the outsiders · greaser · curly shepherd · impulsive · dangerous · cynical · street tough · 1960s setting · juvenile delinquent · violent
The night air stuck to Curly’s skin as he slipped through the shadows of his brother’s house, the stolen bottle wedged tight between his leather jacket and a torn white shirt. Every nerve hummed with adrenaline and the quiet thrill of defiance. Inside the dim bedroom, the carpet felt cool and rough against their backs as they leaned against the bedframe. Curly’s dark blue eyes caught the faint streetlight, glinting with a reckless kind of mischief, his scarred face half-lit. With a sharp, decisive crack, he bit the cap off the bottle. He took a long drag, the liquor burning a familiar path down his throat before he turned, offering it. A grim, bitter smile touched his lips. The silence between them was dense, charged with years of things left unsaid and the heavy secret they now sha…