Guarding the Angel

Chapter 1

A/N:  Hopefully this story goes somewhere!

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Three hours ago,  if someone reminded me of my Guardian Angel, watching over me from the Heavens, I would've looked them straight in the eyes, given them a single, solemn nod. Then, I would've lost it--- doubled over laughing until I couldn't breathe anymore. They would've marched out of the room indignant and I would've kept laughing long into the night. Just the mere thought of some handsome young man or woman, with a pair of wings, watching over every pathetic thing I did on a daily basis would've been enough to keep me giggling throughout the week. 

 Three hours later, I'm making my way home from a particularly boring shift as a cardboard box maker and the next I'm leaping out of the way as a large object comes flying out of the sky.  Upon impact, the object indented itself a foot into the ground. Did an airplane lose someone's luggage?  As outrageous as the thought was, I could not think of a more logical reason for something to come hurtling out of the sky. Then, whatever the object was, got to its feet and I realized it was alive. It's amazing how a single instant can flip a life-time's worth of learning on its head.

"Are you alright?" I asked, hurrying up to the person I had mistaken as an object.

He turned to look at me. "Whatever you do, do not call an ambulance. Please," he said and then collapsed to the ground again. 

Now, I'm standing in my room, staring down at the young man who I carried home on my back. He is completely covered in dirt and his black cloak is full of tears and what looks like dried blood. Most noticeable of all are the two wings on his back. They are covered in fine black feathers and glow faintly grey. It was because of the wings that I listened to the young man's request not to call an ambulance. 

I pace back and forth across my floor. It's about five hours after he passed out. If it weren't for the steady rise and fall of his chest, I would've called emergency services. What am I doing? This is ridiculous! If it weren't for the stranger, I would be sound asleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. But it can't be longer than tonight. 

"Are you going to wake up soon? I have a lot of questions for you," I say to the motionless form. 

Nothing changes as he continues to sleep. His sleeping face is smooth, showing not a worry or care in the world. He looks completely relaxed. This has the effect of doing the opposite to me. I pick up the speed of my pacing and I feel my shoulders tighten. "Do you know how much trouble I'm going to get in if I can't stay awake during my classes tomorrow?" I complain.

Eventually, I stop pacing and sit down on the floor next to my bed. My eyelids grow heavy and the steady sound of the young man's breathing is somehow soothing. 

"Harimanne, why aren't you awake yet?" my mother's loud voice shouts as my door is nearly pounded down.

I hear someone try to turn the doorknob. Quickly, I leap to my feet. I look behind me to find the young man from yesterday still sound asleep and looking as calm as ever. "I'm coming," I shout through the door.

"How many times have I told you not to lock your door?" my mother shouts again.

"I'm in the middle of changing," I lie, "I accidentally hit the snooze button too many times."

My quick explanation seems good enough and I hear footsteps retreating down the hallway. As I pull on my school uniform in the corner of my room, I swear to myself that if the young man chooses now of all times to wake up, I'm going to lose it.

Naturally, when I turn around, I find him sitting up in bed, staring straight at me with pale blue eyes. "You've finally awoken, sleeping beauty," I tell him, crossing my arms.

He continues to stare at me, expression unchanging. I shift from foot to foot as I stare back at him. "You're strange," he says, suddenly breaking the silence.

I roll my eyes. "Thank you for that wonderful insight," I say sarcastically.

He misses the sarcasm and nods his head once, waving one of his hands dismissively. I roll my eyes again. "Harimanne, hurry up," my mother calls as her footsteps start down the hallway again.

"I don't know who you are or why I brought you here," I tell the young man, "But even if you are an angel of death or something, I don't want to hear about it. I'm going to school now. If you need, you can stay here but don't let my parents or siblings see you. If you decide you'd rather be elsewhere, that's fine too. I'll deal with you when I get back."

With that, I grab my backpack, open my room door and quickly shut it behind me before my mother can come to close to the room. On my way out the door, I grab a cooked egg in my hand. It's slippery and earns me a disapproving look, but it is protein I'm going to need to stay awake today. I finish eating the egg as I climb aboard the bus. I nod at the bus driver, mouth too full to say a proper greeting and then the bus heads towards the place of torture known as school.