We beat the Socs. I remembered to Stay Gold. At first I didn't quite know what was meant by that. Then I remembered Dally…Dally skipping class. Dally was tougher than I was. How could he handle being a greaser? Then I knew. It was the only thing Dally loved.
Things were sliding in and out of focus. It was only yesterday that Dally and Johnny and me were in Italy. But yesterday was years ago, a lifetime ago.
Dally was rebellious and that was what he wanted. He always got what she wanted. But then I remembered Dally being nice, Dally skipping class though it meant detention for her. But johnny was right, she was gallant.
There's nothing we can do now. Nothing we can do. Not for Johnny or for any of us.
When I woke up next, it was quiet. Too quiet. I mean our house just isn't naturally quiet. Something was wrong, but I couldn't quite figure it out. Something had happened. I couldn't remember. I was mixed up.
When I woke up again, I was thinking a lot more clearly. Apparently, it was just jet lag. Exhaustion. Then I remembered. I was back to reality and I was a greaser. Don't think of that, I thought. Don't remember how you wanted more than you had, don't remember how you were marked lousy, don't think of being good at something but being underestimated. Try to think its better off this way, that it was gonna end up like this sooner or later. Best of all, don't think. Blank your mind. Don't remember, don't remember.
There was a harsh painful lump in my throat I couldn't sallow.
"Johnny left you his copy of The Outsiders. Told the nurse she wanted you to have it." Darry said. I looked at the paperback sitting on the table. I didn't want to finish it. I would never get past the part where the characters die but they die gallant.
Don't remember. Don't try to decide if the Socs or Greasers are better.
Some people never grasped the importance I put on dance. Like they never understood why I went all out for studying.