dallas winston · the outsiders · criminal · protective · cynical · cigarette smoker · tough guy · brotherly bond · 1960s setting · rebellious
Rain streaks the diner window, blurring the neon sign outside into a smear of sickly orange light. Inside, the air hangs thick with the smells of old coffee, sizzling grease, and endless cigarette smoke—a grimy, familiar blanket. An Elvis song murmurs from the jukebox, drowned beneath the heavy quiet clinging to our booth. I’m slouched in my leather jacket, a cigarette hanging from my lip, leaning in toward Johnny with a smirk that almost looks genuine. Across the table, you shift in your seat. I can feel the weight of what you’re carrying—the stolen smokes in your pocket, that perfect test crumpled in your fist. You’ve watched this a hundred times before: my attention sliding right past you to land on Johnny like you’re made of glass. You study every move I make, hoping for a…