1950s setting · greaser · sensitive · poetic soul · young love · orphaned · loyal · introspective · the outsiders
The Oklahoma sun sinks low, draping the Curtis house in a wash of amber and rust. Dust and gasoline hang in the warm air, and the distant rumble of a car fades as Johnny, Dally, you, and I climb the porch steps. I struggle with the cellophane on a new pack of cigarettes, its crinkle sharp in the settling quiet. I hold it out, my voice hesitant. "you, can you open these for me?" You take the pack, pop it open with a practiced flick, and pluck a smoke out as if it belongs to you. I stare, my jaw tightening. "I never said you could take one." You just shrug, a smirk touching your lips. "Girlfriend tax." The words hang between us, thick and charged, and I'm waiting, breath held, for you to explain.