The start of everything

Johnny was something more than a buddy.I opened the book and a slip of paper fell off.There's a phrase i could not forget; you're gold when you are a kid,like green.When you are a kid,every thing's new,dawn.I knew someone should tell their side of the story.Maybe people will understand by not judging a boy by the amount of grease oil he wore.It was important to me.I phoned my English teacher and asked how long can the theme be.He said as long as i want.I sat down remembering a handsome,dark boy with a reckless grin and a hot temper. A tough, towheaded boy with a cigarette in his mouth and a bitter grin on his hard face. Remembering - and this time it didn't hurt - a quiet, defeated-looking sixteen-year old whose hair needed cutting badly and who had black eyes with a frightened expression to them. One week had taken all three of them. And I decided I could tell people, beginning with my English teacher. I wondered for a long time how to start that theme, how to start writing about something that was important to me. And I finally began like this: When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home....

Pissed off Soda

Darry,Sodapop,Randy and his parent,Cherry and his parents and some guys that jumped on Johnny and me,were present during the hearing.The Socs told the same story and mostly were the truth except that they said that it was Johnny who killed Bob.Cherry told what had happened before and after Johnny was being jumped.The judge asked Darry and Soda about Dally.i think they had to check up our background and find out what kind of guys we usually hang out with.The judge asked if i enjoyed living with Darry,if i like school,what kind of grades i get and things like that.I did not had the chance to talk and i did not feel like talking much too.I wished that everything would go back to normal.My English teacher talked to me about my grades and he would pass me only if i can come up with a good semester theme.He said that the theme must be based on my own ideas and experiences.During lunch hours,i met Two-Bit and Steve and we went to buy cigarettes and coke.The store was a grease hang-out and what we always had for lunch.The Socs was creating trouble at the school cafeteria and people tried to blame it on us.We thought i was funny as we rarely eat there.I was sitting on the fender of Steve's car,smoking drinking Pepsi when the Socs came.One of them thought that i was the one that killed Bob.I busted the end of my bottle and held it on the neck.They kind of looked surprised and one of them backed off.I held the bottle the way Tim Shepard holds a switch ; away from myself and holds it firm.The Socs then went away.Two-Bit and Steve were watching me and backing me up if i need but they guess the didn't need to.I later picked up the broken glass as i did not want anyone to get flat tyre.I tried to write the theme.Soda cooked dinner tonight and everything was alright.That was a bit unusual as he was always trying to make thing different.Once we even got GREEN PANCAKES !It will be never boring to have a brother like Soda.Soda was quiet and he didn't eat much.It was unusual,sometimes you can't even shut him up.After supper,Darry and I got into a fuss.Soda then bolted out of the door.There was an envelope that he had wrote to Sandy.Returned,unopened.We knew that Soda was not feeling great and we ran after him.We cut him halfway.Soda said that he can't stand us fighting.He explained to us and we realized that we had really hurt Soda.We then raced home.

Meeting Randy

I had to stay in the bed a whole week after that.I spend most of my time reading and drawing pictures.I came across a picture and i then realised it was Bob.I was thinking when Randy came to look for me.He told me we gonna see the judge tomorrow.He told me that his father asked him to tell the truth.He even felt that he had let him father down by mixing up in all this things.I felt that it was dumb,he didn't kill anyone,his friends did not die,he did not lose anything!His dad was rich and he could pay any fines there was for for being drunk or picking up a fight.He asked me if my parents felt awful.I told him my parents are dead and i am living with my two brothers.I was afraid that the judge would decide that Darry is not a good guardian.He was a good one that always keep me out of trouble.He said that i didn't do anything,it was Johnny who killed Bob.I stopped him.I said i was the one who had the switchblade and i was the one that killed Bob.Randy said that i was almost drowned and it was Johnny that killed him.I told him that i was scared that they beat me up and then i killed Bob.He said it was the one that died in the hospital,that killed Bob.My voice was shaking and i repeatedly said that Johnny isn't DEAD!Darry told Randy to get moving.He told Randy that i was still a bit racked up.Darry was just as cold-blooded.He told me to put out the cigarette.It was the first time he called me baby brother.

Dally's Death

We were all grieving over the loss of Johnnycake. We all took it badly, but no one took it as bad as Dally, he was a emotional wreck. Johnny was nearly everything to him, he cared so much for Johnny, but Johnny was gone. Dally called us and from a public phone, apparently he robbed a store and told us to meet him at the empty lot.

We went and saw Dally followed by policemen, he took out his blank pistol on purpose, and the policemen shot him down. When he saw him fall to the floor, we knew he died before he reached the ground.

We had received 2 deaths in a week. This time, we were not so devastated as we knew that Dally had it coming. But, i am still mourning for Johnny.

Rumble/Death

We stomped the greasers, but other things happened which shouldn't. It was a bittersweet day, bitter being the main emotion. It all happened after i woke up from my nap. I swallowed 5 aspirins to take the headache away.I then curiously asked Soda and Darry when they started shaving, they answered me 15 and 13 respectively. The house was a parade, everybody was busy and doing things. Darry was busy flexing his muscles, Steve and Soda were playing poker in the living room. Then, the bomb hit. Darry was unsure of whether i should participate in the rumble, i begged him to let me go but he refused at the start. But after more pleading from his baby brother, he allowed me to go for it. We then proceeded to head for the vacant lot and everybody did their gymnastics off the front door heading there, Darry taught us all moves back when he learnt them. We hanged around the other greasers and found out that Curly was in Rehab. I looked over at the Brumly Boys and back at us. They were organized, they had a leader, but they didn't look as if they had much fun. On the other hand, we were less organized but at least we always had fun together, no one was another person's leader and that was perfect. A few minutes later, the Socs arrived a long with their Mustangs. It was very fast action, and Darry walked up in the centre and announced that he would take on anyone. But, unknown to Darry, his old time buddy Paul was to be his rival. Darry fidgeted at first, but then went back to his old cold self. The rumble was about to begin when Dallas turned up, he took Darry's attention away and Paul took the opportunity to punch Darry in the jaw. That was the opening punch. Chaos soon followed. It was guy on guy everywhere. Every Greaser had a Social to bop and every Social has a Greaser to bop. There was people fighting everywhere, each person with their own gender. The socs to avenge Bob, and us, to defend our territory. It was long and hard, but eventually, we overcame them and they fled. I still can't believe it, we actually stomped them. After that Dally took me to the hospital, and he fooled the fuzz to escort us, allowing us to reach the hospital in record time. The following which happened, i will pretend didn't. It is a hard fact to take, the death of a friend, and if the person was like a brother to you, it hurt more. Trust me, it hurts. Johnny died. It was in the hospital,we were too late. We could only hear his last words, he told me to 'stay gold' to 'stay gold'. He died, peacefully at least, but he was young, he didn't want to die, but he did. I couldn't take the news and after Dallas bolted out of the hospital, i followed suit. Not going to accept the news.

Johnny's Visit

We went to the hospital today to visit Johnnycake. But the nurse didn't allow us, we plead the doctor to let us visit Johnny, and finally, he relented. Johnny wanted another copy of Gone With The Wind. since our original copy which we shared in Windrixville had been destroyed by the fire. Johnny also related to us the sad fact that he KNEW he as paralyzed from waist down. I wanted to break down when Johnny told us that he didn't want to die so young. It was depressing, i felt sad for the kid. He was a brother to me. Just then, Johnny's mother came to visit him, it was a sad sight seeing how he refused to see his mother, i mean, it was his own mother! You could have guessed what made him refuse her. She started screaming and shouting at him after that, something about ' ungratefulness and how we were a negative influence.' I couldn't blame Johnny for hating her, no one would. At the hospital, i also witnessed Dallas asking Two-Bit for his black handled switchblade, i wonder what he would do with it. We then met Cherry after visiting Johnny, and what a girl she was. She told us that the Socs has decided to play our way, without weapons, just our fists. She broke down telling us that she could not visit Johnny, as he was the one that killed Bob. She related the relationship between them, stating that she was really in love with Bob. Then, she said something to me that surprised me, she told me that she had liked me from the start, and that i was a nice kid. I blushed. I asked her a question too. She replied my question, saying that she could see the sunset from the East Side too. She was always a nice person to talk to. I guess that socs/greasers aren't so different after all

FIRE!

Johnny was thinking of turning himself in and dally wont allow...he don want johnny to get hurt ...he said that a few months in jail ...johnny will get hardened...he don't want that to happened to Johnny like it happened to himself..... Then johnny asked dally if he rather him to live in hideouts for the rest of his life and always on the run.... and i know that if dally said yes...johnny will go back to the church without any hesitation...he figured dally know more than him and Dally words is law but we never heard dally answers as when we reached top of jay mountain..... THE CHURCH WAS ON FIRE !i was excited at the same time curious of what was happening down there and i said to johnny to check it out and i hop off the car..Dally said he will beat my head in if i get off ...i figured that he will park his car and carry out his threst but johnny went out off the car and i figured that i was safe...There was crowd in front of the church mostly little kids and i tap the nearest adult and ask what was going on.... He said that the church is on fire ....and about that time a lady came running and said that some children were missing ..she aid that the children were missing for about half an hour.... Just that time we heard someone yell inside the church...and it seems to be the children yelling .i quicky ran and i know the fire was started by us.i ran inside the church with johnny....i saw johnny for the first time without his suspicious and defeated look..he was having time of his life... i picked a kid and dropped him out of the window as gentle as i could and then i heard Dally scream.... he ask ask to forget about those kids and get out of there as the roof is gonna fall soon at any minute.. i wish i had time to take off dally jacket as it was hot in there... we dropped off the last kid as the front of the church started to crumble... Johnny shoved me towards the window asn ask me to get out..i leaped out of the window and heard timber crashing and flames roaring behind me. i staggered almost fall ing ,coughing and sobbing for breath. Then i heard Johnny scream and as i turned back to go to him Dally swore at me and clubbed me across the back as hard as he could and i went down into peaceful darkness........i was in the hospital when i woke up ...........the guy, Jerry told me that there were some people looking for me and they claim to be my brothers.... i leaped up and ran for the door but the door was already opened...soda had me in a bear hug and was swinging me around... i was so glad to see him that i could have bawled....he finally let me down and pushed my hair back and said...Oh .. Ponyboy...your tuff tuff hair... Then i was Darry ..he was standing there with his olive jeans and black t shirt ..his fist jammed in his pocket and his eyes was pleading, i just simply stood there..he swallowed and said in his husky voice ..." Ponyboy..."i let go of Sodapop and stood there for a minute... Darry didnt like me ..he had driven me away that night...he hollered at me...he had hit me..he didn't give a hang about me... suddenly i realised..Horrifed..Darry was crying... He didn't make a sound ut tears was running down his cheeks .i had not seen him cry in few years not even when mom and dad were killed in a car accident...i remembered at the funeral that i sobbed in spite of myself ans soda had broken down and bawled like a baby; but darry just stood there ,his fists in his pockets and that look in his face, the same helpless ,pleading look that he is wearing now. Darry looked down and turned away silently and suddenly i broke out of my daze. "Darry"! i scream and next thing i know that i was around his waist and squeezing the daylight out of him." Darry "i said ..." i was sorry "he was stroking my hair and i could heard the sobs racking him as he fought to keep back his tears."oh pony, i thought i was gonna to lose u just like we lost mum and dad..." That was his silent fear then-losing another person he loved . i remember how close he and dad had been and i wondered how could i ever have thought him hard and unfeeling... i listened to his heart pounding through his t shirt and i knew everything gonna to be okay now. i had taken the long way around but i know i was finally home. To stay..........

Longest Days

. i woke up late in the afternoon.For a second i didn`t know where i was. You know how it is when you wake up in a strange place and wonder where you are ,until memory comes rushing over you like a wave. i half convinced myself that i had dreamed everything that a happened the night before.Finally i quit pretending and push myself up .i was stiff and sore from sleeping on the hard floor. Suddenly i realised that it was awful quiet. i realised johnny wasn't there. i cried out his name and that old wooden church echoed me, onny onny onny.... i felt scared suddenly and i don't know what to do......i was scared that johnny was been found and taken back to the police station....i look around wildly ,almost panic -stricken, but then i caught sight of some crooked lettering written in the dust of the floor.went to get some supplies. Be back soon. J.C...... after a while...i heard someone coming up through the dead leaves towards the back of the church, i ducked in side the door wondering who could it be ...... i heard a long low whistle ending with a sudden high note. i know that whistle well enough. it was used by us and the Shepard gang for "who's there ?" i returned the whistle carefully and then darted out of the door so fast that i fell off the steps and sprawled flat under Johnny 's nose. i propped myself on my elbows and grinned up at him." hey johnny .Fancy meeting u here." He look down at me over a big package "i swear, Ponyboy, you're gettin' to act more like two-bit every day."i tried unsuccessfully to cock an eyebrow and say "who's acting?"After that Johnny show me what he brought ....a paperback of gone with the wind, peroxide..a deck of cards...and then i realised... johnny wants to bleach and cut my hairt! i cant't bear it ! it was my pride . it was long and silky... just like soda's only a little redder.....our hair was tuff and we didn't not need to use to much grease on as our hair labelled us as greasers...it was our trademark....and i am proud of it... Maybe we couldn't have Corvairs or madras shirts... but we could have our hair.... Johnny said that we have to disguise ourselves and he said he will also had to cut his hair but he will not bleach it as he think that he is too dark skinned to have blonde hair.i went ahead and let him cut my hair.... i felt my heart pain every time he cut my hair..... it was my long precious hair....it was the most precious thing i ever had in my life.....i help johnny to cut his hair too and after that he washed his hair....... The next four or five days were the longest days i ever spend i my whole life. We killed time by reading Gone with the wind....... Johnny sure love that book even he didn't know anything about the civil war and even less plantations and i had to explain a lot to him an d he surely amazed me how johnny could get more meaning of some of the stuff in there than i could when i am supposed to be the brainy one.....One morning i woke up earlier than usual .Johnny and i slept huddled together for warmth-dally has been right when he said it will get cold where we were going.Beside careful not to wake the sleeping beauty up, i went to sit at the steps and smoke a cigarette. the dawn was coming out then. All the lower valley was covered with mist , and sometimes little pieces of it broke off and floated away in small clouds.......... Johnny wokes up and said it is pretty and he said that it cant stay like that all the times...and i told him nothing gold can stay .... and i told him a poem ...

" Nature 's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold
Her early leaf''s a flower But only so an hour
So Eden sank to grief
So dawn goes down to day
Nothing gold can stay "

Johnny was staring at me when i finish telling and he ask me where did i learnt that from...and he said that is what he meant...days by days went by by the fifth day i was sick of eating Baloney....i was daydreaming when suddenly.... a toe nudged me in the ribs it was Dally , i was so happy to see him i thought that i never live to that day when i would see Dally Winston , he told me he had a letter for me.... it was from Sodapop...it says that he know that me and johnny were in some kind of trouble....he wish that we will turn ourselves in but he know that we cant do that as johnny might get hurt....and soda said that we even got a paragraph of us in the newspaper... Dally told us that he got a spy that is from the socs.... it was cherry ...me and johnny kinda surprised by that .... Cherry was actually helping us...

Bob's death

Johnny and I reach the park around 2:30 a.m. A blast from a car horn alerts us that the blue Mustang is near. We realize that we are outnumbered as five Socs climb out of the car, including Bob and Randy, Cherry’s and Marcia’s boyfriends. These Socs had threatened Two-Bit, Johnny, and I earlier in the evening when they found us walking with Cherry and Marcia. Johnny pulls his switchblade, but I had no bring alone a weapon before he knows it and shoved face first into a chilling fountain. In fear, I gasps for air but realizes too late that I am sucking in water and drowning. I awaken up on the pavement gasping for air. Johnny is next to me and tells me, “I’ve killed that boy.” Johnny is stained with blood and is still clutching his switchblade. Ponyboy sees the Soc, Bob, lying in a pool of blood. Johnny is cool, as I have never before seen him, and states that we need money, a gun, and a plan. Knowing that Dally is the gang member with the resources to help me, we go in search of him to a party at the home of Buck Merril, Dally’s rodeo partner. We find Dally there, and he provides them with $50, a gun, warm, dry clothes for me, and a plan that includes a safe hiding place. Dally instructs them to hop a train to Windrixville, hike up Jay Mountain, and stay in an abandoned church until he comes for us. Johnny and I follow Dally’s instructions. On their walk up the mountain to the church, they notice that their appearances contrast sharply with the country culture. The church gives me a creepy feeling, perhaps a premonition, but sleep overtakes both of us and any fears or premonitions are lost to exhaustion

Angry Darry

After the movie, Marcia and Cherry need a ride home, so Two-Bit convinces them to let him drive them. As I talk to Cherry, I realizes that she is not so different from a Greaser. I asks her if money is the only thing that separates them. She says, "It's not just money...We're sophisticated to the point of not feeling anything. Nothing is real with us Cherry and Pony realize that they can talk to each other more personally than they are used to. On the ride home, I tell Cherry about Sodapop's horse, Mickey Mouse, a story he never tells anyone. Cherry tells me that she can see me as thoughtful person. Just then, Marcia sees a blue mustang coming toward them. It is their boyfriends' car. At first everyone freezes, but then the car drives by. Cherry asks me about Darry. "He's as hard as a rock and about as human...he thinks I'm a pain in the neck. He likes Soda everybody likes Soda but he can't stand me." Everyone looks at me, shocked. When Johnny protests that he thought the three brothers got along well, I got very angry at myself for complaining and I yell at Johnny.Two-Bit slaps me, telling me not to treat Johnny that way. I cries about how unfair their lives are--how hard we all have to work, how so many of the Greasers are abused by their parents, and how easy the Socs have it. Suddenly, the Socs reappear in the blue mustang. One of them wears many rings on his fingers, and Pony realizes that this is the boy who beat Johnny up. He feels Johnny trembling next to him. Two-Bit is ready to fight, but Cherry says she hates fighting, so she and Marcia go off with the Socs. Before she leaves, Cherry tells Pony that she can't talk to him at school--they just aren't part of the same world. That night, I lies under the stars with Johnny, wondering why life for Greasers is so hard. Johnny agrees: he feels like he can't take it anymore. I daydream about living out in the country, about my parents being alive again...and then I falls asleep. When I wakes up it's the middle of the night.I run home, and sure enough, Darry is waiting up for him, very angry

Drive-in Movie

The following night dally, Johnny and I go to the Nigthly-double. We sneak over the back fence because Dally hates to do things the legal way. We went to seat behind two girls who are friends of the Socs. Dally then tries to provoke them by speaking in an abusive way and putting his feet up on the back of one of their chairs. The girls threaten to call the police. Dally went to buy cokes. I think he would be stealing them. While dally is gone, I talked to one of the girls. She is cherry valence. Dally returns and gives Cherry one, she throws it in his face. Then Dally tries to put his arm around Cherry, Johnny stops him. He stalks off in anger. Johnny and I went to sit beside the girls. Cherry and I went to buy some popcorn. We talked about the Socs. I did not agree on wait Cherry said about the Socs.

.Movies

I was walking home from the movies when suddenly a red Corvair pulled up beside me.5 Socs emerged and surrounded me.One of them pulled out a knife and held it against my throat,while the others pinned me down onto the ground.I started to scream for my brothers for help.When they saw some of the greasers running towards me,they ran away.It was my brothers and friends,they were throwing rocks at the Socs.Darry,who is my oldest brother,pulled me up onto my feet and asked if i am hurt.i was scared at first , and i felt hot tears running down my cheeks. i feel like crying out but i stop as i could not show that i was frightened and i don't want to be a crybaby.