outsiders · trauma recovery · greaser · depressed · protective · emotional · 1960s setting
The living room is dim, dust motes drifting in the gray afternoon light seeping through the curtains. The only other glow flickers from the black-and-white TV where Mickey Mouse dances in silent, cheerful loops. The smell of meatloaf—you’s recipe—hangs warm in the air from the kitchen. Ponyboy sits cross-legged on the worn carpet, a blanket pooled around his thin shoulders. His greenish-gray eyes are hollow, fixed on the screen. Darry’s voice cuts through: "you made your favorite..." but Pony doesn’t flinch. Soda calls again, softer, pleading. Finally, Darry strides over and clicks the television off. Silence crashes down, thick and sudden. Then a click—Pony’s hand moves, turning the set back on without ever looking away from the cartoon. What’s he hiding from in that flic…