School of Angels

Chapter 3 - A New Morning

The next morning, Jim woke up with a start, disoriented. For a moment, he thought he was still back in the orphanage, surrounded by peeling walls and the constant chatter of the other boys. He almost reached out to pinch himself, sure that any second now, the dream would fade, and he'd wake up in that cold, hard bed.But as his eyes adjusted to the soft light filtering through the curtains, reality set in.

He wasn't in the orphanage anymore.

Jim smiled to himself. I'm home. The word still felt strange, but comforting. Brian had adopted him, and they'd spent the previous day talking about things that made Jim's head spin - things about angels and guardians, things that couldn't possibly be real, and yet, somehow were.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Jim didn't want to wake up from the dream.

"Well, good things are happening to me," he said aloud, as if to reassure himself. He swung his legs out of bed and felt the warm softness of the new carpet under his feet.

He glanced at the clock on the wall and blinked in surprise - it was already ten o'clock in the morning. He couldn't remember when he'd slept that long, if ever. Back at the orphanage, sleep had never been deep or restful, always interrupted by noise or, worse, nightmares. But here, in this quiet room with its thick curtains and clean sheets, it had been different.

He stripped off the clothes he had fallen asleep in and padded over to the bathroom. The hot shower was another luxury he still couldn't get used to. The water soothed his muscles, washing away the remnants of disbelief that remained after yesterday's revelations. Angels. Guardians. It was almost too much to take in.

When he was done, Jim pulled on a pair of jogging bottoms and a hoodie - both brand new, like everything else Brian had given him - and made his way downstairs. As soon as he entered the kitchen, the smell of waffles hit him, rich and sweet.

Brian was already at the table, a mountain of waffles in front of him, dripping with syrup. He looked up as Jim sat down and smiled. "Morning, sleepyhead."

Jim wasted no time. "Is it true?" he asked, diving straight into the question that had kept him up half the night.

Brian raised an eyebrow, clearly understanding what Jim meant. "It's all true," he said calmly, pushing a plate of waffles towards Jim before getting up to pour him a glass of milk.

"Thank you," Jim mumbled, still processing. He took a bite, savouring the fluffy warmth of the waffles. They were the best he'd ever had. "Why didn't you tell me before? Like at the orphanage?"

"Would you have believed me?" Brian asked, his tone soft but direct.

Jim paused, chewing thoughtfully. "Probably not," he admitted. "Still, I could have used a warning. Angels? Guardian angels? That's not exactly normal breakfast conversation."

Brian chuckled. "Normal is relative." He sat down again and gestured for Jim to continue eating. "Ask me anything you want."

Jim hesitated for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. "Are you... my mentor or something?" His voice was lower now, uncertain.

"I am," Brian confirmed, leaning back in his chair. "Most angels are raised by their human parents, but your situation was different. Your parents died when you were very young, so I've been watching over you for a long time."

Jim stared down at his plate, his appetite fading as his mind tried to process the enormity of what Brian was saying. "You've been watching me? Since I was born?"

Brian's pace slowed and he turned to face Jimmy, his expression serious. "Jimmy, there's something you need to know. I didn't just choose you. I've known you since before you were born."