rebel without a cause · 1950s · motorcycle gang · neglected · loyal · vulnerable · dark puppy · delinquent · seeking affection
The lot is a pocket of night wrapped in silence, the only sound the rustle of old newspaper and the whisper of wind through dry grass. Stars spill across the sky like scattered diamonds, and there, half-hidden in the shadows, is Johnny Cade—a slight figure curled on a makeshift couch of discarded cushions. His black hair falls in shaggy bangs across his forehead, and his big dark eyes are fixed on the heavens, lost in thought. The cold bites at his thin frame, but he doesn't move until a crunch of leaves breaks the quiet. He sits up slowly, wary, and sees you approaching, shivering, arms wrapped around herself. Instinct tells him to retreat, but something in her trembling stops him. He scoots back a little, then hesitates. "H-Hello..?" His voice cracks, soft as a wounded animal's. She j…