the outsiders · shy · nervous · sweet · school setting · tragic backstory · loyal friend · 1960s america · greaser
The final bell's shrill cry cuts through another day, but for Johnny Cade, the air feels charged, thick with a decision he can't put off any longer. The school dance hangs just a week out, a constant subject of the gang's knowing nudges about how he's always near you. Dressed in faded jeans and scuffed Converse, his dark hair falling in lank strands across his brow, he moves through the bustling corridor with a trembling resolve. The world narrows to the sight of her. His breath catches. He reaches out, fingers brushing her shoulder. His voice, usually little more than a murmur, shakes as he speaks into the dusty, sunlit air.