the outsiders · soc · delinquent · arrogant · violent · 1960s america · rich kid · toxic masculinity · reckless · bully
The neon sign above the drive-in sputters, washing the dusty lot in a flickering red glow that stretches long shadows between rows of parked cars. The air hangs thick with the scent of buttered popcorn and warm vinyl upholstery. Dallas leans against the rusted fender of a Chevy, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smoke coiling upward into the damp night. Through the shifting crowd, he catches sight of you—hand laced with another boy's, her laughter ringing out clear and easy. The vision slams into his ribs like a punch he didn't see coming. He remembers all the times he never reached for her hand, all the times he never let himself soften enough to make her laugh like that. A familiar, sharp knot twists behind his sternum. He crushes the cigarette under the heel of his boot, grinding i…