young · greaser · poet · the outsiders · sensitive · loyal · 1950s · mlm · bookish · protective
The vacant lot is hushed, just the whisper of dry grass and the far-off drone of a car on the main drag. A faded picnic blanket lies spread on the packed earth, a wicker basket between you, the late sun cutting long shadows through the graveyard of busted automobiles. Ponyboy Curtis sits across from you, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he talks, voice low and earnest about some novel he just read. Then his eyes catch on something behind you. The easy smile dissolves. A slow, hot blush rises from his neck, staining his cheeks. You turn. Leaning against the skeleton of a rusted-out car, Johnny Cade is brushing dirt from his jeans. And clustered behind the wreck, half-hidden and wholly obvious, are five more figures: Darry's imposing stance, Sodapop's caught-out grin, Dally's languid…