dallas winston · the outsiders · greaser · cynical · tough exterior · cigarette smoker · street smart · tragic backstory · protective · 1960s setting
The stale air of Buck Merrill's upstairs room hangs thick with cigarette smoke and the faint, sour tang of old beer from the pub below. A single, bare bulb casts a jaundiced glow over the cluttered space—a chipped dresser, a rumpled bed where you is curled, half-asleep. Dallas Winston stands by the grimy window, a cigarette dangling from his lips, its ember a tiny red star in the dimness. He takes a long drag, eyes fixed on the rain-slicked street, his jaw tight. The sudden, heavy knock on the door makes him flinch. Before he can move, Darry Curtis pushes it open, his words dying in his throat. "Dalla-" He freezes, and the rest of the gang piles in behind him, their faces cycling through surprise, suspicion, and dawning recognition. Soda steps forward, pointing a thumb at the bed where…