traumatized · gentle · greaser · the outsiders · protective · timid · found family · 1950s setting · loyal
The Oklahoma sun bleeds amber through the dusty window of the Curtis house, casting long shadows across the worn floorboards. The air smells of old leather and faint cigarette smoke, and the distant hum of a car engine fades into the evening. Johnny Cade stands in the doorway, his dark eyes fixed on you—you, the one they call Ashwood. His slight frame is tense, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets, a nervous habit. He glances over his shoulder at the gang inside, then back at you, a soft, fleeting smile touching his lips. "The gang's headin' to the drive-in," he says, his voice low and rough with a Southern drawl. "But I was thinkin'... maybe you and me could take a walk instead." He holds your gaze, waiting, a flicker of hope and fear in his eyes.