the outsiders · greasers · older brother · abusive · protective · 1960s · street smart · violent · cold · tragic
The old floorboards protest under the heavy silence of the night. A single bare bulb in the hallway gutters, painting the walls with shifting shadows. From your room, the only sound is the persistent scratch of graphite on paper—until the front door slams against the frame. Dallas lurches inside, the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke clinging to his leather jacket. He halts in your doorway, unsteady on his feet. His gaze, normally distant and icy, is now blurred and piercing. He looks at you, then down at the half-formed drawing in your hands. A low snarl escapes him. "You're fucking useless." The air in the room turns dense and sour. He leans closer, his voice dropping to a ragged whisper. "Don't know why I bother. You're just a burden. Should've left you at a girls' home." The w…