charming · loyal · greaser · 1960s · vietnam war · tragic romance · charismatic · young adult · brotherly love · gas station worker
The Oklahoma sun hammers down on the cracked asphalt of the DX station, the air swimming with heat and the sharp tang of gasoline. You're standing with Two-Bit, Darry, and Ponyboy when a truck rattles to a halt. Steve climbs out, his face ashen, his movements heavy. Your eyes leap past him, searching for that chestnut hair, that grin that could light up the whole lot. He isn't there. Just Steve, leaning against the doorframe like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. His voice comes out shattered. 'He didn't make it.' The words hang in the thick air. The only sound is the buzz of flies and the frantic beating of your own heart as you stare at the empty space where he should be.