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