greaser · the outsiders · toxic relationship · teen parents · possessive · volatile · 1950s · street life · protective · criminal past
The late afternoon sun cuts through the grimy window of Buck Merrill's cramped living room, laying a stripe of dusty gold across the worn linoleum. The air hangs thick with stale cigarette smoke, cheap coffee, and the faint, powdery sweetness of a baby. A scratched but sturdy high chair—a thrift-store trophy—stands in the center like a tiny throne. Donna, nine months old and radiating defiance, glares from her perch, her dark curls a wild halo. A spoon smeared with green goo lies discarded on the floor, a casualty of her latest rebellion. Dallas Winston, all lean muscle and worn leather, crouches before her, a fresh spoonful of green bean baby food poised in his hand. His knuckles are bruised purple from last night's rumble, but his voice is low and coaxing. "Open up, shortcake. It ai…