Benedict Cumberbatch: Life With Ben

Chapter Three: The Phone Call

It was 15th December 2013 at 10:13 am, and I was lying in bed. Lying in bed ill with the flu and a stomach virus. I was in my Doctor Who pyjamas, which had a picture of the 11th Doctors face printed on to the top with the words GERONIMO printed in bubble writing curved around the Doctors head.

I was lying in bed watching an episode of Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer with my earphones in as I didn't want my family to know I was a wake. I was all snuggled up in bed crying; because Amy and Rory had just died because of the weeping angels (that episode still makes me cry to this day).

Still crying and sniffling, my phone rang. Well no, the TARDIS decided to land in my bedroom- well that's what it sounded like anyway, because my ring tone was the TARDIS landing. Don't judge me, okay! I picked up my phone; it said it was my Aunt Sue. In tears and said "Hello Sue," with a little sniffle, and the voice replied "Hello, is this Claudia?" I was still crying and said "yes, who is this? Where is Sue?" A luxurious, British accent came crawling into my ear and replied "Claud, it's Benedict Cumberbatch, your auntie is sorting out the chairs" I stopped breathing. The conversation carried on like this;

"Wait, as in The Benedict Cumberbatch?"

"The actor, yes..."

"The British actor? The sex god? The sir beautifulness? The future father of my children?"

"Yes! Well, umm I suppose! And yes! Wait what?!"

"What?"

"What did you say?"

"What did who say?"

"You said-"

"I said nothing, so may I ask why have you phoned?"

"Well, a little birdie told me you couldn't come to the Sherlock Q & A"

"Yeah" I said whilst trying not to cry

"Why would that be, darling?" he said with such a sad and quite off put ring to his voice

"Well one reason is that I didn't have the money for the tickets and I didn't have the money for transportation, another reason is that I wouldn't have anyone to go with and last reason is that I am slightly ill"

"Claud, darling, Sue is here, you could have come with her? But if you are ill then don't worry, I'll let you go"

I hurried my reply and said "No. Don't go... please! Please don't go, not yet anyway. Why did you phone me? I know it wasn't just to ask why I am not at the Q & A"

"Well, Sue said you haven't been yourself recently" he took a deep breath in and said "Well, I don't know how to say it but all I'm going to say is one word. Thighs"

"She told you?! Why?"

"Claud, she came into work today crying"

"Because of it?"

"Yes."

"Oh my goodness!" I started to cry even more

"Look, don't cry I just want you to stop. Can I ask why do you feel the need to do it?" His voice was sad and he sounded like he  was going to cry.

"I do it to punish myself for not being good enough"

There was silence down the other end of the phone, and then a sigh crawled in to my ear. "Claudia, you are good enough. You are perfect just the way you are"

"How would you know? You barely know me, how do you know?"

"Sue doesn't stop talking about you and all of the CumberCollective are perfect, so that makes you perfect as well. And remember, Claudia, I am phoning you, not any other member. So don't  let me hear you ever say that you are not good enough! Okay?"       

"Okay." I burst out into tears "Thank you, thank you so much" I said.

"Don't thank me, I do not need thanking-"

"Benedict, you do need thanking. You have took time to phone me to tell me that I am perfect!"

"Darling, you don't need telling. You should already know that you are perfect. I love you okay? And before I go, just remember nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible!"    

"I love you too."

And with that he was gone. This was the first time he said 'I love you' to me but this was not going to be the last time, I just didn't know that yet.

*

The next day, I went to school still physically shaking not just because I was still a bit ill, but because I was still not over the phone call I had received nearly 24 hours before hand. I wanted to cry, but I didn't show that to anyone not even my best friends. I walked around school with my head in the air smiling away taking on board of what Benedict said to me the morning before. I didn't care if I looked silly, walking around school smiling away, but did I care? No. No I didn't because I was being happy not just for my health and stress levels, but for my auntie, Sue and my idol, Benedict. The blades were thrown out, apart from one razor that I kept because how else was I meant to shave. I wanted to live my life to its full potential. I planned on doing this by smiling and not thinking negatively. Yes, it was hard, but I was willing on doing this. This was my early new year's resolution.

School was still a long and painful 6 hours but I could do this. I had my can do attitude on and I had Benedict's voice spiralling around my head, repeating the same saying over and over again; "nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible". If this wasn't a motivational saying, then I would like to know what it was because this quote, saying, or whatever you would like to call it, helped me motivate at school, at home and out and about.