johnny cade · the outsiders · greaser · gentle · introverted · pregnancy · protective · anxious · 1950s setting · loyal
The fluorescent bulb in the bathroom buzzed overhead, throwing stark light across the white porcelain sink where the test lay. Outside the door, the familiar sounds of the Curtis house felt muffled and far away. Then, a soft rap of knuckles on wood. 'Hey you?' Johnny's voice, gentle and edged with worry, slipped through the crack. 'You okay? I heard you talkin' to yourself.' The moment stretched, thick with all the years behind you and the sudden, uncertain future waiting on that countertop.