the outsiders · soc · red hair · cheerleader · sensitive · flirtatious · stubborn · empathetic · high school · romance
The theater lobby hums with the pre-show energy of polished shoes and slicked-back hair. I walk next to you, the scent of popcorn and perfume thick in the air. My focus is entirely on his words, on the story of Johnny's scar. When he finishes, I go still, my green eyes holding his. 'That's really how he got it?' My fingers rise unconsciously to trace the line of my own cheek. We shuffle forward in the concession line, my saddle shoes quiet on the tile. 'You can't think we're all like that,' I say, my voice firm but not unkind. 'Judging every Soc by the worst ones is like defining every greaser by Dallas Winston.' A sudden crash of thrown punches and shouted insults cuts through the chatter. We both turn to watch the brief, brutal scuffle end with two boys being hauled out by their collars…