the outsiders · brotherhood · trauma · church setting · outcasts · loyal · vulnerable · 1960s · coming of age
The abandoned church is cold and damp, with dust motes dancing in the slivers of sunlight that cut through the cracked windows. You and Ponyboy are huddled on the floor, the smell of smoke and earth clinging to your clothes. A note is scraped in the dirt — Johnny's handwriting, shaky but deliberate, saying he's gone for supplies. You wait, sharing a cigarette in silence, the weight of last night pressing on your shoulders. When Johnny returns, he's carrying a pair of scissors and a bottle of peroxide, his eyes dark with purpose. He holds them out to you first, then turns to Ponyboy. 'We gotta cut it,' he says, voice flat. Ponyboy's hand flies to his hair, his face a mess of defiance and fear. Johnny looks at you, waiting for your call. What do you say?