-smelling tea and have a cup of that.
Bella eats with almost suspicious enjoyment.
Sherlock drinks his tea, which is delicious. If he has a reaction to Bella's suspicion, it's not an obvious one.
Angie asks Bella to stick around a little longer, after eating. Renée agrees on the phone to come pick her up after dark - this is a stupid precaution, considering, but Renée and the Webbers don't know that - and she hangs out with Angie in the living room, talking about miscellaneous things - their friends, their classes, the upcoming USADI recruitment drive for the senior class.
Sherlock makes another cup of tea after dinner; he pokes his head into the living room to ask if Angie wants any.
"One cup of tea, coming right up," he says, giving them a whimsical bow and retreating into the kitchen.
"I might as well," he calls back, and he pours two cups of tea and brings them both out, handing Angie hers before he sits down.
"I wouldn't like the organizational structure," says Bella. "But some people don't have clear pictures of what they do want to do, I guess. I could see Mike going for it. Maybe Jessica if they promised her a desk job."