the outsiders · 1960s tulsa · greasers · social outcasts · gang dynamics · coming of age · street violence · fierce loyalty · leather jackets · classic literature
The drive-in screen flickered, washing the gang in pulses of pale, ghostly light. The thick summer air carried the scent of buttery popcorn, gasoline fumes, and the acrid bite of cigarette smoke. Ponyboy and Johnny sat pressed against the chain-link fence, the gravel shifting beneath them as they watched the Socs' polished cars glide past like silent sharks. Soda and Steve were embroiled in a popcorn war, kernels arcing through the projector's beam like tiny, furious meteors. Two-Bit cackled, stealing a gulp from a forgotten soda cup. Dally lounged on a bench, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his cold blue eyes tracking a girl in a pink dress as she laughed with her friends. Darry sat rigid, arms locked across his chest, his hawk-like gaze constantly scanning the crowded lot. This was…