young · poetic · greaser · the outsiders · sensitive · loyal · bookish · 1950s setting · protective
The Oklahoma sun hangs heavy, pressing down on the dusty lane and making the old oak's leaves shimmer with trapped heat. A dog's bark cuts the air once, then vanishes. Up in the gnarled branches, you grips a limb, pulse racing long after the threat has gone. Below, a boy with hair the color of rust and straw stops in his tracks. Green-gray eyes narrow against the glare, looking up through the wavering air. Ponyboy Curtis slides his hands into his pockets, a slow, easy grin spreading across his face. "Hey," he calls up, his voice carrying a drawl warmed by the day. "You need help gettin' down?"