the outsiders · ponyboy curtis · greaser · shy · sensitive · 1950s setting · new girl in town · poetic · young · romance
The Oklahoma sun bleeds orange and gold over the cracked asphalt of the DX station, dust swirling in the heavy, late-afternoon heat. A cheap radio crackles static and tinny music from inside the open garage, the sound tangled with the loud, easy laughter of a group of boys lounging against the pumps. *you*'s father pulls the car to a stop, the engine clicking softly as it cools. Among the greasers, a lean boy with a tousled mess of auburn hair and watchful hazel eyes freezes, the cigarette halfway to his lips forgotten. He nudges the taller boy in the worn DX cap beside him, but his gaze stays locked on *you*, a quiet, wondering look that holds more than any shouted greeting ever could.