Despite always hearing of Doctor Who, I never actually watched the show until Maca mentioned it and I wouldn’t have checked it out then if it hadn’t been because I didn’t believe her. It was the first time since we started exchanging post-its that she didn’t reply and I kind of panicked.

“What if something happened to her? What if she’s sick? What if she’s in the hospital?” I ranted to Archie and he had to grab my shoulders, shake me and snap some sense back to me.

“Reid, I bet she’s fine. Maybe she’s just busy. She’ll reply,” he assured me but I still had that bad feeling burning in the pit of my stomach.

At some level in my very soul I knew she wasn’t okay and I was desperate because I didn’t know what else to do. By then I knew her name and I knew where to leave the notes for her to always find them, but I didn’t know anything else. I didn’t know why, but I had this feeling she needed me and I felt trapped.

I realised that day how much I cared about this post-it girl and how important our exchange was for me. So even if she didn’t reply, I kept leaving post-its. Until then I had always made them very general in case she wasn’t the one to find them, but when she didn’t reply I said “screw that” and just addressed the note to her, wondering what was wrong.

The relief I felt when I found a reply is something not even today I can explain.

I'm so sorry! We didn't have classes the past two days because of meetings. I stayed home watching Doctor Who the whole day hehehe

But I couldn’t believe her. When I read that note I knew there was more under those apparently too cheerful words, something dark she was hiding and I wanted to push her, to make her tell me but I didn’t have that right, I didn’t even have the room to do so. Thus, I just accepted her excuse. I told myself, “She has the right to keep it a secret.”

But I did believe her when she told me it was the best show ever so that day I went home, went to Netflix and started watching the show. I wanted to understand why she loved it and to have something in common.

And that’s how I got obsessed. A few days later I went to rehearsal to the theatre and Sarah, our director in the theatre company, saw me with the dark bags under my eyes for the lack od sleep. “What happened to you, Reid?” she asked me then and I laughed.

“Doctor Who,” was my reply and her eyes widened. She’d always tried to make me watch the show because she’s a hard-core fan, but I was never into it.

“Finally! How did this happen?” she questioned next, grabbing my hands, creating a new bonding.

“Maca,” was all I said and she arched her eyebrows.

“The post-it girl?” I nodded. “That girl must be powerful. For years I tried yet she made you with one post-it?” I nod again and she laughs. “Well, now you’re invited to our meetings whenever you want. We meet every other Sunday, except when the series is on, then it’s every Sunday.”

So that’s why making Sarah and Maca meet is a must. Both are massive whovians and Sarah is also like a mother to us all as the director. She takes care of us, she guides us, and she teaches us to be better actors. I don’t know if Maca knows of this group or if she belongs to some community already, but I think she’ll have fun with Sarah and the others. I know them and they are all great and as the café where we meet is near the theatre, we sometimes borrow some things to put on a little reacting of some scene of the show.

I called Sarah this morning, asking her to meet me here before lunch because I had something to ask her. I would’ve done it over the phone, but this is important and I really want her to help and explain things properly.

When Archie and I walk into the café she’s already there, going over the script of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play we are currently rehearsing.

“Sarah!” I call out loud, waving at her. She looks up and smiles at us when she sees us. Archie and I go to her and sit across her after we hug her in a greeting. “Did we make you wait?” I question and she shrugs.

“It’s okay, though. I used this time to work on some details of the script. Enjoying your days off?” she questions us next and Archie rolls his eyes.

“I had plans, you know?” he says as he raises his hand to call for a waiter. “Could you bring me loads of water? Thank you, love.” Then he focuses again on Sarah, who’s smiling amused. In front of her we can be completely free, we are not afraid to say what’s really in our minds. That’s how much we trust in Sarah. “I had planned to stay home, in my PJ the whole day, watching Netflix and eating. You know, living the dream. But this wanker here decided to drag me all over the city in his little quest. And I agreed,” he dramatises but stops when the water arrives. He smiles gratefully and drinks it all. “And we’re not even halfway there.”

“I’ll make it up with the next stop, I promise,” I tell him but he looks at me unimpressed. “Oh come on, you’ll never let me hear the end of this. I’ll be in your debt forever and ever.”

“True that,” he accepts offhandedly and then I hear Sarah laughing and I remember we are in front of her.

“I don’t even understand what’s going on here.” I blush a little forgetting that she is not aware of my Maca’s Day Project.

Archie just shrugs, leaving the explanation to me whilst he makes himself busy by stealing some biscuits of Sarah’s plate.

Did I mention my friend is always eating? I mean, if there’s food available and that doesn’t contain animal parts, then he’s all up for it. Yes, Archie is vegetarian.

“It’s just that I’m finally meeting Maca so I’m planning a whole adventure for her and I asked Archie to help me out but he’s only complaining because I’m making him walk more than what he does to go to the kitchen,” I explain but Archie looks offended.

“Oi, mate! I don’t only go to the kitchen. I also go to the loo and I occasionally leave the house, mind you,” he defends himself and Sarah laughs out loud this time. She doesn’t even mind that Archie is stealing her biscuits.

“Well, I think it’s great you’re finally meeting. You’ve been so infatuated with her since when? Five months ago?” she ponders and I look down. That’s the time we’ve been exchanging notes with Maca. “You made me lose money, kid. We ran some bets on your expense,” she confesses next and I look at her shocked. I turn to look at Archie and he shrugs, which means he knew about this and didn’t tell me. “Oh yeah, we put some bets on how long until you decided to meet with her. I said three months but it’s been longer than that. I really didn’t believe you’d hold that long.”

“Does it help if I tell you I’ve wanted to meet her since the first day?” I support and she chuckles.

“We all knew that, Reid. I guess you’re more cautious than what we give you credit for.”

“I was just thinking of her, making things easy for her,” is my excuse because for a reason I feel like I have to defend myself and I don’t even know why.

“I know, I’m not judging you, Reid. Don’t worry. Anyhow, I don’t think you called me here to tell me you’re just meeting her.”

I smile because Sarah always knows best. Archie and I graduated over a year ago, however we’ve been ‘working’ with Sarah almost since we started uni, so of course she knows us very, very well.

“Well, I know you have a meeting this Sunday and I was wondering if it’s okay I send someone to join you. She’s a massive whovian and I’m sure she’ll love attending the meeting,” I say and she tilts her head to the right, examining me, trying to see beyond what I’m saying.

“Who’s this person?” she questions and I smile widely.

“The reason why I started coming to the meetings,” I explain and her eyes widen.

“You’re coming with Maca?” she exclaims.

Is it creepy that all my friends have heard of Maca at some point? Some more than others, but I’ve spoken about her to all of those who are close to me. And I’m a people person.

“Not exactly,” Archie clarifies. “He’s making her meet everyone else first and then she’ll meet him. You know, the usual procedure,” my best mate continues and I chuckle. He’s really pissed that I made him come here after exhausting himself in the shelter.

Sarah laughs again and that’s better than having her judging me for my decisions.

“I’m making her do a scavenger hunt in which she collects the letters of my name until she finally meets me,” I explain and she furrows her eyebrows and I know exactly what she’s going to ask next. “Yeah, I haven’t told her my name yet and I have my reasons but I rather not share them,” I reply before she can even utter the question and I hear Archie snorting.

“So you want her to collect one of the letters here?” Sarah questions and I nod.

“Yes. I’ll give you a letter that you have to hand to her. Take a picture with her with the Polaroid she’ll bring and just have fun. Ah, and don’t mention my—“

“—His name,” Archie says at the same time I do and Sarah chuckles again.

“Got it. Do you want us to do something special for her?” she questions next and I shrug.

“Just do your normal meeting, I just want her to meet you all. You know, people who share the same kind of love for the show. Just talk about Doctor Who until your throats hurt!” I suggest and she waves her hands dismissively.

“Pff, Reid, we always do that. No need to suggest it, you know it,” is her reply and now I chuckle because it’s true. It’s happened before. “And don’t worry, kid. I’ll tell her good things about you,” she adds next with a heart-warming smile that puts me at ease. Even if I haven’t told her exactly why I’m making Maca do this, I’m pretty sure she understands perfectly the reason behind. “I’ll try to ease her worries away and make her have a good time. And if she’s a snobby or awful kind of lass, I’ll let you know so you can run away.”

I laugh out loud at the absurdity of that. I mean, the possibility is real, I technically don’t know Maca, but it feels differently for me. I’m sure she’s a good person, sweet and precious and I honestly believe she only deserves love and kind gestures. I can’t imagine the girl replying to my post-its as something other but kind.

“I don’t think that’ll happen but thank you, Sarah. I’ll come give you the letter tomorrow, okay?” I tell her and she nods. “And I’ll take Archie before he eats all your biscuits.”

We both look at Archie red-handed, with a biscuit halfway to his mouth and he looks at us like a wild deer before a speeding car. I feel like laughing at him, especially when he still bites it and swallows. “Tell me we’re not going somewhere far,” he pleads and I grab his shoulder.

“No. We’re in fact going to have lunch now and I’m sure you’ll like it. This is me saying thank you for helping me, Archie,” I say and he looks confused. “Archie, my mate, we are going to see Steph now.”

And his eyes widen, his cheeks blush and he even chokes on the biscuit he’s eating. Sarah and I laugh because of course she knows of Archie fancying this girl. When he teases me with my post-it girl, I tease him back with Steph and Sarah has heard us many times. She’s scolded us for acting like kids.

“So yeah, you better go to the toilet first and make sure you look presentable. You were playing on the ground with Bobby,” I remind him and his eyes widen in horror before he runs to the toilet. Sarah and I are left there, laughing at him.

“Don’t torture him too much, Reid,” Sarah tells me trying to sound serious.

“I promise nothing,” is all I can say because it’s just so hard not to tease them when you know both are dying to be together but none makes a move. I feel like burs out singing Skinny Love every time they talk. “Thank you again. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

She nods and I stand up to give her a goodbye hug before going to wait for my mate so we can go to Evergreen and see his crush.

-:-:-

Wanna start playing the whole votes game again? I have the next chapter ready so when you get 500 votes I'll update.

Bel, xx