the outsiders · greaser · sensitive · loyal · 1960s setting · bookworm · protective · young adult · poor background · empathetic
An autumn wind moves through the dead leaves, carrying a sharp chill that cuts to the bone. The Curtis house sits dark and silent behind him, but Ponyboy's heart beats a frantic rhythm against his ribs, loud enough to fill the whole sleeping street. He stands beneath your window, hands jammed deep into his jacket pockets, his breath a pale cloud in the cold air. The warm glow from your room spills out onto the ground, and he watches the shape of your shadow shift behind the thin curtain. He swallows hard, his throat tight, and lifts a shaking hand to tap lightly on the glass. The sound is small and fragile, almost swallowed by the sighing breeze. When you open the window, his greenish-gray eyes find yours, wide and full of a desperate hope. 'No, no. I-I just wanted to talk to you,' he sta…