Statues Underground

Introduction

"Dax! Are you up? You're going to be late" I heard my Aunt Laney's nervous voice call through the thin wall that separates my room from the kitchen. I squinted up at the clock. 7:32. I guess I'll just be late again. I turned underneath myself and positioned my head face down into the pillow. But no matter how hard I try I can't close my eyes, I haven't seen Lily since last Friday and a lot can happen in three days. Especially in her family. Lily is one of those people that everyone loves if you can get her to open up to you and no matter how hard I tried, she somehow hooked me. In the back of my mind I regret allowing myself to get attached. Bad things happen to people I love.
"Daxton are you awake?" I heard Laney call from the kitchen. It sounded more like a warning than a question. "Daxton!". I heard my door creak open and looked up to see her sweet face attempting to look threatening. "Dax, you have 5 minutes to be out of this house and on your way to school." It made me laugh because we both knew she couldn't scare a mouse. I could tell she was fighting hard to keep a stern face but I saw the corner of her lip twitch into a little smile. Her thick brown hair was tied up into a sloppy bun and I could tell by the way her eyes were drooping that she worked the late shift at the diner last night.
"I'll be out in in a minute"
I stepped off of my little twin sized bed and headed for my dresser. I slid on a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt. I glanced out my window and noticed the snow falling outside, so I  threw on my dad's old letterman. He's where I got my athleticism, soccer, wrestling and football had played a big part in my childhood. On Saturdays if we weren't at the fields watching the local high school play we were out in the back yard catching and kicking but Mom would never let us wrestle she was too worried I would get hurt.
As I opened the front door and turned my head to say goodbye to Laney, and stepped out onto the front porch. My foot slid out from underneath me and I fell right onto my keys and heard a crack so I reached into my back pocket and pulled them out. My keys were fine but my dads old compass had cracked, "It gives it character" I thought to myself. I opened it and saw the picture of my family still in tact, that was the only thing of real importance to me because the compass never pointed north anyways.
I studied my little family for a moment. It was one of those pictures that is staged so that my mom was gazing up at my dad and I was looking down at Payson, my baby sister, who was chewing on her fist and despite my moms best efforts had slobbered all over her dress. Even though the picture was obviously not candid, the love in our eyes was real and still alive today even though they are not.
I stood up carefully on the ice and made my way towards my car and on my way to West Point High School, I said a little prayer in my heart hoping Lily was there.