Ponyboy sat on the stage with the rest of the senior class. Sodapop, Darry, Steve, Two-Bit, Kayla, Katrina, Suzie and Sandy all sat in the front roll. Darry had a huge smile on his face that made Ponyboy smile too. He knew why Darry was smiling because he was smiling for the same reason. He was going to be someone some day. He had just that day got his acceptance letter to a state college and he was the class valedictorian. Which was why the principal was talking about him right now, announcing his name and it was why he was walking over to the microphone to give his speech. The one he hadn't even written down because he had known he didn't have to. He had known exactly what he was going to say weeks earlier. He smiled over the podium and down at his friend's and family before he began.
"Hero's aren't always obvious. Most of the time they are the ones that are the least expected to be heroic. They don't even know when they do whatever makes them heroes," Ponyboy said, glancing down at Darry before continuing, "my brother, Darry is a hero. He's a hero because he would do anything for me and Sodapop. Just like Sodapop's a hero because he would do anything for me or Darry but they aren't the kind of hero's I'm talking about. I'm talking about the kind of heroes that go so far that they can never come back from it." Ponyboy looked out at all the socs in the audience before he continued. He knew a lot of them would not agree with what he was about to say but it was his chance to speak his mind and he was going to take it.
"Dallas Winston was just a big city boy trying to survive but three years ago he died. He died after he saved the person he cared about the most," Ponyboy said watching the shocked reactions on most of the audiences faces.
"I thought I understood him right away but I was wrong. He thought he had to be tough to survive but being tough only got him killed," Ponyboy continued, "but even after I figured this out I thought about someone else, Johnny Cade. Johnny was just a sweet boy but still he died. He died because he was too soft."
"I couldn't decided who I should be like. That's what's been bothering me these last few years," Ponyboy said before going on to finish his speech, "I've decided it's best to be both. To be tough when you have to, like Dally, but still be soft when you have to, like Johnny. You just have to 'stay gold' as long as you can."
That night Suzie was just about to doze off when she heard the whisper. Barely loud enough for her to hear but still there.
"I do," Ponyboy said softly in her ear. Suzie smiled as she cuddled closer to him. She didn't have to ask what he meant. She already knew.