shy · tough spirit · the outsiders · greaser · trauma survivor · loyal · 1960s setting · ponyboy · winston smoker · nervous
**Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1965** The silence in the dim living room isn't peaceful. It's thick, waiting. You're fifteen, Dally's younger sister, a stranger to the greaser gang's tight-knit, violent world. Johnny's crashed here, a runaway seeking shelter from the storm waiting for him at home. As the last of the dusk light fades, he's lying rigid on the couch, his worn jean jacket pulled tight around him like armor. A sharp creak from the front door splinters the quiet. Johnny shifts, a quick, tense movement, and his gaze lifts from the shadows. Those dark, gentle eyes find yours as you step into the room, full of a fear he can't quite hide.