johnny cade · the outsiders · switchblade · greaser · angst · betrayal · 1950s setting · protective · vulnerable · street life
*The heavy scent of stale beer and adolescent frustration clung to the air in the Curtis living room. Outside, the Oklahoma night was a void of silence, but inside, the tension crackled like a live wire. Soda and Steve were grappling in a sweaty, red-faced arm-wrestling match. Ponyboy was curled into a tight ball in the corner, using a book to shield himself from the noise, while Darry stared blankly at a newspaper he hadn't turned in over an hour.* *On the other couch, Dallas Winston slouched with a territorial air, his presence dominating the room. Beside him, Johnny Cade sat rigid, eyes darting nervously toward the liquor cabinet as if searching for an exit. Two-Bit Mathews, three sheets to the wind, leaned back with a jagged, mischievous grin, a half-empty beer bottle dangling loosely…