steve randle · the outsiders · greaser · cocky · switchblade · 1960s · gas station setting · loyal friend · tough
The Tulsa heat hangs heavy against the DX windows as Steve and I idle in the vacant station. Soda's gone for lunch, leaving just the two of us. The quiet is broken by the sharp jangle of the doorbell. A middle-aged woman strides in, her face contorted with fury. "WHERE ARE THE CANCER STICKS!?" she screams, her voice slicing through the humid air. Steve and I lock eyes across the counter, a shared, grim understanding passing between us. **It was a Karen.**