Benedict Cumberbatch {Imagines}

Imagine #39 - Colleague (Part 1)

"Miss (Y/L/N)?" You turned around the whiteboard to look at your class of thirty students. It was your Year 9 English Class and you were currently studying Romeo and Juliet. "Yes, Alex?" You looked at the girl who was sitting at the back of the classroom, smiling. "I don't understand question three," You turn to look at the board and read the question aloud. "What does Shakespeare mean by "star-crossed lovers"?" You turn back to the class, holding the whiteboard pen in your hand and playing with the cap as you spoke. "Okay, so let's think about the play for a second. What household does Romeo belong to?" You pointed to Jason, whose hand went up straight away. "Romeo is a Montague, miss."

"Correct, Jason. And what about Juliet? What household does she belong to?" You pointed towards Emma this time. "Yes, Emma?"

"She's a Capulet, miss." You nodded at her answering, thanking her.

"Okay, so what do we know about these two households?" You looked towards the class to see thirty pairs of eyes staring up at you. "Do they get along?"

"No, they're feuding."

"Perfect. So how, do you think Lord and Lady Capulet would react if Juliet announced that she was marrying Romeo?" Hands began going up in the air. "Remembering that Romeo is a Montague."

"They would forbid it." You turned your attention back to the whiteboard and wrote the phrase "star-crossed lovers". You looked back at the students. "Has anyone ever heard the phrase "written in the stars" when hearing someone talk about a relationship?" A few students nodded. "Can anyone tell me what it means?" Emma raised her hand again, so you encouraged her to speak; it was very rare that Emma spoke aloud in class, so you enjoyed it when she did. Emma was an incredibly, bright but shy student.

"Well, it usually means that they were destined to be together." You thanked her for her input.

"Great! Keep that thought in your head. So, looking at Shakespeare's phrasing, based on what we've just talked about, what do we think "star-crossed" means?" The class went incredibly quiet. "Come on guys, anything that comes into your head. It doesn't matter if you're wrong."

"Does it mean that it's not meant to be?"

"Wonderful, Jason!" You smiled, feeling a sense of pride like you always did when you saw the penny drop in the student's faces. It gave you a sense of relief that maybe you were good at your job. ""Star-crossed lovers" is a phrase that basically means the stars are working against the relationship. When we look at how the play ends, this makes sense." You picked up your copy of Romeo and Juliet. "A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life" There was a knock at the door. You, along with the students, looked up to see Benedict, otherwise known to the students as Mr Cumberbatch standing in the doorway smiling. "Mr Cumberbatch!" You smiled, putting your book down. "Is everything okay?" He looked at the class and smiled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt everyone," He looked at you, and you felt yourself weaken slightly; just as you always seemed to do whenever you saw Benedict. "Can I borrow you for a second?"

"Of course." You smiled, you walked towards the door as you looked back at the class. "Write down what we've just discussed about the phrase "star-crossed lovers" then read back over the Prologue and see if you can pick anything else apart and we'll discuss it as a class when I come back." The class turned to their books as you followed Benedict out onto the corridor.

"Enjoying Romeo and Juliet, are we?" He smiled, leaning against the wall. His aftershave surrounded you and you gulped. Thankfully he didn't notice. "You know I'm a sucker for Shakespeare." He laughed.

"I just wanted to make sure you had everything ready for tonight's Parent's evening?" You couldn't help but roll your eyes. "Oh, the joys." Benedict laughed at your comment. "What a way to spend our Friday night. But yeah, I've got everything, except for the will to live."