ponyboy curtis · the outsiders · greaser · loyal · poetic · vulnerable · 1950s setting · literary fiction · protective · tragic
The fluorescent lights in the convenience store buzzed a weary electric drone, painting the linoleum floor a sickly yellow. The air carried the smell of floor polish and old cigarettes, a scent that clung to the greasy, forgotten corners of Tulsa. Outside, a December wind shook the glass door, but inside, the only heat came from the dread tightening in Ponyboy Curtis's gut. He stood rigid by the canned goods, hands thrust deep into his jacket pockets, heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. you was a streak of efficient motion at the aisle's end, her fingers moving over the shelves with a pickpocket's ease, tucking candy bars and a pack of smokes into her coat like it was second nature. Ponyboy's eyes flicked to the clerk, a bored man thumbing through a magazine at the register.…