The next day, we went to see Johnny and Dallas in the hospital. Two-Bit was with Pony and I. When we got to Johnny's room, a sick feeling came over me.

He looked horrible. There were burns all over him. He was laying face down, because his back was so badly burned.

He told Pony that he wasn't going to walk again. He was really sick looking.

Dallas was okay. He was up and moving when we saw him. Only his arm was burned, and he was ready to leave the hospital. He talked about the rumble, set for tonight. He hated missing it.

When he asked about Johnny, he became serious. He was upset when we left. He had asked for Two-Bit's switchblade. We left in a hurry, because his eyes were blazing with anger.

Pony sat down on a bench, while Two-Bit went to buy cigarettes. I looked at him carefully, because he looked like he was getting sick.

Two-Bit came back and placed a hand on Pony's forehead. Pony flinched, clearly shaken.

"You okay, Pony? You feel awfully hot."

"I'm okay. Don't tell Darry. I'll take a bunch of asprins when I get home." Don't tell Darry? Come on, I need to know this. He can't be in the rumble if he's sick.

"Okay." Two-Bit said.

When we were back at the house, the gang was all there, except Two-Bit had left to go home before the rumble.

We were all ready to go when we left for the rumble. Everyone was hyper, and we were ready to kick some Soc butt.

We were all lined up, ready for battle, when the Socs arrived. I stepped up to them, and said, "I'll take on anyone."

We heard a familiar voice yell, "Don't you know a rumble ain't a rumble with out me?"

I turned to see who it was, and I got hit in the chin. The rumble was on.

I was beating up people left and right. When I saw Pony was in trouble, I went over there and hit the guy who had been beating up Pony. He went flying back about three feet, and I went back to hit some more Socs.

Ponyboy was having a heck of a time. He helped Dallas out a lot, but he was getting the worst of it.

When he got kicked in the head, Sodapop landed all over the Soc who did it. I was worried he'd pass out, and someone would beat the tar right out of him, but somehow he remained conscious.

Finally, the rumble ended when the Socs ran away and into their cars. Two-Bit yelled, "Look at the dirty ---- run!"

I said in a tired voice, "We won. We beat the Socs."

I saw Dallas hauling Pony off, so I ran to join them.

Dallas started explaining to Pony that Johnny was dying and that he wanted to see Pony. I got sick to my stomach when I thought about poor little Johnny dying. He was too young to die.

We got pulled over by a cop, but Dallas told him that he was taking Pony to the hospital. He looked like he was, because Pony was bleeding a lot, and he looked pretty out of it.

The cop became our escort, and we got to the hospital in record time. We were going pretty fast to begin with.

Dallas helped Pony out of the car, but stopped once the cop drove off. Pony nearly fell, but they made it inside okay.

Johnny was definitely dying, if he wasn't dead already. Dallas told him about beating the Socs.

"No use. Fighting ain't no good." Johnny said weakly.

"They're still writing editorials about you in the paper. You know, about you being a hero and everything. We're all proud of you, buddy."

Johnny's eyes gleamed with pleasure. He turned to Pony and said, "Ponboy."

Pony leaned in close so he could hear what he was going to tell him.

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold." And with that, Johnny sank into the pillow, and died.

Dallas looked concerned. "Come on, Johnny." He said, as though Johnny hadn't just died.

"So this is what you get? This is what you get for helping people? Come on, Johnny, don't die on me. Please hold on."

Dallas turned and ran to the door. He slammed his fist against the wall. Then he ran out of the room.

Pony left the hospital, looking dazed and confused. He was finally given a ride.

When he got home, the gang was inside the house. Steve was laying on the couch, looking hurt. Sodapop was sitting on the floor, and I was in the arm chair. I had a cut on my forehead, and a black eye.

I jumped up when Pony walked in.

"Where have you been?" I asked. Oh, no, not this again, I thought.

I stopped, studying Pony. "Hey, Pony, what's wrong?"

"Johnny's dead." Pony said, shakily. "We told him about beating the Socs, and, I don't know he just died."

A silence fell across the room. I don't think anyone realized how serious Johnny's condition was.

"Dallas is gone. He ran out like the devil was after him. He couldn't take it. He's gonna blow." Pony said. He looked so sick. He needs to sit down.

"So he has a breaking point. So even Dally has a breaking point." Two-Bit said.

Pony started shaking. I walked over to Soda and whispered something in his ear.

"Hey, Pony. You look sick. Sit down."

"No." Pony said. "I don't want to sit down."

My other self took a step toward him, but Pony backed away. "Don't touch me." He said.

No! I wanted to scream. Make him sit down. Can't you see he's hurt?

The phone rang and I went to answer it. I hung up soon after.

"That was Dally. The cops are after him. We gotta hide him. He'll be at the lot in a few minutes."

We all ran to the lot as fast as we could. I couldn't help but notice how different it was from the last time we went to the lot.

Dally came running in about the same time we did. The loud sound of a siren filled the air.

Dally raised a gun up, and I couldn't help but want to beat him up. Whether it was loaded or not, the police would shoot him, and he'd be dead for sure. Dally crumpled to the ground under the street light. I felt a pain go through me. Suddenly, everything came back to me.

I remembered Dallas. He was one of my friends. He had grown up in New York. He was wild and tough, and no one wanted to make him mad.

I remembered Johnny. He was the quiet one, the gang's pet. He had a rough home life and we all tried to make up for it.

Two-Bit was the gang's clown. He was funny, and was always laughing about something. His father walked out on him and his Mom and little sister. His mom worked too much.

Steve Randle was Soda's best friend. He hated his father because he'd tell him he hated him, or to get out. He loved working on cars, and was really good at it.

Then I remembered Soda, my younger brother. He was always laughing and smiling, and could make people smile. He teased me a lot, and I enjoyed it. He was the middle man, and he was really close to Pony and I. He dropped out of school, and was now working at the DX station so he could help me pay the bills.

Then, I remembered Pony, my littlest brother. He thought I hated him because I yell at him a lot, but that isn't true. I just worry too much and I want him to be a better man than I am. He's sensitive and caring, while I'm hard and cold.

When I heard someone scream, "Glory, look at the kid!" I turned my head, and saw Pony crumpled to the ground. Pony!