"Thank you. Larry asks me out to every single school dance, but he's very polite about it, I don't mind him all that much. It's Jack and George who are making me regret my choices. George is taking the 'but how do you know you don't like boys until you try one' angle, with accompanying rude comments, and Jack keeps trying to get me alone. Like, not in a way I could go to an authority figure over, but very much in a way that makes me want to stay far far away from him."

"Good to have warning. I think my dad can be enlisted for less justification than I'd need for the average authority figure if someone gets seriously creepsome."

"Well, you'd know better than I would. If I notice Jack getting any creepier, I'll tell you about it."

"And then my dad can loom at him. ...I mean, for certain values of looming, he's not actually very tall relative to the general adult male population."

"But better at looming than, say, me."

"Yes. You aren't really built for looming. You are maybe built for climbing all over somebody and biting them like an angry ferret."

...Solvei cracks up.

"I can just see you gnawing on some football player's ankle. Leaving bite marks that read 'lesbian means no'."

"How," giggle, "how talented of me!"

"You are a woman of many talents, I'm told."

Nod nod giggle nod.

"Anyway. Happier subjects. Prepare to make truffles!"

"Truffles!"

For which Bella's only average cooking skills are grateful.

They successfully produce delicious truffles.

Solvei is so proud of their truffles. She taught a thing! Bella learned it! The results were tasty!

Charlie approves, too!

"Should I give you a ride home?" Bella asks.

"That would be handy," says Solvei. "I'll call Ghys and let her know."

"Sure."

"Sure. I won't peer into your windows," says Bella. "It's easy to forget you wouldn't have grown up speaking English, your accent's flawless."