It's true, I thought numbly. I am a greaser. Tuff enough. The days in Italy strengthened Johnny and I's friendship.

I wouldn't mind if there weren't so many things I hadn't done yet, so many things I hadn't seen. It's not fair. Seventeen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things. Not the things you want to learn. Seventeen years on the streets and you can see a lot, but all the wrong sites, not the sites you want to see.

Being a greaser teaches you to shut off your emotions. If you didn't you'd explode. You learn to cool it.

For the first time during the Italy trip, I'd felt like Dallas was my buddy. And all because I could talk to her.

Dance was my pride and joy, my showpiece.

We gotta win that fight tonight. We got to get even with the Socs. Then he referenced The Outsiders by saying "Do it for Johnny."

Two-bit had said to me "you know the only thing that keeps you from being a Soc is your ADHD."

"I know." I said. I had known it for a long time. I was way too smart to be a greaser. I didn't know how I knew, I just did. And I was kind of sorry. "Tonight. I don't like it one bit."

Two-bit seemed to think that if you immediately said something was alright, it immediately was no matter what. She's been that way all her life and I don't expect she'll change.

Cherry valance was sitting in her corvette by the vacant lot when she came by. Her long hair was pinned up. "Hi Ponyboy" she said. "Hi Two-bit"

Apparently Cherry had shown up there before, during the 10 days Johnny and I had spent in Italy.

"What's up with the big times?"

"They play your way. Fair deal. Your rules. No weapons."

We started home. "Thanks Cherry."

"Ponyboy wait. Stay a minute." Cherry said. I stopped and turned to her. "Randy's not going to show at the rumble."

"Yeah" I said. "I know."

"He's not scared, just sick of fighting."

Would any of my friends stop fighting for the same reasons Randy had? Maybe.

"Maybe we (the Socs) asked for it. I know we did. But some of us had another side. We could be sweet sometimes. It was the insecure part of us that was mean. Some people have something special, something that makes them different, a little better than the crowd. Do you know what I mean?"

I did. I knew what she meant all right. But I also meant she knew that she would still act like a Soc. "We'll that's okay. You're a traitor to your own kind and not loyal to us. Do you think that your spying for us makes up for the fact that your sitting there in a car while my friends bust our butts off in school? Don't you ever feel sorry for us. Don't you ever try to give us your hand outs and then feel high and mighty about it."

I started to walk off, but something in Cherry's voice made me stop. I was ashamed-I can't stand to see girls cry. She wasn't crying, but she was close to it.

"I wasn't trying to give you charity, Ponyboy. I liked you from the start, the way we talked. You're a nice kid. Do you know how scarce nice kids are nowadays? Wouldn't you try to help me if you thought you could?"

I would. I'd help her and Randy both if I could. "Hey," I said suddenly "can you see the sunset from your side of town?"

She blinked, startled then smiled "yeah, real good."

"You can see it good out my bedroom window, too." I said quietly.

"Thanks, Ponyboy" she smiled through her tears "you dig okay."

I went on, walking home slowly.