Darry came in a while later.
"Hey, you two."
"Hey."
He walked to the kitchen and started cooking dinner. He cooked up two baked chickens, potatoes, and corn. We all sat and started to eat. I wasn't really hungry so I didn't eat much. Ponyboy came home at around six-thirty. It was a quiet dinner.
I got up and went to the bathroom. I washed my face, and changed my clothes. I went back to the living room, and sat on the couch. I watched Steve and Soda play poker for a while.
"Soda," Ponyboy called from the bathroom, "when did you start shaving?"
"When I was fifteen."
"When did Darry?"
"When he was thirteen. Why? You figgerin' on growing a beard for the rumble?"
"You're funny. We ought to send you in to the Reader's Digest. I hear they pay a lot for funny things."
Soda laughed and then started playing poker again. I joined the game too. I was beating them both. It was quite funny.
"You like fights, don't you, Soda?" Ponyboy asked.
"Yeah sure. I like fights."
"How come?"
"I don't know. It's action. It's a contest. Like a drag race or a dance or something."
"Shoot," Steve said, "I want to beat those Socs' heads in. When I get in a fight I want to stomp the other guy good. I like it, too."
"How come you like fights, Darry?"
"He likes to show off his muscles," Sodapop said.
"I'm gonna show them off on you, little buddy, if you get any mouthier," Darry said.
"What about you, Coke why do you like to fight?"
Why did I like fights? I never actually thought of it, but then it was the one of the ways I get high without drugs.
"Well, I guess because it's a way I can get high. It's like a natural high, and I like that."
"I don't know if you ought to be in this rumble, Pony," Darry said.
"How come? I've always come through before, ain't I?"
"Yeah. You fight real good for a kid your size. But you were in shape before. You lost weight, and you don't look so great, kid. You're tensed up too much."
"Shoot," Soda said, "we all get tensed up before a rumble. Let him fight tonight. Skin never hurt anyone- no weapons, no danger."
"I'll be okay. I'll get a hold of a little one, okay?"
"Well, we will need every man we can get. So, I guess you can fight. But be careful. If you get in a jam or something just holler and I'll get you out."
"I'll be okay. How come you never worry about Sodapop as much? I don't see you lecturin' him."
"Man, this is one kid brother I don't have to worry about." Darry grinned and put his arm across Soda's shoulders.
Soda punched him in the ribs affectionately.
"This kiddo can use his head. You can see he uses it for one thing-to grow hair on."
Soda took a swing at him, but he ducked and went flying out the door. Just at that moment Two-Bit had popped his head in.
We all did some flying somersaults and cartwheels. The Curtis brothers and I were especially good. We went flying out to the vacant lot.
When we got there Shepard's gang was already there and so were the Brumly Boys. We waited there a while talking a little bit when we saw a line of mustangs coming by. We all stood still and waited. They got out of the car as we waited anxiously. I was the only girl there, and I figured I would be a big target. I never missed a rumble, and I knew people always underestimated me. They thought I was a weak girl, which is not true. I'm stronger than Ponyboy, and about as strong as Soda is. I could take on anyone and win if I really wanted to.
It looked as if Darry was going to be asked to start the fight. He was the biggest one there, and I knew quite well he was definitely the strongest.
"Hey Curtis!" Tim Shepard shouted.
"Which one?" Sodapop yelled back.
"The big one. Come on over here."
All of the Socs got out of the cars. Some guy wearing madras came up and said, "Let's get the rules straight.nothing but our fists, and the first to run lose. Right?"
"You savvy real good," Tim said.
We were all wondering who was going to start the rumble. It was Darry.
"I'll take on anyone."
Some blond guy came up and said, "Hello, Darrel."
"Hello, Paul."
As soon as he said that I knew it was Paul Holden. He used to be buddies with Darry when they were on the football team. Now, well, they hated each other. You could see what Darry was thinking and it hurt knowing. I had known for a long time though. I knew he was ashamed to be seen with all of us. That was Darry. He hated knowing he couldn't go to college because we were too poor. Pony, Soda, and me all knew he could become a Soc if it wasn't for us. If it wasn't for us, he could go to college.
"I'll take you," Paul said.
They both circled for a while. Then there was a voice, "Hold up! Hold on!" Darry turned to see who it was and Paul swung a punch. The rumble had started.
The person who came to join us was, Dally. I couldn't say anything to him because I was beating the crap out of some guy. He flipped me over and threw me on the ground. He then punched me hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I was there gasping for air, until finally I regained it. I punched him hard knocking a tooth loose. I gave him a black eye, and twisted his arm all around. After that he ran, and soon enough all of them were running.
"We won! We won! I can't believe we won!" Everyone was screaming with joy.
"We beat their mother fuckin' asses!"
After we calmed down a little we went back home. Steve and Two-Bit came over to our house. We didn't know where Dally and Ponyboy went, but we didn't worry too much. We were a little too excited.
When we got home we all treated our bruises and cuts. I had a bruise on my cheek, and I cut my lip.
"Where's Pony and Dally?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe they'll come soon," Darry said.
We were talking for quite a while, and then the door opened. It was Ponyboy.
"Where have you been?" Darry asked.
"Ponyboy are you alright?" I asked.
"Johnny.he's dead. We told him about beating the Soc and.I don't know he just died." He stopped for a moment. I couldn't believe it. Johnny gone? How was that possible? Then Ponyboy said, "Dallas is gone. He ran out like the devil was after him. He's gonna blow up. He couldn't take it."
"So he finally broke," Two-Bit said. "So even Dally has a breaking point."
"Oh my God! Where the hell did he go!?" I felt myself shivering. My lips were trembling, and I felt hot tears about to come out of my eyes. There was a tight knot in my throat. I could barely speak.
"Coke, clam down. Don't worry. He might be okay," Soda said reassuringly.
"Might?! Might!? What if he isn't!? What if he goes and does something stupid!? What if." Soda grabbed my arms and shook me.
"Coke, it's going to be okay. Don't worry." I collapsed in his arms and started bawling like a baby. I could not stop. Even after I got up the tears kept coming out. I had soaked Soda's shirt.
About a minute later the phone rang. Darry picked it up. "Hello?" That was all he said and he listened the rest of the time. Then he said, "It was Dally. He phoned from a booth. He's just robbed a grocery store and the cops are after him. We gotta hide him. He'll be in the lot in a minute."
As soon as he said that, I ran out as fast as I could. Everyone was right behind me.
When we got there Dally was running from the opposite direction. He stopped under a stoplight, and pulled out a gun. The police shot him. He lay there, in the spotlight, dead.
"No!" I fell to the floor crying. I couldn't see straight. I could barely hear anything. That was the last thing I remember of that night.
"Hey, you two."
"Hey."
He walked to the kitchen and started cooking dinner. He cooked up two baked chickens, potatoes, and corn. We all sat and started to eat. I wasn't really hungry so I didn't eat much. Ponyboy came home at around six-thirty. It was a quiet dinner.
I got up and went to the bathroom. I washed my face, and changed my clothes. I went back to the living room, and sat on the couch. I watched Steve and Soda play poker for a while.
"Soda," Ponyboy called from the bathroom, "when did you start shaving?"
"When I was fifteen."
"When did Darry?"
"When he was thirteen. Why? You figgerin' on growing a beard for the rumble?"
"You're funny. We ought to send you in to the Reader's Digest. I hear they pay a lot for funny things."
Soda laughed and then started playing poker again. I joined the game too. I was beating them both. It was quite funny.
"You like fights, don't you, Soda?" Ponyboy asked.
"Yeah sure. I like fights."
"How come?"
"I don't know. It's action. It's a contest. Like a drag race or a dance or something."
"Shoot," Steve said, "I want to beat those Socs' heads in. When I get in a fight I want to stomp the other guy good. I like it, too."
"How come you like fights, Darry?"
"He likes to show off his muscles," Sodapop said.
"I'm gonna show them off on you, little buddy, if you get any mouthier," Darry said.
"What about you, Coke why do you like to fight?"
Why did I like fights? I never actually thought of it, but then it was the one of the ways I get high without drugs.
"Well, I guess because it's a way I can get high. It's like a natural high, and I like that."
"I don't know if you ought to be in this rumble, Pony," Darry said.
"How come? I've always come through before, ain't I?"
"Yeah. You fight real good for a kid your size. But you were in shape before. You lost weight, and you don't look so great, kid. You're tensed up too much."
"Shoot," Soda said, "we all get tensed up before a rumble. Let him fight tonight. Skin never hurt anyone- no weapons, no danger."
"I'll be okay. I'll get a hold of a little one, okay?"
"Well, we will need every man we can get. So, I guess you can fight. But be careful. If you get in a jam or something just holler and I'll get you out."
"I'll be okay. How come you never worry about Sodapop as much? I don't see you lecturin' him."
"Man, this is one kid brother I don't have to worry about." Darry grinned and put his arm across Soda's shoulders.
Soda punched him in the ribs affectionately.
"This kiddo can use his head. You can see he uses it for one thing-to grow hair on."
Soda took a swing at him, but he ducked and went flying out the door. Just at that moment Two-Bit had popped his head in.
We all did some flying somersaults and cartwheels. The Curtis brothers and I were especially good. We went flying out to the vacant lot.
When we got there Shepard's gang was already there and so were the Brumly Boys. We waited there a while talking a little bit when we saw a line of mustangs coming by. We all stood still and waited. They got out of the car as we waited anxiously. I was the only girl there, and I figured I would be a big target. I never missed a rumble, and I knew people always underestimated me. They thought I was a weak girl, which is not true. I'm stronger than Ponyboy, and about as strong as Soda is. I could take on anyone and win if I really wanted to.
It looked as if Darry was going to be asked to start the fight. He was the biggest one there, and I knew quite well he was definitely the strongest.
"Hey Curtis!" Tim Shepard shouted.
"Which one?" Sodapop yelled back.
"The big one. Come on over here."
All of the Socs got out of the cars. Some guy wearing madras came up and said, "Let's get the rules straight.nothing but our fists, and the first to run lose. Right?"
"You savvy real good," Tim said.
We were all wondering who was going to start the rumble. It was Darry.
"I'll take on anyone."
Some blond guy came up and said, "Hello, Darrel."
"Hello, Paul."
As soon as he said that I knew it was Paul Holden. He used to be buddies with Darry when they were on the football team. Now, well, they hated each other. You could see what Darry was thinking and it hurt knowing. I had known for a long time though. I knew he was ashamed to be seen with all of us. That was Darry. He hated knowing he couldn't go to college because we were too poor. Pony, Soda, and me all knew he could become a Soc if it wasn't for us. If it wasn't for us, he could go to college.
"I'll take you," Paul said.
They both circled for a while. Then there was a voice, "Hold up! Hold on!" Darry turned to see who it was and Paul swung a punch. The rumble had started.
The person who came to join us was, Dally. I couldn't say anything to him because I was beating the crap out of some guy. He flipped me over and threw me on the ground. He then punched me hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I was there gasping for air, until finally I regained it. I punched him hard knocking a tooth loose. I gave him a black eye, and twisted his arm all around. After that he ran, and soon enough all of them were running.
"We won! We won! I can't believe we won!" Everyone was screaming with joy.
"We beat their mother fuckin' asses!"
After we calmed down a little we went back home. Steve and Two-Bit came over to our house. We didn't know where Dally and Ponyboy went, but we didn't worry too much. We were a little too excited.
When we got home we all treated our bruises and cuts. I had a bruise on my cheek, and I cut my lip.
"Where's Pony and Dally?" I asked.
"I don't know. Maybe they'll come soon," Darry said.
We were talking for quite a while, and then the door opened. It was Ponyboy.
"Where have you been?" Darry asked.
"Ponyboy are you alright?" I asked.
"Johnny.he's dead. We told him about beating the Soc and.I don't know he just died." He stopped for a moment. I couldn't believe it. Johnny gone? How was that possible? Then Ponyboy said, "Dallas is gone. He ran out like the devil was after him. He's gonna blow up. He couldn't take it."
"So he finally broke," Two-Bit said. "So even Dally has a breaking point."
"Oh my God! Where the hell did he go!?" I felt myself shivering. My lips were trembling, and I felt hot tears about to come out of my eyes. There was a tight knot in my throat. I could barely speak.
"Coke, clam down. Don't worry. He might be okay," Soda said reassuringly.
"Might?! Might!? What if he isn't!? What if he goes and does something stupid!? What if." Soda grabbed my arms and shook me.
"Coke, it's going to be okay. Don't worry." I collapsed in his arms and started bawling like a baby. I could not stop. Even after I got up the tears kept coming out. I had soaked Soda's shirt.
About a minute later the phone rang. Darry picked it up. "Hello?" That was all he said and he listened the rest of the time. Then he said, "It was Dally. He phoned from a booth. He's just robbed a grocery store and the cops are after him. We gotta hide him. He'll be in the lot in a minute."
As soon as he said that, I ran out as fast as I could. Everyone was right behind me.
When we got there Dally was running from the opposite direction. He stopped under a stoplight, and pulled out a gun. The police shot him. He lay there, in the spotlight, dead.
"No!" I fell to the floor crying. I couldn't see straight. I could barely hear anything. That was the last thing I remember of that night.
