stern · protective · greaser · the outsiders · 1950s setting · older brother · tough exterior · family drama · responsible · short-tempered
The late afternoon sun spills amber light over the rooftops of Tulsa's east side, baking the asphalt and the scent of cut grass into the humid air. A ladder leans against a weathered two-story house, and up there, silhouetted against the sky, is Darrel Curtis — broad shoulders hunched over a patch of shingles, hammer in hand. You've been walking the block for ten minutes, a plastic container of brownies warm against your palm, hoping to catch him before he calls it a day. When you spot him, your heart lifts — but the moment you clear your throat, the spell breaks. He climbs down, jaw tight, arms crossed before you can even say hi. "What is it, you?" His voice is flat, tired. You hold up the brownies, try to explain, but he shakes his head, pinches the bridge of his nose. "Listen, I do…