Casey Hayden

Period 8

12-8-06

Alternate Ending

After Paul and Darry started circling each other, I couldn't take anymore, so I ran.

Nobody noticed, so I ran until I reached some Socs. They were at Rusty's, but I didn't care. The fighting had to stop. I skidded to a stop next to their table. The stares of the Socs were unnerving. There was only one thing on my mind, 'Nobody deserved this, the fighting has to stop.'

I couldn't catch my breath, so I plopped onto an empty chair and started to breathe hard. 'There are many Socs here,' I thought. Then I frowned in confusion. 'What are they doing here? I thought they were all at the rumble. Oh, well, I need to stop that fight.'

I took a deep breath and said in a rush, "There's a rumble over at the vacant lot." "Huh?" asked some confused Socs.

"There's a rumble over in the vacant lot because of what Johnny did!" I exclaimed.

"So what?" asked Chris, a Soc. I rolled my eyes.

"Chris," I said, "No one should be there. No one should fight." Chris and I had been friends until third grade. He was always slow in the uptake.

"Get out of here, Greaser," growled an angry Soc.

I looked at all the angry faces. Everyone was unconvinced. "Don't you get it?!" I yelled, "None of us Greasers are really fighters!"

With that I stomped off. I guess they stared at me in shock.

When I got back to the vacant lot, everyone was fighting. Steve looked up and shouted, "I thought you didn't have enough skin to fight today!" I ignored him.

I looked around and saw Tim Shepard's gang and Brumly Boys run. I couldn't take anymore.

"Stop!" I yelled, but no one heard me. I climbed on top of a dumpster to get a better view. I didn't believe what I saw. Steve had a bloody nose and it looked like he wasn't doing well. Two Bit was fighting against a Soc who had a...knife! He was losing. Dally was...wait a minute, Dally? I shook my head in shock. He was doing fine even with his injured arm. Darry was still fighting Paul and neither was winning, though each had a new set of bruises. 'Now where is Soda?' I thought. Then I saw him. Ten Socs had him on the ground and they were kicking him!

"Stop!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "All of you stop it right now!" I guess I sounded like a parent because everybody stopped.

"Why are you fighting?" I asked.

"Because a Greaser killed Bob!" shouted most of the Socs.

"That's not a good enough reason," I said. Everyone, even Dally was staring at me. I took a deep breath.

"I can't believe any of you! The only reason Johnny killed Bob was self-defense. I nearly died because he was stupid enough to try to drown me in a fountain. Self-defense is the only reason you should fight. Besides we are all people. The only difference is one gang is rich and the other isn't." I stopped to let it sink in. I noticed then that the Socs that had been at Rusty's were there and so was Randy.

Randy stepped forward and said calmly, "I agree with you. We all are different. There might be more things in common than we realize. Some of us might fit better in the Greaser gang than with the Socs."

I climbed off the dumpster and walked up to Chris.

"Friends?" I asked, holding out my hand.

"Friends." answered Chris as he shook my hand. That broke the ice.

everyone started becoming friends. I sighed in relief. I walked over to Soda, where he was being helped up by a Soc, Leo, I think. He was apologizing profusely.

Soda looked at me in amazement. "Man, I never knew you thought that deep. You are right, though," he added.

It was then that I remembered Dally. "What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"Johnny was asking for you, so I was let out of the hospital to get you," he answered.

"Hey Darry, I'm going to visit Johnny." I called.

"Okay, but be back by dinner." he answered.

"C'mon Dally, let's go."

When we got to the hospital, Johnny was dying.

"Don't get into trouble...Please...Don't..." With that he died. He looked so peaceful. I don't think we had ever seen him look that peaceful.

Dally just stood there looking shocked. I grabbed our copy of Gone With the Wind. A piece of paper fell out. I picked it up and started to read it.

"Ponyboy, I hope everything with the Socs turns out all right. I know Dally will be devastated but tell him that poem 'Nothing Gold can Stay'. I think he will like it. Tell him that my death is not his fault. It was my choice to be a hero for a change. I made something out of my life. Now is the chance to make something out of your life. Tell everyone this: Thanks for being there for me when no one else would. Please stick close to Dally and make him watch a sunset. Dally would be a great hero if he set his mind to it. Darry is your brother, Pony. Listen to him. Soda-pop told me once that he hates it when you two argue because he sees both sides and he hates choosing between you two. Tell Two-Bits to keep making jokes and Steve to try to get a better job and one he does good. His job is good right now, but he deserves something better. Become Dally's best friend whether he likes it or not. Stay Gold, Pony, stay Gold. Johnny

I turned around quietly to Dally still standing there. The only difference was that he had tears streaming down his face.

"Come on Dally, let's go," I said.

"Wh...Why did he ha...have to die," Dally sobbed.

"Nothing gold can stay," I answered as I wrapped my arms around him to comfort, though it was hard since he was bigger than me.

I recited the poem. "Nothing stays forever, Dally, that's why he had to die," I said in conclusion, "besides he wanted to make something of his life and he did."

"Can we go now," he asked, "I don't want to see his body anymore."

"Okay, let's go." I started walking and pulling him along with me.

When we got outside, the sun was setting. "Hey Dally," I said suddenly, "look at that sunset!" He looked up and stared in astonishment.

"WOW...I never realized how beautiful sunsets are." The sky was anywhere between a deep orange to a dark purple.

"The sky usually looks something like this at sunset, but I think Johnny made it look this way for us," I remarked.

We were walking along the street. I looked at him. He looked like he was seeing everything for the first time.

"Dally, do you want to stay over at my house tonight?" I asked.

"Sure, I don't have anywhere else to go," he mumbled. It was in that moment that I knew that he didn't like being lonely so he did whatever he had to to feel important or needed.

When we got home, Soda and Darry were sleeping on the couch. Soda had a lot of stitches and bruises.

Dally and I sat down and talked for about three hours before Dally fell asleep. I had told him that it hadn't been his fault, but he still blamed himself. Something good had come out of our talk, though, we had become friends. I learned more about Dally than I had ever known. He was so bitter because he was afraid of letting anyone see his heart, only to lose them like he had lost Johnny.

I woke up at dawn so I made some breakfast. Pretty soon Dally was up and he was talking.

"Hey!" Steve and Two-Bits called. They woke up Sodapop and Darry.

Steve said to Two-Bits, Soda and Darry, "I'm slightly worried about Dally. I haven't seen him since last night. I stopped by the hospital and the nurse told me that... that... that..." He couldn't seem to bring himself to say it.

"Johnny's dead." Dally finished for him.

There was a stunned silence.

"He's dead? Man, I'm going to miss him," Two-Bits remarked sadly.

"Things can get better," Soda said.

Things did get better. I learned to see Darry's point of view and he learned to see mine. Soda no longer has to be the middleman. Soda went back to school and is now taking a few college courses. Darry now works at a newspaper writng stories about gangs. Two-Bits is trying to perform on stage as a comedian and he has gotten to perform once or twice. Steve managed to start his own gas station and is doing well. Dally and I are best friends. Dally has a job at Steve's gas station and is more free in his life. He rarely robs stores now. I am 16 years old now and I am still in school. I am still friends with Chris and we are partners every once in a while at school. My grades are very good. I was writing this since we could write anything we wanted in English class for a month.

The Socs and Greasers are no more. We are one gang now called The United Teens. I have to finish this now since it is time to turn in my work. I do have to say this, though: Be friends with people who need friends, and judge by a person's heart, not where they live.