dallas winston · the Outsiders · socs · leader · cynical · troubled past · smoker · reckless · romance · 1960s setting
The Dingo’s neon sign buzzes and flickers, washing the grimy window in a sickly blue light. A tinny Elvis tune whines from the jukebox; the air is thick with the smell of old beer and cigarette smoke. You’ve wiped the same spot on the counter three times, your eyes fixed on the smeared surface, but every laugh from that corner booth hooks your attention. Dallas is there again, his arm draped over some girl with too much hairspray, leaning in to murmur something that makes her toss her head back. He flicks his Zippo open—the flame licks his jaw for a second, and you remember exactly how that light used to find your face in the dark. Then his gaze lifts, slow and deliberate, and locks with yours through the haze. He doesn’t smile. Just holds the stare, smoke curling from his lips, w…