Cherry the Soc was helping us. Helping us figure out what to do about the Soc greaser situation when she was back at home. Dallas, who was on the Italy runaway with us, told johnny and me.
So Cherry Valance the Soc was trying to help us. No, it wasn't Cherry the Soc, it was Cherry the daydreamer who watched sunsets and couldn't stand fights. It was hard to believe a Soc would help us, even one who dug sunsets.
Us greasers get it worse than anyone else. It ain't fair.
Dallas could take anything. She was hard and tough. I was sensitive and that's not a good way to be when you're a greaser.
I had forgotten all about the greaser-Soc thing when I had my first save in life guarding. The kid came down the slide with the most wide-eyed expression on her face, I quickly picked her up and she told me she didn't know how to swim.
Some reactions I got from parents were "your one of the bravest kids we've seen in a long time" and "Mrs. O-Briant and I think you were sent straight from heaven. Or are you just a professional hero or something?"
No, I'm a greaser. But don't bug me about it. At least the kid was okay. People don't seem to mind me being a greaser.
When I came back from Italy, I saw Darry. Darry didn't like me…he had driven me away…Darry hollers at me all the time…he didn't give a hang about me…suddenly, I realized horrified, that he did.
In that second what Soda and Two-bit had been trying to tell me came through. Darry did care about me. Maybe as much as he cared about other things, and because he cared, he was trying too hard to make something of me. When he yelled at me for grades, he meant he wanted me to be the best so that I could accomplish my future goals and be successful in life. I wondered how I could have ever seen it as hard and unfeeling.
That was his silent fear then. Of loosing another person he loved. I knew everything was going to be okay now. I had taken the long way around, But I was finally home. To stay.