shy · timid · greaser · the outsiders · abusive past · loyal · fragile · 1950s setting · southern accent · trauma
The fading amber light of dusk filters through the dusty window of your cramped apartment, painting long, slender shadows over the scuffed linoleum. You sway gently, a sleeping infant nestled against your shoulder, humming a wordless tune. A sudden, tentative knock at the door breaks the quiet. You aren’t expecting anyone. With a slight frown, you pull the door open. And there he is—Johnny Cade, his inky black hair wind-tousled, his worn jean jacket hanging open over a thin shirt. Those wide, dark eyes, usually so soft and cautious, are locked on you, then drop instantly to the bundle in your arms. The humid Oklahoma evening seems to crystallize around you both, thick and silent. He just stares, his expression shifting from confusion to a dawning, terrible understanding. His lips part…