Noise Complaint // Alex Ernst

thirty-one

Alex

I've finally decided not to be a wuss. I've finally decided I'm going to ask Mara to be my girlfriend. I mean, it's been over a year since I met her. And even from the beginning, I knew I wanted her to be my girlfriend.

This relationship is so different from any other relationship I've had. I don't know why it took me so long to gather up the courage for this, but I just wanted to make sure that Mara was happy.

That she was happy with me, that she was happy in LA. I love spending time with her; I'm never tired of her. It's like when you first meet someone, and you just want to find out every single thing about them and you guys talk for hours every day.

Eventually, you run out of things to talk about. The conversations die down, and sometimes they stop all together.

But I don't feel like that with Mara. When I'm bored, we're bored together. It's never that I'm bored of spending time with Mara.

When I told David, he was surprised. "About damn time, Alex," he said. "We all had bets. I had you for another year."

David wanted to vlog it and do something grand. But I didn't want to, and I knew Mara wouldn't care either way. When David argued, I reminded him that he didn't put everything of him and Liza either.

I didn't know when or how I was going to do it. I didn't know if it was important, but all I know is that I wanted to be with her.

I felt weird kissing her when we weren't officially together. I felt like it wasn't my place to decide, and I don't want her to feel like she was obligated.

I showed up at her apartment at 6 for dinner. We were just going to Buffalo Wild Wings, which is one of Mara's favorite food.

She opens the door, her hair in a bun and wearing sweatpants and one of my sweatshirts. "Am I ever going to get that back?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "Nope."

"Wow, you look fantastic," I laugh when we finished our meal. She had wing sauce all over her face— on her cheeks, on her nose, even a bit on her eyebrow.

She holds her hands up, trying to not get her messy hands on anything.

"Yeah, I know," Mara laughs, striking a ridiculous pose. I pay for my meal and Mara pays for hers and grab some frozen yogurt after dinner.

I know, I know. I should be paying for Mara's meal, but considering how much we eat out, we decided to split it some of the time. I mean, I protested, but Mara insisted.

But I did buy her frozen yogurt. And I do eat all the food at her apartment.

"What?" Mara asks, her face turning serious. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

"Yeah, you do. What is it?" She asks. I sigh. "It's just.. I just have to remind myself how lucky I am to have you in my life. And sometimes I just can't take my eyes off of you."

Mara's face immediately turns to a dark red blush.

"Wanna go for a drive?" I ask. Mara nods, taking another bite of her frozen yogurt. "Okay, let's go," I toss my yogurt out and stand up from the stool.