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The Outsiders Chapter 7
While the brothers wait in the hospital to see how Johnny and Dally are, reporters interview them. Soda charms everyone, and Darry intimidates them. After the reporters finally leave, the boys convince the doctors to tell them about Dally and Johnny. Dally is burned but will be okay in a few weeks. Johnny's back is broken and he is badly burned--he may die. "I wanted to cry, but greasers don't cry in front of strangers. Some of us never cry at all. Like Dally and Two-Bit and Tim Shepard--they forgot how at an early age." Chapter 7, pg. 102 There is nothing for the brothers to do but go home. The next morning, Pony is making breakfast (whoever wakes up first makes breakfast, and the other two do the dishes) when Steve and Two-Bit show up. They tease him about his hair, but he is happy to see them anyway. Then they tell him the newspapers have been calling him a hero. Pony reads in the paper that Cherry and Randy, Bob's friend, both support the greasers, saying that Johnny had killed Bob in self-defense. Everyone is impressed with the greasers, but some officials are still thinking of taking Soda and Pony away from Darry. Reading this, Pony remembers that he had a nightmare the night before. Since his parents died, he has been having the same nightmare every so often, and he can never remember it. It terrifies him anyway. He quickly changes the subject, asking Soda about his girlfriend. Everyone falls silent, and finally Steve explains that Sandy got pregnant and had to go live with her grandmother, because her parents wouldn't let her marry Sodapop. Pony knows how much Soda loved her, and he feels bad. Everyone goes off to work, leaving Two-Bit to take care of Ponyboy during the day. Pony likes Two-Bit: he sees things realistically, and he tells funny jokes. They go to get ice cream, and the blue Mustang pulls up near them. Randy pulls Ponyboy aside. He tells him he doesn't want to fight anymore. "Randy was supposed to be too cool to feel anything, but there was pain in his eyes." Chapter 7, pg. 116 Randy says that fighting doesn't do any good--it only hurts people. After talking with Randy, Pony decides, "Things were rough all over, but it was better that way. That way you could tell the other guy was human too." Chapter 7, pg. 118
