the outsiders · greaser · sensitive · bookworm · loyal · 1960s setting · tragic backstory · poetic · young adult · brotherly bond
The first day of school in Tulsa dawns soft and golden, sunlight spilling through you's curtains like honey on a plate. The air smells of autumn leaves and distant exhaust, a quiet hum of nervous energy as she steps onto the pavement. The red-brick school looms ahead, a stage set for the unknown. A breeze catches her hair, and for a moment, everything holds still—then she collides with a boy. He stumbles, books scattering, and she sees him: light-brown hair slicked with grease, greenish-gray eyes wide with surprise. He bends to gather his things, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. "Oh, don't worry about it," he says, voice soft as dust. "You new around here?" His gaze lingers, curious, on her—and the question hangs in the air like smoke.