The Way I Deal With It - Steve's POV
I left Darry's house as I was told. I started to think about how we were going to deal with this. I felt like Darry was not the only one who needed to fight against this. I was in it too. So was Two-Bit, who just went home. I stayed on the Curtis' porch, half to think, and half to keep an eye on Darry. Something told me he wasn't okay. I realized that our gang was dying. Soda and I were being separated for the first time since 2nd grade. I seemed to be thinking in slow motion, but eventually came back to reality.
The next thing I heard was Darry, who was yelling something completely unintelligible at the phone. Then it hit me. I never dealt with things like this. Darry, even Dally, couldn't stand losing people they love. I don't think that I loved anyone. That is how I deal with things. If you are not attached to anyone, you can't lose anyone. But Soda was the one person who I needed. He was my best friend, giving me advice about girls, dealing with parents, even school. Maybe this was the thing that would change my demeanor. I doubt it.
My cool greaser mindset could guide me in this. I realized that Darry was acting with too much emotion. My odd lack of it could maybe lend some sanity to the way we handled this situation. I knew that we had to keep it from becoming similar to the way Dally handled things in the day of his death. We must realize that Soda and Pony were only displaced, not lost. That could keep us alive. I knew it would be hard. I wondered what Two-Bit was thinking. Brilliant idea! Ask him! He knew less deep emotion than Darry, using frivolity to mask deep desire. He would help us too. Maybe our gang could stay together after all.
I left Darry's house as I was told. I started to think about how we were going to deal with this. I felt like Darry was not the only one who needed to fight against this. I was in it too. So was Two-Bit, who just went home. I stayed on the Curtis' porch, half to think, and half to keep an eye on Darry. Something told me he wasn't okay. I realized that our gang was dying. Soda and I were being separated for the first time since 2nd grade. I seemed to be thinking in slow motion, but eventually came back to reality.
The next thing I heard was Darry, who was yelling something completely unintelligible at the phone. Then it hit me. I never dealt with things like this. Darry, even Dally, couldn't stand losing people they love. I don't think that I loved anyone. That is how I deal with things. If you are not attached to anyone, you can't lose anyone. But Soda was the one person who I needed. He was my best friend, giving me advice about girls, dealing with parents, even school. Maybe this was the thing that would change my demeanor. I doubt it.
My cool greaser mindset could guide me in this. I realized that Darry was acting with too much emotion. My odd lack of it could maybe lend some sanity to the way we handled this situation. I knew that we had to keep it from becoming similar to the way Dally handled things in the day of his death. We must realize that Soda and Pony were only displaced, not lost. That could keep us alive. I knew it would be hard. I wondered what Two-Bit was thinking. Brilliant idea! Ask him! He knew less deep emotion than Darry, using frivolity to mask deep desire. He would help us too. Maybe our gang could stay together after all.