Pony and Darry chase after him and finally catch him down at the park. Soda explains that he just can't stand it anymore — always being in the middle, always being torn from one side to the other. Neither Darry nor Pony had ever thought about how their fighting was impacting Soda. Soda reminds them that they should be sticking together, not tearing each other apart. All agree that they need to pull together, not apart.
At home that night, Pony cannot make himself work on his theme. He picks up Gone with the Wind and a note from Johnny falls out. Johnny writes that he had figured out what the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay really meant. The meaning is that one should not take things for granted, that everyone needs to continue to look at the world as if it is brand new in order to appreciate it. He also writes that Pony still has plenty of time to make something of himself. There is plenty of good in the world, and, most importantly, Pony should tell Dally these ideas as well. Dally really needs to hear them.
It is too late to tell Dally. Suddenly it dawns on Pony that a lot of Dallys live in the world. Someone should tell their side of the story, from their perspective, and then maybe other people wouldn't be so quick to judge. Pony decides that this is his theme topic. But how to start? Pony starts with the opening lines of Chapter 1.
