Wendy-Jo is my name, but I go by Joey. My dad was the one who always called me Joey and I always hated it until he died, along with my momma, in a car crash. I was only sixteen when it happened. I had two older brothers and one younger brother then. I was always breaking the rules. My oldest brother, Darrel, didn't like me much. My other older brother, Soda, and his buddy Steve worked down at the gas station and whenever I went they would give me candy. I usually walk alone because socs are mean, but no one would ever think of jumping a girl. My younger brother, Ponyboy, got jumped once. They pulled a blade on him. I didn't see him until I got home, but from what I saw the cut didn't look too bad. The only other person in the gang that's ever gotten jumped was Johnny. He's the same age as me, but looks the same age as Ponyboy. None of the girls seem to like him, but I think he's handsome in a weird way. He has a big heart. There was one person in our gang that ever had a habbit of jumping people and that was Dallas Winston. Soda tells me that he was in jail and that's why he's like that. Two-bit is my favorite person in the gang. We always have fun together because we have an actual sence of humor. The only bad thing about Two-bit is that he gets drunk a lot so Darry don't like me hanging around him. I don't like to listen to Darry though. Like I said, one day when I got home Soda told me Ponyboy got jumped. I said, "Are you okay Ponyboy?" Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "When did they do this?" "After I saw the movie." "Pony I was right around the corner. I told you after the movie to come meet me at the diner." "I'm sorry." "Sorry, ain't going to cut Ponyboy. They could slit your neck open a whole lot more and you would be in the hospital right now." He looked me in the eyes with that cute little brother stare and I couldn't be mad at him. Especially not with a slit open neck. Johnny stayed at our house that night. He was there mainly for Ponyboy. I went in the kitchen to find some snacks because the boys were watching a movie in the living room. I sleep in the living room, so I wanted to get comfortable too. While I was in the kitchen I over heard their conversation. "Hey Johnny," Ponyboy began, "There's a fancy dance coming up at school. You going with anybody?" "No, I don't think I'm going," Johnny repilied. "Are you?" "I'm thinking about asking Stephanie." I walked in with four bowls of popcorn and three cokes. There were only three of us, but I made four just in case Soda wanted some. "Hey Joey, are you going to that dance," Pony asked. "I don't think so." The rest of the we sat watching western movies like, Rio Grande and Bend of the River. Ponyboy was the first to fall asleep. Next Johnny. I was laying across Pony. Eventually I fell asleep. The next morning I woke up to the smell of fresh eggs and ham. I just barely saw Ponyboy standing over the oven. Johnny was still laying on the floor next to the sofa. I sat up and shook Johnny tenderly. Johnny woke up and yawned. Later that day Ponyboy, Johnny, and I went down to the diner. We saw Dally there and I left the boys with him. I should have known that it was a bad idea, but Two-bit wanted me to meet him at the arcade. I went home after goofing off for a whole day. It was getting late and Ponyboy wasn't home yet. Finally at two-o-clock Ponyboy got home and told Darry that he was with Johnny in the lot. Darry got really mad. Before I knew it Soda, Darry, and Pony were yelling. While they weren't looking I walked out of the front door. I was still walking when I tripped over a trash can. I looked up and saw a mustang headed for the lot. I started to follow them. They went all the way to the park and stopped. I saw two boys in the park, but couldn't make out their faces. Finally I realized that Bob and Randy, the socs, were talking to Ponyboy and Johnny. I didn't understand, because Ponyboy was just at home and he said Johnny was at the lot. The whole group of socs started beating them up. One was laying on the ground and the other was being drowned. I ran home to get help, but I stopped when I saw somethink moving in the corner of my eyes. It was a puppy that had been following me. I realized what I was doing and kept running. When I got home I told Soda and Darry what I saw then went to sleep. I think they went to look for Pony and Johnny though. When I woke up no one was home. I was really worried. Soda burst thought the door sobbing more than I'd ever seen. "What happened," I asked more worried than I'd ever been in my life. "We don't know where they are," Soda replied. Darry was crying. I went over and put my arm around him. We've had hard times, but we're still a family. After a week or two we got a call from the hospital. They said that Johnny, Dally, and Pony were in a fire. We ran there. When we got there Darry hugged Pony, Soda hugged Darry, and I hugged Soda. The most shocking part of it all was that Ponyboy was blonde. All of us were at home the next morning. Soda was in the shower, Darry was getting dressed, and I was on the couch reading the paper with Tim Shepard. Ponyboy was making breakfast. After a while Tim left and Steve and Two-bit came over. By that time Pony was done with breakfast and Soda was sitting around the house with nothing but a towel. Finally I shoved some clothes in his face. Darry, Soda, and Steve had work that day. Eventually everyone was gone and I was home alone. Darry told me to clean, but he knew that I wouldn't. I grabbed a jacket and went to see my friend Cherry Valance. We talked for a while then I went home. The next day was the day of a big rumble between socs and greasers. I wasn't going to be in it because girls aren't supposed to do those things according to Darry. Everyone was gone so I went to visit Johnny. Seeing him in that hospital bed struck a knife through my heart. I sat down beside him. I started talking to him about stuff we used to talk about. He moaned a little bit, but I grabbed his hand. Finally he was able to choke out a few words. Three to be exact. "I love you." I was stunned. He never showed that he even liked me. I gently leaned forward and touched my lips to his. With every bit of strength he had left he managed to pucker. The kiss was very short, but meant so much. I wanted it to keep going, but Pony and Dally walked in. Right then I had a feeling that Johnny was going to die, so I ran. I didn't have anywhere to go. I was just running to run. I long time after I stopped. I sat on the side of the road for what felt like hours. Tim Shepard saw me and gave me a ride home. I thanked him and went inside. When I got there Pony was fainted on the counch and Soda told me that both Johnny and Dallas were dead. That was all I could take. I felt so sick. I ran out the door and onto a large bridge. I climbed up on the side of the bridge. I could hardly breathe. Eventually I built up enough courage and jumped. While I was falling I could hear Johnny's voice telling me over and over that he loved me. I hit the river so hard it felt like a million knives. Most people are stupid enough to ask me if I died, but if I died I couldn't tell you this, but I will tell you one thing. I wanted to.