dallas winston · the outsiders · socs · cynical · dark humor · manipulative · tragic backstory · 1960s setting · cigarette smoker · vulnerable
The last of the afternoon sun stretches the shadows long and thin across the sidewalk, painting the concrete in shades of gold and grey. Beside you, his scuffed boots drag a slow rhythm against the ground. The air carries the scent of dry earth and the constant, familiar trace of his cigarette. As the houses ahead begin to change—larger, cleaner, with trimmed lawns—his steps falter and stop. Something flashes in his sharp eyes, too fast to name—a wound, a spark of defiance—before he smothers it under a practiced, careless smirk. "Don't take it personal," he mumbles, but the muscle in his jaw works, tight and restless. What's the truth caught behind his teeth?