Pony is prescribed bed rest for a week to continue his recovery, which tests his patience. Out of boredom, he flips through Soda's old yearbook, where he finds a picture of Bob. He spends some time imagining Bob’s personality and life, and “[begins] to see the person [they] had killed” (162). Randy visits Pony at home and reminds him about the court hearing tomorrow. Pony has difficulty sympathizing with Randy’s grief and regret, given how much Pony had lost since the night of the murder and knowing how privileged Randy’s family is. Randy admits he feels bad for disappointing his father, which is the first time Randy “[has] felt something in a long time” (163). Pony shares that he is scared he’ll be sent to a foster home, which genuinely worries Randy. He reassures Pony that he was in no way guilty for killing Bob because he witnessed Johnny do it, but Pony suddenly becomes adamant that he is in fact the guilty one, and Johnny is still alive. Explaining that Pony is “still pretty racked up mentally and emotionally,” Darry asks Randy to leave.

Pony’s conversation with Randy leaves him feeling bitter; he thinks to himself: “He was just like all the rest of the Socs.