As much as Johnny loves movies, tonight was boring. He wasn’t getting any girls, and his two friends he was with were just talking to some Soc girls. Two-Bit was flirting with Marcia right next to him, and Ponyboy and Cherry had gone to the concession stand to get some popcorn and flirt more than they were already.

“I’m gonna go smoke. I’ll be right back,” Johnny announces, and he leaves the drive-in, leaning against the cold, metallic fence that was bordering the drive-in. He takes his cigarette out, lighting it and taking a slow drag. He felt like his mother.

He was snapped out of his trance when he heard footsteps behind him, and his hand instinctively went to his jeans pocket, grabbing the end of his switchblade. He slowly turns around, tense.