This story takes place after Johnny's death (after chapter 9).
Johnny wasn't dead. Johnny wasn't dead. Those three words kept repeating in my head. Even though I knew it wasn't true, I couldn't stop trying to convince myself otherwise. Soda and Darry were both devestated after hearing the bad news. Being around them would just be more depressing, so I retreated to my room. Gone with the Wind was lying on my nightstand. Thinking of Johnny, I picked it up. A small piece of paper fell out the bottom. It was hard to make out the words on it, though, partially because my eyes were teary, and partially because of Johnny's messy handwriting. Right after I finished reading the page, the phone rang, and then stopped after one ring; one of my brothers must have picked it up.
"It's Dally!" shouted Darry, "come downstairs quick!"
I rushed downstairs, eager to hear the news.
"Dally robbed a grocery store, and now the cops are after him. Let's go quick, we need to hide him!"
I sprinted to the vacant lot faster than I ever have before, even faster than the night I ran away.
We made it there just as Dally arrived. The sirens grew louder and louder, until the police pulled over beside the lot.
Just as Dally reaches toward his heater, I yelled, "Wait!"
He looked upward.
"Before you do anything stupid, I have a note from Johnny for you to read."
I ran up to him and handed him the note.
Dear Ponyboy,
Dallas hasn't been able to visit the past few days, so I want you to tell him something. Tell him how much he means to the rest of the gang, I don't think he realizes it. Tell him to look at a sunset, one day. He'll think your mad, but just do it, trust me. I don't think he recognizes his importance.
Sincerely, Johnny Cade
As he finished reading, he looked up into the sky at the gold sunset. But this was interrupted by the police. They handcuffed him, and drove away with him in their car.
Now Dallas is in jail for armed robbery, but I still visit him at least once a week. He always says that if it weren't for Johnny's note, he would be dead, and even now in prison he makes sure to look out his cell window at the sunsets every evening. Now the Socs and the Greasers are finally at peace. In the end, I guess it took two people dying for them to finally question what they were fighting about. I'm not saying Johnny's death was good by any means, but it lead to many good things happening. No Greaser will ever forget the story of Johnny Cade.
