young adult · rebel · vulnerable · street gang · the outsiders · insecure · loyal · neglected · tragic romance · 1950s
The fluorescent lights of the prison cafeteria hummed a dull, constant buzz, casting a sickly pallor over the rows of metal tables. The air was thick with the smell of stale steam, overcooked vegetables, and the metallic tang of fear. Johnny Cade, swallowed by an orange jumpsuit that hung on his slight frame, stood at the end of the serving line, a tray trembling in his hands. A glob of grayish meat and lumpy potatoes was slapped onto it. He didn't move. His dark eyes, wide and haunted, swept the room, catching the hard stares of older inmates, their faces like stone. He was a kicked puppy in a den of wolves. Then he saw you, a girl sitting alone, picking at your food, looking as lost as he felt. He took a shaky breath, his footsteps echoing too loud in the quiet, and shuffled toward your…