Headstrong (A Benedict Cumberbatch Story)

Chapter 9

The next day I deleted Ellie and Benedict's numbers from my phone, told the landlord I was moving out and started packing. All my furniture was to go into storage and I was to stay with my brother for a while.
I couldn't stay in this neighborhood anymore. Benedict would be home from hospital in 2 days and Ellie would want show me the ring sitting on her pretty little finger. I wasn't hanging around for that. 

I checked the lock on Benedict's carry-bed. I checked all the cupboards and drawers in every room. I turned off all the lights. I shut my front door. 

Eventually my big leather trunk and all my boxes made it downstairs to the taxi. Tugging my 2 suitcases down the stairs, Mrs Golderoy stopped me and kissed both my cheeks,
"Why don't you take the lift?" she said cheekily, and I almost forgot to smile and laugh politely. Because there were 2 words, just 2, going round and round in my head: Why him? 

With Benedict sitting safely in the back, I climbed into the passenger seat of the taxi; just as the car pulled away from the curb, I heard shouting - no, squawking from outside. I stuck my head out the window to see Ellie darting in and out of puddles towards me.
"Step on it." I told the driver, with-drawing my head.

"He told me to tell you thank you!" she bellowed, and I breathed in sharply at her words. Benedict passed on a message. Thank you.

Thank you for going with him to hospital? Thank you for being a good friend? Thank you for being a friend to Ellie? 

I fell asleep during the journey, and the taxi man had to wake me up.
"Uh, miss? 39 Springton Crescent?" I jerked awake and hit my head on the visor. Cheeks burning furiously, I paid him and unloaded my things. 
"How do you solve a problem like Maria?" my extraordinarily fancy big brother belted out from his doorway. I turned around, already a combination of a cringe and a grin on my face. He danced down the garden path and lifted me off my feet, kissing my cheek.
"Hi sis' . You ok?" he said in my ear, and when he put me down he had to wipe the tears from my face. Hoisting my trunk onto his broad shoulder, he took my hand and we went inside. 

I breathed in the strong scent of potpourri and men's aftershave, walked past the shelf filled with family photos and my big brother shaking hands with various successful businessmen. His living room was neat as a pin, with piles of newspapers and books - organised alphabetically no doubt- a pure white carpet and plant pots standing in size order on every surface. My bro Antonio, ladies and gentleman. 

We lugged the rest of my stuff into the first spare bedroom, he ordered vegetarian takeaway and we sat on the rock hard (to me) sofa watching Strictly Come Dancing. 

I was never all that close to my brother. We were like Ross and Monica from Friends; he always got his way and was the most successful first in everything. I stood in his shadow all through secondary school. In fact I hid in the shadows full stop; Antonio was a prefect and attended every club imaginable, so for fear of being bullied simply because he was my brother, I kept out of everybody's way. The difference between us and the Gellers was that they loved each other when they grew up. Antonio doesn't realise that I still hate him. Obviously I have to love him because he's my brother, but I don't for any other reason. 

Right now, he was my last resort, so I just had grin and bear it - the whole spick-and-span, I-told-you-so, no-shoes-on-the-carpet beauty of it. 

After washing up, he revealed a giant box of chocolates and said, with a sympathetic expression,
"Now tell me everything." 
I sighed, popped a chocalate in my mouth and said quickly,
"This man Benedict moved into the flat opposite me with his girlfriend and Ellie ended up making herself my friend, so I got to go out to a bar with Benedict as well. But then a few days ago they got into a fight and Ellie came over crying so I listened to her. But then I got a text," my voice cracked, "saying to go to the park. When I got there Benedict was lying on a stretcher about to be taken to hospital because he'd been hit by a car. So I went with him," breathe Maria , "and found a ring in his pocket. He's proposing to Ellie. So I kissed him goodbye..."

"And came here." Antonio finished softly, now holding my hand tightly. He lent his forehead against mine and we sat like that for a few minutes, me with my eyes closed and reliving the kiss. Antonio took a breath to speak,
"Well, like I always say," here we go , "Never get your hopes up about something you know will never happen. I mean, you really should have accepted the fact that he was in a serious relationship that first week you met him! And then you find a ring. He's obviously not going to lean towards you at all, even if you did appear attractive at the time."

Ouch.

"And what do you do? You kiss him, and make things worse for yourself. Dear dear, Maria. It's a wonder I haven't got grey hairs from the amount of times I've had to tell you to leave well alone." 

Antonio patted my hand, swept the crumbs off the table and went to have a shower.

I curled up on the sofa and fell into a fitful sleep, cold on Antonio's white leather sofa but hot with my heart beating uncontrollably fast. Eventually I felt a blanket being draped over my shoulders and the dark closing around me. Antonio shut his bedroom door and all was silent.

My mind was finally calming down when my phone beeped with a new message. It was an email from a guitar shop:

Dear Miss Bellini,

The refund for a guitar ordered by Mr B Cumberbatch was declined and the item requested to be sent to the following address:

42 Ebony Way
West London...

My old flat.

The item will be delivered on Tuesday 5th November between 8am and 4pm...

Well, I couldn't leave it. Benedict had specifically asked for it to be sent to me, and he obviously didn't know that I'd moved away. I couldn't leave it. So I guess I was going back.