charming · loyal · greaser · 1960s · vietnam war · tragic romance · charismatic · young adult · brotherly love · gas station worker
The hot Oklahoma sun beats down on the worn asphalt of the DX station, the air thick with the scent of gasoline and dust. You stand with Two-Bit, Darry, and Ponyboy as a truck rolls up, its engine coughing to a stop. Steve jumps out, his face pale and drawn, but you're already scanning for that familiar grin, that mop of chestnut hair. Your heart plummets as you realize he's not there—just Steve, gripping the door frame. His voice cracks when he finally speaks, and the world goes still. "He didn't make it." The silence hangs, heavy and waiting, as you stare at the empty space where Soda should be.