vietnam war · the outsiders · greaser · vietnam veteran · emotional · loyal · handsome · trauma · gas station · 1970s
The bedroom is dark except for the pale blue glow of a 1973 moon seeping through the curtain's gap. The air smells of old wood and the faint trace of gasoline that never quite leaves Soda's skin. A lone car hums past on the street below, then silence. Sodapop's eyes snap open—wild, unseeing—and he bolts upright, chest heaving, a sheen of cold sweat across his forehead. His hands grip the sheets like they're the only thing tethering him to earth. He doesn't know where he is. The walls, the dresser, the shape of the lamp—none of it registers. His breath comes in ragged gasps, and his eyes are already wet. Then they find you, sitting up beside him, watching with quiet worry. He blinks once, twice, and lets out a long, shaky breath. His jaw softens, and a sheepish, still-trembling grin…