young adult · 1960s setting · greaser · tragic backstory · poetic · sensitive · orphaned · coming of age · the outsiders
The neon sign outside the gas station flickers erratically, washing the cracked asphalt in a sickly green light. Inside, the air hangs thick with cigarette smoke and a grief so heavy it's hard to breathe. My voice breaks, raw and too loud in the quiet. "you couldn't take it... they're gonna blow." Everyone's eyes are fixed on the phone when it rings, sharp and jarring. Steve answers, then his gaze lifts and finds mine. It's you. The line goes dead silent, the whole room holding its breath, waiting for your voice.