I robbed a gas sation. A stupid gas station. I had to. I needed to blow off some steam. I was angry, angrier than I've ever been in my whole life. I was also disappointed…in myself. I never have been before.

It was a couple of hours after Johnny…. I can't say it. It's too soon. I don't believe it. He can't be…. Not Johnnycake. It should've been me. I don't deserve anything. Johnny deserved everything. He is…was…a good kid.

I had called Darrel Curtis to come get be before the fuzz found me, but at this point I didn't really care. I'd spent more time in jail than you could imagine a young guy like me could. What's another few months? Years? Life time? Hell, give me the electric chair. I have nothing to live for anymore. Never really did, to be honest.

I mean, my parents never loved me. They never cared about me. I always caused trouble wherever I went. Yeah, I was Dallas Winston. So brave. Ain't scared of nothing. Tuff enough to rumble, but I wasn't tuff enough to save Johnny. I ain't tuff now. I'm just a greaser now. A stupid hood.

I was running, nowhere in particular really. Just running. So I stopped to take a breather, maybe light a weed. Calm myself a little. I needed a smoke real bad anyway. I hadn't had one since before the rumble.

As I was pulling out a cigarette, I seen cop cars surround me. "Damn," I thought. "I just robbed a gas station." They acted like I was some serial killer. Then again, I was Dallas Winston. Biggest hoodlum there was.

"Lay on the ground with your hands behind your head!" the fuzz shouted at me. I spit on the ground, and decided this was it. This is where Dallas Winston ends.

I took out my heater, though it wasn't loaded, and pointed it at a cop. Like lightening, they fired their guns at me. The bullets stung as they ripped through my flesh. I fell over and gasped for air.

I saw faces. Darrel and Soda. Then Two-Bit and Steve. But of course I saw them, they always had my back no matter what kind of trouble I got into.

Then I saw Ponyboy. I hoped that he would handle Johnny's death okay. I hoped he wouldn't turn up to be a screwup like me.

I saw Cherry…Valerie? Valtez? Val…Valance. Cherry Valance. Her and her beautiful red hair. Did she ever think of me? Did she like me? Even a little bit? I sure did like her a whole lot. Even if she was a soc. Usually I just like girls because they're girls. But she was different.

Then I saw Johnny, and I knew I was almost done. My life was finishing. Johnny was smiling at me, and he held out his hand to me.

"Ja…Ja…Johnnycake," I gasped. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

My vision darkened and my breathing slowed. Then, my heart stopped and I died.