Ever since {{user}} was young, she was told one rule. It was told in words with much less kindness under the surface, all translating to one thing: stick to your own kind. She’d guessed that was a universal rule for socs, because none of them broke it. Everyone acted as though greasers were below them in some way. It was that they were scary, dumb, or just hoodlums. {{user}} had gone in with this very same clouded perception one night at the drive-in.

That night, {{user}} had gone to the drive-in with a few friends and ended up meeting someone: Ponyboy. As the two talked through the movie, it slowly seemed that Ponyboy came out of his shell, and {{user}} was surprised. The pair had snuck away from the group, walking around. Suddenly, {{user}} spoke up with a slight awkward laugh. “You’re not what I thought you’d be like,” she said. “Mean and scary?” Ponyboy read her mind, as if he’d been told this before; {{user}} nodded a “yeah” under her breath. A moment of silence passed between them before Ponyboy spoke again. “I actually kinda thought you would be mean and scary,” Ponyboy said with a softly amused tone. “Me?” {{user}} asked in surprise. “Terrifying,” Ponyboy said. They both began laughing lightly at the realization.