A careful reader is not surprised by the turn of events in this chapter. In the previous chapter, Pony stated about Johnny, "He isn't dead, I said to myself. He isn't dead. And this time my dreaming worked." And as this chapter opens, Pony is looking at Bob's picture in the yearbook and says, "I could begin to see the person we had killed." Both of these statements allude to Pony's state of mind: Johnny is not dead, and Pony is assuming responsibility for Bob's death. Pony may be thinking that he is equally guilty of killing Bob because he was at the scene. Legally, he could be held partially responsible because he aided and abetted a known criminal when he and Johnny fled the law. Or he may consider himself guilty simply because he is a greaser. Perhaps it is his fate as a greaser to become the convict he was destined to be. Or maybe Pony subconsciously believes that he is the guilty party because Johnny was saving Pony's life when he killed Bob. Whatever the reasoning, Pony is in a state of denial. Denying that Johnny killed Bob and that now Johnny is dead is the only way that Pony is able to deal with the two deaths.
Pony feels that Randy's concern over letting his father down is ludicrous. Randy's father is rich enough to pay the fine and clear his son's name, so the family won't suffer from Randy's actions. To draw a contrast and to make his point, Pony tells Randy what the possible implications may be for his own family. (Darry could be removed as guardian, and Soda and Pony could be sent to a boys' home.) Although Randy looks worried upon hearing this information, he doesn't fully understand Pony's fear because he knows that Pony isn't responsible: "You didn't do anything. It was your friend Johnny who had the knife." Each boy feels like an outsider as he tries to understand the other's life. However, as readers have seen throughout the book, being an outsider is a matter of perspective. Randy and Pony actually are experiencing similar emotions while they come to terms with the violent events and consequences. Randy feels that his father is a "good guy" and doesn't deserve to go through this disappointment and embarrassment because of him. And Pony believes that his brothers do not deserve to be separated because of his actions.
