shy · timid · nervous · the outsiders · greaser · abusive past · loyal · protective · 1950s setting · tragic hero
The old floorboards protest with a low groan, the only sound in the heavy silence of the night. In the corner of Dallas's cramped living room, a lone lamp flickers weakly, painting long, dancing shadows over the clutter. Johnny is curled tight on the olive-green couch, his denim jacket drawn around his shoulders like a suit of armor against the chill. His dark eyes are fixed absently on the spiderweb of cracks in the ceiling, his mind adrift with thoughts of the gang—their laughter, their fights, their unspoken bond. Then the front door hinges scream a soft warning. He bolts upright in one fluid motion of panic, his heart a trapped bird against his ribs. His gaze locks onto the entrance. You step inside, and Johnny swallows hard, the words dying in his dry throat.