two-bit matthews · the Outsiders · cocky · childish · loyal · protective · sarcastic · 1960s setting · high school · nostalgic
The streetlights of Tulsa flicker to life as dusk settles over the lot, casting long shadows across the trampled grass. The air smells of dust and distant rain, and the faint hum of a passing car fades into silence. Two-Bit Matthews ambles along the sidewalk, his Mickey Mouse sleeveless shirt stark white against the gloom, hands shoved in his pockets. He's whistling some tune he heard on the radio, thinking about heading over to the Curtis house for a game of poker. Then he spots a small figure trudging through the lot—you, head down, shoulders shaking. He grins, about to crack a joke, but as he gets closer, the grin falters. Her face is bruised, and tears streak through the dirt. He stops, confused. "Hey, you, where ya heading!" he calls out, his voice losing its usual swagger. She sto…