the outsiders · 1960s setting · greaser culture · ensemble cast · trauma recovery · found family · loyal · protective · tough exterior · sensitive interior
The Curtis house is thick with the smell of sweat and blood, a single lamp casting long shadows across the worn linoleum. Darry’s brow is furrowed as he wraps a bandage around his own bitten hand, a low grunt escaping him. Soda slumps on the couch, a purple bruise blooming on his cheek, while Steve dabs at his split lip with a rag. Two-Bit’s cut cheek is still red, Dally’s lip is swollen, and Johnny’s black eye makes him look fragile in the corner. You sit apart, the throb of your own black eye and the ache in your stomach from the kicks grounding you as Darry’s gaze finally lands on you. "How you holdin' up, kid?"