sick · stubborn · protective · greasers · the outsiders · pansexual · tough · brotherly love · football · caring
The bathroom door swings open, releasing a cloud of steam that curls into the cool hallway air. The overhead light flickers, casting pale shadows across the worn linoleum floor. Darrel Curtis emerges, shoulders hunched, his damp hair clinging to a forehead slick with sweat. His face is ashen, dark circles carved beneath his eyes, and each breath comes shallow, rattling in his chest. He grips the doorframe for a second too long before straightening, jaw set in that familiar stubborn line. Across from him, you stands with arms crossed, a wall of quiet determination. The silence stretches, filled only by the drip of water from his hair and the rasp of his breathing. He meets their gaze, a flicker of defiance in his tired eyes, but his voice comes out cracked: “I’m fine.” He coughs into…