The next morning, Cherry Valance was coming by.

"Hey, look who's coming," one of the greasers said.

"What's she doing here?" I asked. "She knows perfectly well this is our territory. I say let's jump her."

"Now hold on there, Coke. You ain't jumping nobody. Let's see what she wants."

"But.but."

"No buts. Hey Cherry! What you want?"

"Hey Two-Bit. Um.I just came to tell you that well, I really would like to help you guys. I mean with that rumble coming up and everything. I guess I could be a sort of.um."

"Spy? I don't think so. Look, Sherri, we don't need none of you guys' charity. Just because you have it all doesn't mean you have to come over here feeling sorry for us. Why don't you just go s."

"Coke, shut up. Cherry, I think that's a good idea. Thanks."

"Welcome. I just wanted to help. Well I best be going right now."

As she walked by I gave her a cold look, and then I saw Dally going over to her. I was listening carefully.

"Yo, Cherry. How bout I take you to the Dingo for a Coke. What you say?"

"No, but you know where you could go."

"Where?"

"Hell." She left after that. I was glad. I hated that stupid bitch from the first day I met her.

It passed a week since Ponyboy and Johnny ran away. Dally said he was going to get them today, and I said I would go too. He came by around 8 o' clock and we left.

"Why'd you wait so long to get 'em? The cops were gone long time ago."

"I needed to make sure. Now they're way into Texas by now."

"Yeah, I guess. I can't wait till the rumble. We're going to beat those Socs."

"Yeah, I know."

We finally got to the church, and we went in. Ponyboy and Johnny were still sleeping, but Dally woke them up.

"Glory, he looks different with his hair like that."

"Yeah, I know."

"Hey Dally! Hey Coke!" Ponyboy said.

"Hey Ponyboy!" we both said.

"How's Sodapop? Are the fuzz after us? Is Darry all right? Do the boys know where we are? What."

Hold on, kid," Dally said. "I can't answer everything at once. You two want anything to eat first? I skipped breakfast and I'm starved."

"Yeah, me too," I said just to say something.

"You're starved? Try eating baloney for a week." Johnny said.

"Is it safe to go out?" Ponyboy asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Gotta cancer stick, Johnnycake?" Dally said.

Johnny tossed him a pack.

"The fuzz won't be looking for you around here," Dally said. "They think you lit for Texas. I've got Buck's T-bird parked down in the road a little way. Goshamighty, boys, ain't you been eatin' anything?"

Johnny said, "Yeah, whatever gave you the idea we ain't?"

" You're both really pale, and it looks like you lost a lot of weight," I said.

"Hey, Ponyboy.I gotta letter for you. Hold on" He reached for his back pocket and handed him the letter.

"A letter? From who?" he asked.

"The President, of course, stupid. It's from Soda," Dally said.

"Sodapop? But how did he know.?"

"He came over to Buck's for something and found that sweater. I told him I didn't know where you were, but he didn't believe me. He gave me this letter and half his pay check to give you. Kid, you ought to see Darry. He's takin' this mighty hard."

Ponyboy just sat there reading the letter over and over again. Then he said, "How come you got hauled in, Dally?"

"Ponyboy, do you really have to ask him that?" I said.

But the Dally said, "Them boys at the station know me by now. I get hauled in for everything that happens in our turf. While I was there I kinda let it slip that y'all were headin' for Texas. So that' where they're lookin'."

"Okay let's get out of here now." I said. " I'm hungry."

"Yeah, come on," Johnny said.

We all stopped at the Dairy Queen. I drank a Coke and got a banana slip.

I finished it real quick, but I wasn't able to eat anything else. I was real tired though, but with the racket Ponyboy and Johnny were making it was hard to go to sleep.

". Are having all-out-of-warfare all over the city." I heard Dally sayin'. "That kid you killed had plenty of friends and all over town it's Soc against grease. We can't walk alone at all. I started carryin' a heater."

"Dally!" Ponyboy exclaimed. "You kill people with heaters!" Dally was saying some other stuff, but I couldn't really hear. All I heard was some mumbling over me and then heard nothin'. I think I fell asleep for a minute.

".broad I tried to pick up that night you killed the Soc. The redhead, Cherry what's-her-name."