Johnny, Ponyboy and Beth walked to the lot in silence. Johnny started a fire, and Ponyboy and Beth laid back on a mattress.
Johnny came and sat down between them. He shivered slightly.
"Johnny, just take your jacket back," Beth said. "I'll be fine for a little while."
"No, Beth," Johnny said. "You need it more."
"I'm making you wear it," Beth said, slipping off the jacket and throwing it over Johnny's chest. "Besides, I should be getting home soon anyway."
"Beth," he huffed, before sighing. "You're right. I'm just bein' stubborn." He put the jacket on.
There was a pause, and then Johnny said to Ponyboy, "Man, that was a tough car, huh?"
Ponyboy yawned, and Johnny continued, "Mustangs. They're tough."
"Big time Socs alright," Ponyboy huffed, sitting up. He turned to Beth. "No offense."
"None taken," Beth replied. "They're real jerks, anyhow. I hope Cherry dumps Bob soon. He's not good for her."
There was a silence as Ponyboy threw sticks into the fire. Johnny's breathing grew heavier as shouting was heard in the distance.
Just as Beth was about to say something, he put his head in his lap. "I can't take much more of this, Ponyboy," he said. Ponyboy and Beth exchanged a concerned glance.
"I- I'll kill myself or something! I don't know!" Johnny continued.
Johnny began quietly sobbing, and Beth gingerly put a hand on his back. "You don't mean that, do you?" she asked as Ponyboy came back to sit next to Johnny.
"Don't talk like that, Johnny," Ponyboy added. "Come on, you can't kill yourself."
"I've gotta do something," Johnny sniffed. He leaned back on the mattress, tears staining his face. He wanted to curl up and hide. Why was he letting himself cry in front of the prettiest girl he'd ever seen?
Beth let her hand fall from Johnny's back as he laid down. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't.
Johnny let out a shaky breath. "It just- it just- it seems like there's gotta be someplace without greasers and socs," he mumbled. "There must be someplace with just plain, ordinary people."
"It's like that in the country," Ponyboy said as he and Beth laid down too. "Away from all the big towns."
Beth's eyelids were growing heavy, and the last thing she heard was Ponyboy repeating, "Out in the country."
"Beth? Ponyboy?" Beth heard suddenly. "Pony, wake up!"
Johnny was shaking Beth and Ponyboy awake.
"God, what time is it?" Ponyboy muttered.
"I dunno, I went to sleep too," Johnny said.
"Oh, God, my mom's gonna kill me!" Beth cried.
"You should get home, Beth. And Ponyboy," Johnny said.
"Oh, I should," Beth mumbled. "But I don't know my way home. I s'pose I could stay a while longer, at least til it's brighter out."
Concern flashed across Johnny's face, but he agreed.
"Well, I'm gonna stay all night out here," Johnny shrugged. "Who'll care anyway?"
Ponyboy got up and ran for his house as Johnny and Beth laid there. "Are your parents that bad?" she asked Johnny.
"I dunno. They fight a lot. Sometimes I wonder if they even care about me," Johnny replied.
"I'm sure they do," Beth said awkwardly.
