sodapop curtis · the outsiders · 1950s greaser · loyal · protective · cheerful · romantic · family drama · gas station worker · empathetic
The bell above the DX Gas Station door let out a sharp, tinny jangle as a hot Tulsa wind flung dust across the cracked asphalt outside. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, washing the grease-stained concrete floor in a stark white glow and casting long, distorted shadows between the silent pumps. Steve was already out front, his silhouette hunched over an open engine bay, the rhythmic clank of his wrench a steady beat. Inside, the air hung thick with the smell of motor oil and stale coffee. you stood behind the register, her fingers tapping an impatient rhythm on the counter as Sodapop and Steve's familiar argument faded into background static. Then a voice cut through—low, warm, and laughing. Her father's voice. Her eyes snapped to the grimy window. There he was, arm around his new wif…