Story Frame
Outsiders

In this story, the problem starts when Ponyboy walks alone in the ally and is threatened to having his throat slit. Sodapop and Darry come to his rescue and chase the bullies away but, are upset because he doesn't realize the importance of not walking alone especially at night. The Soc's are the gang members from the West side of the town and they are a high class group. The Greasers are from the East side and are low class members. They grease their hair and flick it back. Ponyboy needs to understand that they are in this as a family and he must always be with someone at all times, never alone.

After that, the Greaser guys go to the drive-in theater where they find two beautiful girls sitting in front of them. The girls are girlfriends of the Soc's but, they happen to be out drinking while the girls are at the theater. They flirt with the girls but, Darry is rude. He tries to get them to consume alcohol but instead Cherry the cheerleader girl throws it in his face. He comes back with pop to try and cool them down. Cherry has noticed that Ponyboy is different from his brothers and they come to the conclusion that they have alot in common. Cherry needs to leave separately and not with the Greaser boys to avoid fights.

Next, Ponyboy gets home late after taking the girls back with Johnny and his brother Darry is angry and slaps him in the face. He is frustrated because he stayed up late waiting for Ponyboy to get home but, he fell asleep not realizing what time it was, he runs home at two o'clock in the morning. Ponyboy runs away from home and is attakced along with Johnny by the Soc's at the park which is not their territory. They shouldn't be there. One of the Soc's tries to drown Ponyboy by pushing his head and holding it under the water fountain meanwhile, Johnny kills Bob which is Cherry's boyfriend. He does this to protect himself and Ponyboy from being drowned. When Ponyboy gets up he notices a pool of blood surrounding Bob.

Then, Johnny and Ponyboy go to get Darry as he is the number one killer. He gives them money and sends them on a train to an abandoned church for a week. The boys cut their hair and use peroxide to bleach it. They are doing this to disguise and change their identity. Ponyboy now has short blond hair and they remove all of the grease from their hair. It becomes easier to not be identified as a greaser.

They finally solve the problem of the church being on fire when, Johnny and Ponyboy rush into the church and help save the school children inside. As Ponyboy tries to escape the roof caves in and he blacks out. The ambulance arrive on scene and when Ponyboy wakes up he realizes he is in the hospital along with Johnny, who is in critical care and is on urge of dying. Ponyboy is being treated for his burn as Johnny has a very hard time trying to survive. Johnny escapes from the hospital at the rumble between the two gangs. Johnny goes back to the hospital after the greasers win the fight and Dally and Johnny follow him there. Johnny dies. They are now responsible for telling the bad news to their brothers while trying to deal with their own emotions. Ponyboy woke up at home the following day and realizes the value of his family and how precious they are to him. He realizes that Darry cares so much for him and that his way of showing that was through his frustration. In the end of the book, Ponyboy writes a novel.