the park was about two blocks square with a fountain in the middle and a small swimming pool for the little kids the pool was empty now in the fall but the fountain was going merrily tall elm trees made the park shadowy and dark it would have been a good hangout but we preferred our vacant lot and the Shepherd outfit liked the alleys down by the tracks so the park was left to lovers and little kids nobody was around 2:30 in the morning and it was a good place to relax and cool off I couldn't have gotten much cooler without turning into a popsicle Johnny snapped up his jeans jacket and flipped up the collar ain't you about to freeze to death pony you ain't a wolf and I said rubbing my bare arms between drags on my cigarette I started to say something about the film of ice developing on the outer edges of the fountain when a sudden blast from a car horn made us both jump the blue mustang was circling the park slowly Johnny swore under his breath and I muttered what do they want this is our territory what her so she's doing this far east johnny shook his head I don't know but I bet they're looking for us we picked up their girls oh glory I said with a groan this is all I need to top off a perfect night I took one last drag on my weed and ground the stub under my heel I want to run for it it's too late now Johnny said here they come five socials were coming straight at us and from the way they were stagger and I figured they were reeling pickled that scared me a cool deadly Bluff could sometimes shake him off but not if they outnumbered you five to two when we're drunk Johnny's hand went to his back pocket and I remembered his switchblade I wish for that broken bottle I'd sure show them I could use it if I had to Johnny was scared to death I mean it he was as white as a ghost and his eyes were wild looking like the eyes of an animal in a trap we backed against the fountain and the social surrounded us they smelled so heavily of whiskey in English leather that I almost choked I wish desperately the dairy and soda would come along hunting for me four of us could handle them easily but no one was around and I knew Johnny now we're gonna have to fight it out alone Johnny had a blank tough look on his face you'd have had to know him to see the pain in his eyes I started the Scioscia school II maybe they could scare us to death but we'd never let them out the satisfaction of knowing it it was Randy and Bob and three other socials and they recognized us I knew Johnny recognized them he was watching the moonlight glint off Bob's rings with huge eyes hey what do you know Bob said a little unsteadily here's a little greasers that picked up our girls hey greasers you're out of your territory Johnny warned in a low voice he'd better watch it Randy swore at us and they stepped in closer bob was I and Johnny no pal you're the ones who'd better watch it next time you want a broad pick up your own kind dirt I was getting mad I was hating them enough to lose my head you know what a greaser is Bob asked white trash with long hair I felt the blood draining from my face I've been cussed out and sworn at but nothing ever hit me like that did Johnny cake made a kind of gasp in his eyes were smoldering you know what a so she is I said my voice shaking with rage white trash with Mustangs and Madras and then because I couldn't think of anything bad enough to call them I spit at them Bob shook his head smiling slowly you could use a bath greaser and a good workin over and we've got all night to do it give the kid a bath David I ducked and tried to run for it but the so she caught my arm and twisted it behind my back and shoved my face into the fountain I fought at the head at the back of my neck was strong and I had to hold my breath I'm dying I thought and wonder what was happening to Johnny I couldn't hold my breath any longer I fought again desperately but only sucked in water I'm drowning I thought they've gone too far a red haze filled my mind and I slowly relaxed the next thing I knew I was lying on the pavement beside the fountain coughing water and gasping I lay there weakly breathing in air and spitting out water the wind blasted through my soaked sweatshirt and dripping hair my teeth chattered unceasingly and I couldn't stop them I finally pushed myself up and leaned back against the fountain the water running down my face then I saw Johnny he was sitting next to me one elbow on his knee and staring straight ahead he was a strange greenish white and his eyes were huge her than I'd ever seen them I killed him he said slowly I killed that boy Bob the handsome soch was lying there in the moonlight doubled up and still a dark pool was growing from him spreading slowly over the blue white cement I looked at Johnny's hand he was clutching his switchblade and it was dark to the hilt my stomach gave a violent jump in my blood turned I see Johnny I managed to say fire the business I think I'm gonna be sick go ahead he said in the same steady voice I won't look at you I turned my head and was quietly sick for a minute then I leaned back and closed my eyes so I wouldn't see Bob line this can't be happening this can't be happening this can't be he really killed him hon Johnny yeah his voice quavered slightly I had to they were drowning you pony they might have killed you and they had a blade they were gonna beat me up like I swallowed like they did before Johnny was quiet for a minute yeah he said like they did before Johnny told me what had happened they ran when I stabbed him they all ran a panic was rising in me as I listened to Johnny's quiet voice go on and on Johnny I nearly screamed what are we gonna do they put you in the electric chair for killing people I was shaking I want to sit read I want a cigarette I want a cigarette we had smoked our last pack I'm scared Johnny what are we gonna do Johnny jumped up and dragged me up by my sweatshirt he shook me come down pony boy get a hold of yourself I hadn't realized I was screaming I shook loose okay I said I'm okay now Johnny looked around slapping his pockets nervously we got to get out of here get somewhere run away the police will be here soon I was trembling and it wasn't all from cold but Johnny except for the fact that his hands were twitching looked as cool as Derry ever had we'll need money and maybe a gun and a plan money maybe a gun a plan were in the room when we get these things dally Johnny said with finality Dalio get us out of here I heaved a sigh why hadn't I thought of that but I never thought of anything Dallas Winston could do anything where can we find him I think at buck Merrill's place there's a party over there tonight dally said something about it this afternoon buck Merrill was Daly's rodeo partner he was the one who'd gotten tally the job as a jockey for the /j buck raised a few quarter horses and made most of his money on fixed races and a little bootlegging I was under strict orders from Derry and soda not to get caught within 10 miles of his place which was dandy with me I didn't like buck Merrill he was a tall lanky cowboy with blond hair and buck teeth or he used to be buck tooth for he had the front two knocked out in a fight he was out of it he dug Hank Williams how gross can you get buck answered the door when we knocked and a roar of cheap music came with him the clinking of glasses loud rough laughter and female giggles and Hank Williams it scraped on my nerves like sandpaper a can of beer in one hand but glared down at us what do you want dally Johnny gulps looking back over his shoulder we got to see dally he's busy buck snapped and someone in his living room yelled aha and then yeehaw and the sound of it almost made my nerves snap tell him it's pony and Johnny I commanded a new buck and the only way you get anything from him was to bully him I guess that's why Dallas could handle him so easily although buck was in his mid-20s and dally was 17 he'll come but glared at me for a second then stumbled off he was pretty well cropped which made me apprehensive if dally was drunk and dangerous mood he appeared in a few minutes clad only in a pair of low-cut blue jeans scratching the hair on his chest he was sober enough and that surprised me maybe he hadn't been there long okay kids what do you need me for as Johnny told him the story I studied dally trying to figure out what there was about this tough-looking hood that a girl like cherry valance could love towheaded and shifty eyed dally was anything but handsome you didn't his hard face there was character pride and a savage defiance of the world he could never love cherry valance back it would be a miracle if dally loved anything fight for self-preservation and hardened him beyond caring he didn't bat an eye when Johnny told him what had happened only grinned and said good for you when Johnny told how he had knifed the soch finally Johnny finished we figured you could get us out if anyone could I'm sorry we got you away from the party ah shoot kid dally glanced contemptuously over his shoulder I was in the bedroom he suddenly stared at me glory but your ears can get red pony boy I was remember what usually went on in the bedrooms at bucks parties then tally grinned an amused realization I wasn't anything like that kid I was asleep or trying to be with all this racket Hank Williams he rolled his eyes and added a few adjectives after Hank Williams then me and Sheppard had a run-in and I cracked some ribs I actually did a place to lay over he rubbed his side ruefully hold Tim sure can pack a punch and he won't be able to see out of one eye for a week he left us over inside well wait a second I'll see what I can do about this mess they took a good look at me pony boy are you wet yes I stammered through chattering teeth glory hallelujah he opened the screen door and pulled me in motioning for Johnny to follow you'll die a pneumonia for the cops ever get you he half dragged me into an empty bedroom swearing at me all the way get that sweatshirt off he threw a towel at me dry off and wait here at least Johnny's got his jeans jacket you gotta know better than to run away on just a sweatshirt I don't wet one at that don't you ever use your head he sounded so much like dairy that I stared at him he didn't notice and left us sitting on the bed Johnny lay back on it I wish I had me a weed my knees were shaking as I finished drying off sitting there in my jeans dally appeared after a minute he carefully shut the door here he handed us a gun and a roll of bills the guns loaded for pete's sake I don't point the thing at me here's 50 bucks that's all I got out of Meral tonight he's blowing his loop from that last race he might have thought it was dally who fixed those races for buck being a jockey and all but it wasn't the last guy to suggest it lost three teeth it's the truth Dahle rode the ponies honestly and did his best to win it was the only thing Dahle did honestly pony did dairy and soda pop know about this I shook my head Dali's side boy howdy our image seemed to be the one to tell dairy and get my head busted then don't tell him I said I hated to worry soda pop and would have liked to let him know that I had gotten this far okay but I didn't care if dairy worried himself grey-headed I was too tired to tell myself I was being mean and unreasonable I convinced myself it wouldn't be fair to make dolly tell him dairy would beat him to death for giving us the money and the gun and getting us out of town here Dahle handed me a shirt about 60 million sizes too big it's bucks you and him ain't exactly the same size but it's dry he handed me his Warren brown leather jacket with the yellow sheep's wool lining it'll get cold where you're going but she can't risk being loaded down with blankets I started button up the shirt at about swallowed me you hopped the 315 Freight to wind ryx phil dally instructed there's an old abandoned church on top of J Mountain as a pump in back so don't worry about water by a week supply of food as soon as you get there this morning before the story gets out and then don't so much as stick your noses out the door I'll be up there as soon as I think it's clear man I thought New York was the only place I could get mixed up in a murder rap at the word murder Johnny made a small noise in his throat and shuddered dolly walked us back to the door turning off the porch light before we stepped out get going he messed up Johnny's hair take care kid he said softly sure dally Thanks and we ran into the darkness we crouched in the weeds beside the railroad tracks listening to the whistle grow louder the train slowed to a screaming halt now whispered Johnny we ran and pulled ourselves into an open boxcar we pressed against the side trying to hold our breath while we listened to the railroad workers walk up and down outside one poked his head inside and we froze but he didn't see us in the boxcar rattled on as the train started up the first stop will be wind Rick's filled johnny said laying down the gun gingerly he shook his head I don't see why he gave me this I couldn't shoot anybody then for the first time really I realized what we were in for Johnny had killed someone quiet soft-spoken little Johnny who wouldn't hurt a living thing on purpose had taken a human life we were really running away with the police after us for murder and a loaded gun by our side I wish we'd asked Allie for a pack of cigarettes I stretched out and used Johnny's legs for a pillow curling up I was thankful for Dolly's jacket it was too big but it was warm not even the rattling of the train could keep me awake and I went to sleep in a hoodlums jacket with a gun lying next to my hand I was hardly awake when Johnny I leaped off the train into a meadow not until I landed in the doing got a wet shock that I realized what I was doing Johnny must have woke me up and told me to jump but I didn't remember it we lay in the tall weeds and damp grass breathing heavily the dawn was coming it was lighting in the sky in the east an array of gold touched the hills the clouds were pink and meadow larks were singing this is the country I thought half asleep my dreams come true and I'm in the country blasted pony boy Johnny was rubbing his legs he must put my legs to sleep I can't even stand up I barely got off that train I'm sorry why didn't you wake me up that's okay I didn't want to wake you up until I had to now how do we find J Mountain I asked Johnny I was still groggy with sleep and wanted to sleep forever right there and the do when the dawn when we go ask someone the store won't be in the paper yet make like a farm boy taking a walk or something I don't look like a farm boy I said I suddenly thought of my long hair combed back and the slouching stride I used from habit I looked at Johnny he didn't look like any farm boy to me he still reminded me of a lost puppy who had been kicked too often but for the first time I saw him as a stranger might see him he looked hard and tough because of his black t-shirt and his blue jeans and jacket because his hair was heavily greased and so long I saw how his hair curled behind his ears and I thought we both need a haircut in some decent clothes I looked down at my worn faded blue jeans my two big shirt and Ally's worn-out jacket he'll know we're hoods the minute they see us I thought I'll have to stay here Johnny said rubbing his legs you go down the road and that's the first person you see where J Mountain is he winced at the pain in his legs then come back and for pete's sake when I comb through your hair and quit slouching down like a thug so Johnny had noticed it too I pulled a comb from my back pocket and combed my hair carefully I guess I look okay now huh Johnny he was studying me you know you look an awful lot like Sodapop the way you've got your hair and everything I mean except your eyes are green they ain't green they're gray I said reddening and I look about as much like soda as you do I got to my feet he's good looking I'll shoot Johnny said with a grin you are too i'm climbed over the barbed-wire fence without saying anything else I could hear Johnny laughing at me but I didn't care I went strolling down the red dirt road hoping my natural color would come back before I met anyone I wonder what dairy and soda pop are doing now I thought yawning soda had the whole bed to himself for once I bet dairies sorry he ever hit me he'll really get worried when he finds out Johnny and I killed that soch then for a moment I pictured soda pops face when he heard about it I wish I was home I thought absently I wish I was home and still in bed maybe I am maybe I'm just dreaming it was only last night that dally and I had sat down behind those girls to nightly double glory I thought with a bewildering feeling of being rushed things are happening too quick too fast I figured I couldn't get into any worse trouble than murder Johnny and I would be hiding for the rest of our lives nobody but dally would know where we were and he couldn't tell anyone cuz he'd just get jailed again for giving us that gun if Johnny got caught that give him the electric chair and if they caught me I'd be sent to a reformatory I'd heard about reformatories from Curley Shepherd and I didn't want to go to one at all so we'd have to be Hermits for the rest of our lives and never see anyone but dally maybe I'd never see dairy or soda pop again or even too bitter Steve I was in the country but I knew I wasn't going to like it as much as I thought I would there are things worse than being a greaser I met a sunburned farmer driving a tractor down the road I waved at him and he stopped could you tell me where Jay mountain is I asked as politely as I could he pointed on down the road followed this road to that big hill over there that's it taking a walk yes sir I managed to look sheepish or play an army and I'm supposed to report to headquarters there I can lie so easily that it spooks me sometimes soda says it comes from reading so much but then two-bit lies all the time - when he never opens a book boys will be boys the farmer said with a grin and I thought dully that he sounded his corn Pony as Hank Williams he went on and I walked back to where Johnny was waiting we climbed up the road to the church although it was a lot farther away than it looked the road got steeper with every step I was feeling kind of drunk I always do when I get too sleepy and my legs got heavier and heavier I guess Johnny was sleepier than I was he had stayed awake on the train to make sure we got off at the right place it took us about 45 minutes to get there we climbed in a back window it was a small church real old and spooky and spider webby gave me the creeps I'd been in church before I used to go all the time even after mom and dad were gone and then one Sunday I talked to soda into coming with Johnny and me he didn't want to come unless Steve did and 2-bit decided he might as well come to dolly was sleeping off a hangover and Derry was working when Johnny and I went we sat in the back trying to get something out of the sermon and avoiding the people because we weren't dressed so sharp most of the time nobody seemed to mind and Johnny and I really liked to go but that day well soda can't sit still long enough to enjoy a movie much less a sermon and wasn't long before he and Steve and 2-bit were throwing paper wads at each other and clowning around and finally Steve dropped a hymnbook with a bang accidentally of course every one of the place turned around to look at us and Johnny and I nearly crawled under the pews and then 2-bit waved at them I hadn't been to church since but this church gave me a kind of creepy feeling what do you call it premonition I flopped out on the floor and immediately decided not to do any more flopping that floor was stone and hard Johnny stretched out beside me resting his head on his arm I started to say something to him but I went to sleep before I get the words out of my mouth but Johnny didn't notice he was asleep too