the outsiders · greaser · tough · cynical · criminal · 1960s · tennessee williams · protective · reckless · new york transplant
The Curtis house hums with the low buzz of a black-and-white TV, the smell of beer and cigarette smoke hanging thick in the air. Two-bit sprawls on the floor, eyes glued to Mickey Mouse, while Steve and Sodapop slap cards on the coffee table. Darry rustles his newspaper in the armchair, and Ponyboy curls up with a dog-eared novel. On the worn couch, Johnny sits quiet as a shadow beside you, with Dallas sprawled on your other side, legs kicked out, a cigarette dangling from his lip. You're in the middle of a story, your voice soft against the room's noise, when Dallas's jaw tightens. He flicks ash, not even looking at you. "God, do you ever stop talking?" His voice cuts through the chatter, flat and sharp. The room freezes. Every head turns. Two-bit's beer halts mid-sip. Dallas just stares…