"What no goodbye kiss?" I had called into night with watery eyes blurring my vision. It was in vain however, Angel was long gone.

Later I realized the door I saw swinging in my peripheral vision was probably the way he went when he disappeared, but he was gone by the time I had kicked off my heels and ran towards it, determined to find him and demand an explanation or at least a better goodbye. Maybe even a name to remember him by.

But, of course, I had no luck. 

I chased after shadows and strangers. I looked down every corridor I thought he might have taken. I checked the kitchen, the lobby, backstage, and even went all the way out to the valet to see if they had seen him.

But, of course, they had not.

I double checked everywhere, asked workers who passed by while attempting to clean up the mess the party made, and even found Donnie again and asked if he had seen him since we left the kitchen what seemed like so many decades ago.

But, of course, he had not.

Somewhere along the way, I had even dropped the little piece of him he had left in my hand. But I continued on.

I searched and I searched and I searched until finally, everyone had left the party but me, my mother, and my aunt. Of course, they had asked what had got me so riled up and frantic, well more like who had got me so riled up and frantic, but each time I just ignored them or brushed them off. I told them I was fine. That I was just a little tired but that I would be fine in the morning.

But, of course, I wouldn't.

I stayed strong in front of them. They had never seen me upset over a boy and I certainly wasn't going to let them see me like that now. My family is kind of considered "royalty" in this town so it was up to me to keep up the reputation.

I am independent. I am smart. I'm relatively good looking. I'm athletic and on the cheer squad and track team. And boys are the ones who should be chasing after me, not the other way around. Boys are the ones chasing after me.

That's what I continued to tell myself.

But not the one I want to chase me.

Stop thinking about it, it's not healthy to be attached to someone that fast.

I am independent. I am  smart. I'm relatively good looking...

But sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want and you have to deal with the consequences.

Sometimes you have to accept defeat.

Now it was officially the day after and I could faintly see the tear stains on my cheeks in the mirror from where I had cried myself to sleep last night. Of course, it was after I was sure no one would see me.

I couldn't figure out why this has affected me so much, it's not like he was my life-time best friend or anything. Heck, I didn't even know what he looked like or what his name was. But still, if affected me, so much.

After taking a hot shower where I had scrubbed myself raw, hoping that if I scrubbed hard enough the memories of last night would wash away down the drain with the soap and water, I quickly put on the comfiest pajamas I own and grabbed an empty journal from a drawer beside my bed.

Dear Diary, I began to write.

I feel positively stupid right now, doing something I haven't done since sixth grade, but I suppose I'll have to suck it up. I need to let this out, and I don't really want to tell any real people so you will have to do. At some point though, I've got to think of something better than "dear diary" because let's face it, that is way to mainstream for me. But I'll come back to that later, I have more important things to say.

I went to another one of my aunt's and mother's parties at Aunt Harper's grand hotel yesterday. It was pretty much the same as usual, breathtaking decorations and scenery, gaudy gowns, and snobby people. Well, until I met this guy. I was never told supposed to tell him my name, although I did, and he never told me his, heck, I don't even know what he looks like under the masquerade mask he had on, but he was the most wonderful person I've ever met. We danced and talked all night long, joking and teasing each other. Then midnight came and he rushed away like some sort of Cinderella,

"Bryn!" My mother interrupted my writing by calling to me from downstairs. "I'm going to the hotel, I seemed to have forgotten my handbag last night and I need to go retrieve it. Do you what anything while I'm in town?"

I thought for a minute, debating on wether or not I did want something, before realizing what she said.  If she's going back to the hotel today to look for her purse, maybe I can look around and see if I can find anything or anyone that could give me at the very least a hint to help me figure out who Angel was.

"Actually, Mom," I answered back. "I think I'll come with, can you wait a few minutes so I can get ready?"  I could not go out in public with my make looking like this, as I said, I have a reputation to keep up.

"Sure honey! But hurry, I've got a few other errands to run," she replied as I quickly moved about my room to grab some acceptable clothes.

After I grabbed some I made my way into my bathroom and washed all the remains of the mascara I wore last night that had not been done away with during my shower. Then I took an extra minute to put some mascara and lipgloss on. I knew that I didn't necessarily need it, but without mascara I felt like a panda without eyespots.

Now finished, I picked up my phone and went downstairs to the garage where Mom was already waiting in the car.

I sat down in the passenger seat and sat back to enjoy the short ride to the hotel.

A few minutes later, we had arrived at the hotel, and the valet quickly and politely parked our car for us. As we walked into the glass doors of the beautiful Glass Slipper Hotel, I took a glance at the extricate decorations that have been here to greet me since I was a little girl. Everything was beautiful and tastefully modern with shining lights and good designs and, of course, glass mirrors to add to the atmosphere.

My mother left me to do my own thing as she wandered off to Aunt Harper's office in search of her purse. I greeted many staff members as I walked through the large building. I knew most, if not all, of the many people who worked here, and tried to be as friendly as possible with them. I have known many of them since I was a child, such as Mrs. Rowe, the sweet (and a little eccentric) red headed lady who worked as the manager and helped me with my math homework when I stayed here after school.

I talked to almost everyone I saw as I made my way through the hotel, asking and inquiring about whether or not they knew of someone who fit my loose description of Angel.

But, of course, I had no luck.

Finally, I disappointedly found my way all the way outside into the large courtyard where the gazebo stands tall and proud surrounded by gorgeous scenery. For a few minutes, I aimlessly wandered around. Everyone once in awhile I would to admire some flowers or to watch the fish swam around in the clear pond as I stood on the small wooden bridge. Not much later, I grew tired of walking and sat down in the same spot I sat last night as Angel and I played twenty questions and threw M&M's at each other.

As I sat in silence, I absentmindedly fiddled with the hair bands on my wrist and watched as the birds and butterfly's moved about the garden. I had only been sitting for what seemed like a second, but was probably several minutes, when my phone began ringing. It startled me for a moment, and I accidentally three my pony-tail holder somewhere into the grass beside the gazebo. Quickly, I answered my phone and put it on speaker as I got on my knees to search for the hair band in the bush it appeared to have gone under.

"Bryn, hurry along with whatever it is that you have wandered off to do. I have other errands I need to do and it would be easier if you could come meet me at the front," my mother said over the line.

Feeling slightly defeated once again, I agreed to meet her up front as soon as possible and was about to give up the search for my lost hair tie, before finally, I felt something in my fingers.

Quickly pulling it out and standing up, I lightly brush of the invisible dirt from my legs and glance at the bracelet in my hand.

It was simple yet beautiful, and oddly familiar.

There wasn't much to it, just a worn looking piece of what appeared to be Italian leather with a broken clasp and an intricately designed angel wing holding it together. I decided to take it with me, and stuffed it in my pocket before making my way to where my mother asked me to meet her.

I spent to whole car ride twirling the bracelet in my hand, wondering why it looked so familiar before it finally hit me.

It was his bracelet. 

The bracelet he slid into my hand seconds before dashing away, the one I dropped in my haste to chase after him to no avail. But this could be it, this could be how I find my angel.

a u t h o r ' s   n o t e :

not edited

the gif is of Bryan crying and the pictures are of Bryn's bedroom, the entrance to the hotel, and Angel's bracelet in that order:)

~ holland