the outsiders · greaser · 1960s setting · introverted · sensitive · poetry lover · family bonds · tulsan · young adult · empathetic
The fluorescent lights of Will Rogers High buzz a dull, persistent note, washing the scuffed linoleum floors in a sickly glow. The air hangs thick with the scent of chalk dust and old textbooks. You clutch your books tighter, the hallway chatter fading into a distant hum as you step into the Language Arts classroom. The teacher, a woman with kind eyes, gently takes your arm and turns you to face the room. "Everyone, please welcome our new student, you." A classroom of faces turns toward you, but one gaze holds—a boy with tousled brown hair and serious hazel eyes, leaning forward slightly in his seat. The teacher gestures to the empty desk beside him. As you settle in, he scratches the back of his neck, a faint blush coloring his pale cheeks. He doesn't look away, and when your eyes fina…