Page 121 - Microsoft Word - S.E. Hinton The Outsiders.docx

He stood there, tall, broad-shouldered, his muscles taut under his T-shirt and his

eyes glittering like ice. For a second it looked like there wasn't anyone brave enough to
take him on. Then there was a slight stir in the faceless mob of Socs, and a husky blond

guy stepped forward. He looked at Darry and said quietly, "Hello, Darrel."

Something flickered behind Darry's eyes and then they were ice again. "Hello,

Paul."

I heard Soda give a kind of squeak and I realized that the blond was Paul Holden.

He had been the best halfback on Darry's football team at high school and he and Darry
used to buddy it around all the time. He must be a junior in college by now, I thought. He

was looking at Darry with an expression I couldn't quite place, but disliked. Contempt?
Pity? Hate? All three? Why? Because Darry was standing there representing all of us, and

maybe Paul felt only contempt and pity and hate for greasers? Darry hadn't moved a

muscle or changed expression, but you could see he hated Paul now. It wasn't only
jealousy--- Darry had aright to be jealous; he was ashamed to be on our side, ashamed to

be seen with the Brumly boys, Shepard's gang, maybe even us. Nobody realized it but me
and Soda. It didn't matter to anyone but me and Soda.

That's stupid, I thought swiftly, they've both come here to fight and they're both
supposed to be smarter than that. What difference does the side make?

Then Paul said, "I'll take you," and something like a smile crossed Darry's face. I
knew Darry had thought he could take Paul any time. But that was two or three years ago.

What if Paul was better now? I swallowed. Neither one of my brothers had ever been
beaten in a fight, but I wasn't exactly itching for someone to break the record.

They moved in a circle under the light, counterclockwise, eyeing each other,
sizing each other up, maybe remembering old faults and wondering if they were still

there. The rest of us waited with mounting tension. I was reminded of Jack London's
books--- you know, where the wolf pack waits in silence for one of two members to go

down in a fight. But it was different here. The moment either one swung a punch, the

rumble would be on.

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