Heart Breaker

Chapter 17

"I didn't tell y'all something," Dally said. "The Socs and us are having all-out warfare all over the city. That kid you killed had plenty of friends and all over town it's Soc against grease. We can't walk alone at all. I started carryin a heater . . ."

"Dally!" Ponyboy said, frightened. "You kill people with heaters!"

I placed a comforting on Ponyboy's shoulder so he would not tense up.

"Ya kill 'em with switchblades, too, don't ya, kid?" Dally said in a hard voice. Johnny gulped. "Don't worry, it ain't loaded. I ain't aimin' to get picked up for murder. But it sure does help a bluff. Tim Shepard's gang and our outfit are havin' it out with the Socs tomorrow night at the vacant lot. We got hold of the president of one of their social clubs and had a war council. Yeah"--- Dally sighed, and I knew he was remembering New York--- "just like the good old days. If they win, things go on as usual. If we do, they stay outa our territory but good. Two-Bit got jumped a few days ago. Darry and me came along in time, but he wasn't havin' too much trouble. Two-Bit's a good fighter. Hey, I didn't tell you we got us a spy."

"A spy?" Johnny looked up from his banana split, "Who?"

"That Soc's girlfriend, the readhead, Cherry what's-her-name."Johnny gagged and Pony almost dropped my hot fudge sundae. 

"Cherry?" They bothe said at the same time. "The Soc?"

"Yeah," Dally said. "She came over to the vacant lot the night Two-Bit was jumped. Shepard and some of his outfit were hanging around there when she drives up in her little ol' Sting Ray. That took a lot of nerve. y/n was about to beat the crap out of her, but Two-Bit stopped her, know that she the dead kid's girl."

"Yeah," Johnny said.

Dally kept going on, "She said she felt that the whole mess was her fault, which it is, and that she'd keep up with what was comin' off with the Socs in the rumble and would testify that the Socs were drunk and looking for a fight and that you fought back in self-defense." He gave a grim laugh.

"Man, this place is out of it. What do they do for kicks around here, play checkers?" Dally surveyed the scene without interest. "I ain't never been in the country before. Have you two?"

Johnny shook his head but Ponyboy said, "Dad used to take us all huntin'. I've been in the country before. How'd you know about the church?"

"I got a cousin that lives around here somewheres. Tiped me off that it'd make a tuff hide-out in case of something. Hey, Ponyboy, I heard you was the best shot in the family."

"Yeah," Ponyboy said. "Darry always got the most ducks, though. Him and Dad. Soda and I goofed around too much, scared most of our game away."

"That was a good idea, I mean cuttin' your hair and bleachin' it. They printed your descriptions in the paper but you sure wouldn't fit 'em now." I said.