Chapter 4: Tragic Death Equals Who's Side

I woke up the next morning. I still couldn't believe that all of that happened last night. I sure hope that Ponyboy and the rest of his friends are all right. Bob could have killed them! I better go out and find Bob to see if everything is fine.

When I got dressed, Marcia was still sleeping. I went downstairs and my parents were at the dining room table. It looks like my mother was crying a little. My father had a letter in his hand and when they saw me, they gave it to me. I was a bit confused on what the whole commotion was about. I started to read the letter. . . . .

Dear Cherry Valance,

This morning at 1:30 am, Bob Sheldon was murdered by a greaser. No one knows who has done it or how it was done, but he was found dead in a park. Witnesses say that a young greaser stabbed Bob with a switch-blade while Bob was drowning another greaser. His parents wish for you to visit them in a week for the funeral. I am sorry to have to tell you this. We will look for more evidence on who has killed Bob.

With much pity

-Tulsa Police Department

I stood there, wide-eyed. How could this happen? Was Ponyboy there when they killed Bob? Was he the one that killed him? I started crying just by thinking about it. I immediately ran up the stairs and told Marcia. She was not able to understand me though through all of my tears.

"Bob's dead Marcia! He's dead." Marcia understood me that time because she got up and gave me a big hug. This was probably the worst day of my life. A greaser murdered my boyfriend! There must be a way I can figure out what actually happened and who did this.

Later that day, after I finished crying, I left the house to figure out what exactly happened. The first thing I did was go to the police to see if they had more evidence. They said that they only evidence they had was that the greaser who killed Bob, ran away either to Texas or New Mexico. How could a fourteen-year-old boy run so far away from home? He must be so scared. They police told me that the greasers accidently killed Bob out of self-defense. Randy must have come in earlier and said that Bob was drowning one of the boys and the other stabbed him so he would stop. He also told the police that he didn't mean to actually kill him, just to stab him so he would run away. Ponyboy would never stab or kill anyone, so he must've been the one who was drowning.

When they told me that that was all of the evidence they had so far, I left. There was only one thing that I could do and that was finding Dallas Winston. Ponyboy trusts Dallas to help them run off, especially since Dallas has done it before.

I went to the vacant lot because that is where most greasers hang out. I found him and walked right up to him.

" I feel that the whole mess was my fault, and I'd keep up with what was coming off with the Socs in the rumble and would testify that the Socs were drunk and looking for a fight and that they fought back in self-defense."

"Would you like to go over to The Dingo for a Coke?"

''No, thank you and you could go straight to hell." I told him in very polite terms.

He stood there silently as I walked away. I really could fall in love with him. I have decided though to try and not to fall in love.

I bet Bob asked for it, to be killed. He is or was still my boyfriend though. Poor Ponyboy has to run away and be hunted down by the police all because of me. All of this was my fault, well partially Bob's because he got drunk. It makes me feel so sad that that was my last memory of him. Besides getting drunk and wanting to kill greasers, he was actually very sweet. He had a soft spot, like Ponyboy does with sunsets. I will miss him dearly, but I guess he wasn't going to be the person for me.

Now I am confused on who's side to take on. The dirty, unmannered greasers; or my dearest and closest friends, the socs?