diary entry for Cherry Valance

part 1

i got this for my English home work and got to carried away so here's the full thing

Dear Diary,

Tonight was . . . weird. Totally weird. And strange. I'm still not entirely sure how things came around. That's how weird it was.

I guess it kind of started when Bob and the guys suggested we all go up to the drive-in. The film was lousy, but Marcia came too, so I thought it would be okay. God, I was wrong. I've told all the guys, again and again and again, what happens when they get drunk. For a start, it's totally against the law, then all the arguments, the fights . . . I can't stand fighting. It scares me, and if people whip out their knives . . . I just don't like getting involved. Neither does Marcia, much. So, when they brought out the drinks, I was adamant. As I've told them before; it's us or the booze. They went for the booze, so we moved. The guys got angry, and left. Marcia and I sat in a huff. Did I mention how much the film sucked? Not my type, but Marcia seems to enjoy them.

They they came. The greasers. The annoying graces, who was everything a typical greaser was supposed to be and the other two. Strange greasers. Not like normal ones. They actually seemed to respect us, instead of taking advantage of two girls out alone. Either that or they were scared. Or shy. But a shy greaser? They actually seemed, well, nice. But the greaser they were with was a pain in the neck. He was everything I'd heard or ever thought about greasers. From the moment he sat down right behind us, I knew what was coming.

I tried to ignore him. I really tried. At first, he sat and talked. Talked just loud enough for us to hear. Though he was talking to his non-responsive greaser friends, it was totally obvious that we were the object of his attention. And he got worse. He went on and on, and the further he went on the worse he got. It got to the extent that Marcia turned slowly scarlet and even the other two greasers seemed embarrassed. I vaguely heard one make an excuse to get up and go briefly out the drive-in. Then, he blew the final straw. That greaser dared, actually dared, to stick his feet up on my chair. And that was all it took.

I spun around to shout at him. The greaser didn't seem to care. He was getting me irritated just for fun. What really got on my nerves was that he still had the cheek to sit there, oh, so casually, looking at me very much like my boyfriend had just before. I mean, how can a greaser look so . . . so infuriatingly calm, and get on my every last nerve, but yet – and I guess I had to admit it – be so good-looking too? And he probably had a knife on him somewhere as well. I swear, it was such a relief when he got up (to buy us Cokes, no less) and left. Marcia and I immediately turned to the remaining greaser, expecting the same. But as soon as I looked at him, I knew he wouldn't.

Ponyboy Curtis. That's what he told us his name was. I liked it. An unusual and individual name. He looked younger than the other greaser. I was pretty certain I'd seen him somewhere before. He looked familiar, and totally embarrassed. Though they hang around together, I could tell they had their solid differences. When the other non-annoying greaser returned, he seemed nervous. He was called Johnny. Johnny Cade. The name vaguely rang a bell, though I wasn't too sure from where. He looked the same kind of age as Ponyboy, though apparently he was two years older. Strange really. He's got these huge, great big, black eyes, that are always darting around everywhere. I got the feeling Ponyboy was sort of unconsciously on the lookout for Johnny, and wondered if he had a bad history or something. Now I know he does. He does, and I kind of wish I hadn't found out.

Then he came back. I needn't go into detail. His name's Dally. This time he had the sheer nerve to come and sit right beside me and give me a Coke. I chucked it right over him. However, instead of getting annoyed, he just laughed. Then tried to put an arm around me. But surprise of all surprises, Johnny stopped him. Johnny, the one who seemed scared of everyone and everything. Dally looked simply stunned, and I had the impression that he wouldn't have taken his arm off me if it had been anyone else. I shot a glance at Ponyboy, whose mouth had dropped open and whose eyes were wide. This must have been a completely different side of Johnny. To stand up to Dally must have taken some courage; it obviously didn't happen often as the greaser appeared to give in and stalked out. There was an uncomfortable silence. I was pleased to see the back of him, whereas I noticed Johnny now looked slightly more scared, and Marcia had accepted and was still drinking the Coke that Dally had given her, pretending to concentrate on the movie.