Missing Voice

12 PART 2- Who I Am With You

Dinner's at 8 o'clock and Colton is picking me up at 7:30. Did I mention that he's bringing me to some fancy restaurant on the boardwalk? I only have an hour left and I'm panicking. This morning I went out to buy a dress and finally decided on a fitted navy blue one with black heels.

Now I sit in front of my vanity staring at myself. Tonight's the night I'll start getting my old life back. After letting my hair dry I leave it down and straighten it for good measures. I put my contacts in and start on my make-up, which takes me 20 minutes to do. All I have left is 15 minutes to get dressed, or back out of this. My stomach is doing some crazy dance as I put my earrings in. I slowly look at myself in the mirror.

I can't even recognize myself; a smile spreads across my face, time to say goodbye to Agitha. The doorbell rings, I grab my heels and head downstairs. My dad emerges the kitchen and stops in his tracks. I can't help but keep smiling.

"Sarah, honey, come look at this!" They both stop to gawk at me then they both rush over to hug me. I almost forgot that Colton was at the door until my dad reminds me. My heartbeat increases as I slowly open it.

"Hey Agith-Woah...D-D-Do I have the right house?" I watch Colton back up to look at the front of my house. "Yep, I'm pretty sure that this is the right one..." He walks back up and looks at me smiling. "Well aren't you absolutely stunning...oh these are for you." I shyly smile as I take the flowers from him. He looks so good in his button down shirt and khakis that I can't keep my eyes off of him.

"You don't look so bad yourself." My dad starts talking to Colton while Sarah puts my flowers in water. They both finally push us out the door and wave goodbye to us.

"You look really really really nice...Seriously Agitha, I mean Karoline...you look really different. Different as in good different." I laugh at his nervous rambling.

"Thanks...It's been a long time since I've done any of this. You know, letting down my hair, make-up and for goodness sakes wearing a dress. What have you gotten me into?"

Colton turns the volume of the radio up a bit, "I call it...'Colton Mitchell's Fun Bus'"

I scrunch up my nose, "Ew, when is the next stop cause I'm getting off."

"Hey now...you decided to board the fun bus so now you're stuck on it for a while."

I laugh, "Oh no."

We arrive at the restaurant and as the waiter guides us to our table I gawk at how beautiful everything looks. The dimmed lights, marbled floor and the OMG FISH TANKS. I HEART FISH. I'm so tempted to ditch Colton right now and just stand in front of the fish to watch them swim.

We have a window seat with a beautiful view of the ocean. Colton pulls my chair back for me as I take a seat. I smile up at him nervous about how this dinner is going to go.

We both pick up the menu and I can't help but hide my face behind it. I try to sneak a glance over the top as I see Colton doing the same so I duck back down. We start making faces at each other and when the waiter comes back asking if we are ready to order we both break out into laughter because we haven't actually glanced at the menu.

I order a pasta dish with a name that sounds like something only Oprah Winfrey could afford while Colton orders salmon covered in a zesty lemon sauce. After giving my menu back to the waiter I look across the table to see Colton biting his lip. I smile not knowing what he's thinking about.

"Sooo the weather was nice today, yeah?"

I laugh and pull out my phone, "Oh man, I know right!"

Colton laughs, "I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

"I'm being sarcastic...and by the way, thank you."