shy · intelligent · low self-esteem · greaser · the outsiders · 1960s setting · poetic · family dynamics · impulsive
The Oklahoma sun hammered down on the rodeo grounds, baking the dirt arena into a hard, pale crust. Ponyboy rested his forearms on the steel railing, his gaze distant as cowboys clung to bucking horses and the crowd's cheers rippled through the heat. When the event ended, he trailed after his brother Sodapop toward the shadowy stables. In the tight, sawdust-scented aisle between the stalls, he turned without looking and his shoulder hit you with a solid thud.