I Deduce Romance | Benedict Cumberbatch

9 - Taking a punch

The whole next week, I had a hard time thinking about anything else than Saturday night. Ben wouldn't tell me what we were gonna do, so I tried to come up with what he had planned but I was so overwhelmed by excitement that I found that pretty hard. 

It felt like I lived a double life. Student by day and secretly friends with Ben in the weekends. It's like the Hannah Montana show that was on TV when I was a little girl. If someone discovered her identity, then she would get a lot of attention. That's what I felt like would happen if anyone takes a photo of me and Ben and post it online. Then the news would spread like the wind and it could give the world a wrong message. 

We were just friends, or that's what you thought I thought I were to Ben. He couldn't have an interest in me. Could he? I was hundred percent sure that he would be interested in being more than a friend.  

"Okay, spit it out. Who is he?" Amy asked while we sat at a table working with the projects. 

Amy and Simon have noticed my not so normal behavior and on Friday they couldn't stand not knowing anymore.

I looked up at her. "What do you mean?" I tried, but she saw through me. 

"You know well what we mean," Simon answered. He sat beside me while Amy sat opposite us. 

"I know that look. Come on, tell us his name!" Amy insisted. 

I started to fiddle with my pencil. Do I tell them? I thought. I don't know if it's right of me. I mean, Ben is part of it too, and I don't want to tell someone about us if he doesn't want me to. But what am I supposed to tell them? Shall I just make up a cover story? Those things never turn out good though, but what other choice did I have? 

"Okay, you got me. There's someone, but not the way you think. He's just a friend who has really helped me through my life." 

I really hoped I didn't have to spit out more. At least I didn't lie to them. I just didn't tell them who this guy was. 

"Has something happened?" Simon asked worried. 

I turned my face down to the floor. "It's my ehm..." *clears throat* "...father, he's got cancer. He doesn't have long left." I started to shake in my voice and tears came to my eyes. I hated talking about it, but maybe that's because I avoided it as much as I could. 

Simon and Amy gave me a hug each and then we stopped working and went to the cafeteria instead.

---------------------------------- 

"Why don't you spend the evening with us?" Simon asked me while we were at Amy's place. "We can make dinner and watch movies." 

It sounded lovely and you wanted to get to know them better so you thanked yes to the offer. 

"My parents are out tonight so it suits good," Amy said and entered the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner tonight then?" she asked and opened the fridge. 

We laughed and had so much fun all night. It was a mess after us in the kitchen, but we cleaned it all up afterwards. 

We saw two movies and Simon and I both ended up staying the night at Amy's. We slept until noon and took us good time with making breakfast. 

My phone vibrated against the dinner table as we were in the kitchen while we put some baguettes in the oven. 

I went to check it and saw it was from Ben which made me smile. 

'Hi, Clary! 

I hope you're still up for tonight, and that I will come to your place at 7pm?