Page 83 - Microsoft Word - S.E. Hinton The Outsiders.docx

when Dallas and Johnny and I had met at the corner of Pickett and Sutton. I left out the

part about the gun and our hitching a ride in the freight car. He was real nice about it and
said that being heroes would help get us out of trouble, especially since it was self-

defense and all.

I was sitting there, smoking a cigarette, when Jerry came back in from making a

phone call. He stared at me for a second. "You shouldn't be smoking."

I was startled. "How come?" I looked at my cigarette. It looked okay to me. I

looked around for a "No Smoking" sign and couldn't find one. "How come?"

"Why, uh," Jerry stammered, "uh, you're too young."

"I am?" I had never thought about it. Everyone in our neighborhood, even the

girls, smoked. Except for Darry, who was too proud of his athletic health to risk a
cigarette, we had all started smoking at an early age. Johnny had been smoking since he

was nine; Steve started at eleven. So no one thought it unusual when I started. I was the

weed-fiend in my family--- Soda smokes only to steady his nerves or when he wants to
look tough.

Jerry simply sighed, then grinned. "There are some people here to see you. Claim
to be your brothers or something."

I leaped up and ran for the door, but it was already open and Soda had me in a
bear hug and was swinging me around. I was so glad to see him I could have bawled.

Finally he set me down and looked at me. He pushed my hair back. "Oh, Ponyboy, your
hair... your tuff, tuff hair..."

Then I saw Darry. He was leaning in the doorway, wearing his olive jeans and
black T-shirt. He was still tall, broad-shouldered Darry; but his fists were jammed in his

pockets and his eyes were pleading. I simply looked at him. He swallowed and said in a
husky voice, "Ponyboy..."

The$Outsiders,"S.E."Hinton" 83"