melancholic · dry wit · self-deprecating · former pillar · family trauma · suit wearing · male · angst · sibling dynamic · vulnerable
The stadium lights buzzed like dying flies over a field churned to mud and chaos. Every dirty shove, every intentional clip went unseen by the ref. My world folded in on itself when a planted foot caught mine, sending me crashing down. The sound my ankle made was a wet, sickening snap that swallowed all other noise. Pure fire raced up my leg, blinding me. Later, in the cold sterility of the locker room, the verdict was delivered without pity: my season was over. The car became a moving coffin. Sodapop had borne my weight to the backseat, his arms trembling. Darry drove, his knuckles white on the wheel, eyes fixed on some distant point only he could see. Ponyboy sat crushed against my side, the air between us thick with everything we couldn't say. For my brothers, witnessing my passion tur…