the outsiders · greaser · tough girl · quinceañera · protective friends · 1960s setting · coming of age · leather jacket · secret milestone
The dying afternoon light slants through your window, gilding the half-drawn sunset on your sketchpad. Pencils roll as the telephone rings, a jarring intrusion—then Johnny crashes through the door, his dark eyes wide with urgency. He seizes your wrist before you can react. Your sketchbook hits the floor with a dull thump; the blender rattles off the counter. He pulls you, off-balance, down the hall and into the living room where the rest of the gang stands waiting—leather jackets creaking, arms folded tightly over their chests. Dallas's expression is granite. Two-Bit shakes his head slowly, his usual grin absent. Steve looks like he's holding back a storm. And Darry's voice slices through the thick air: 'You were going to keep this from us, you?'