The Outsiders Staying Gold part 3

"Stay Gold Ponyboy, Stay Gold."
The words came back to me. I glanced off into space. I drew in a deep breath. I sat down at the table. Sodapop put a plate in front of me as I continued to stare at the wall. "Pony you okay?" "What? Oh yeah I'm okay." Those last words of Johnny's, I didn't quite know what he ment by them. I think he was referencing back to that poem I told him up in Windrexville. He wanted me to stay youthful and to forget the harsh realities of our lives. He wanted me to be gold, or innocent. The words came back to me.
"Fighting ain't no good."
Johnny knew I was better, better than to fight. He wanted me to hold onto the golden quailities that set me apart from my companions. I'm not saying that im better than anyone in the gang, it's just Johnny knew better. While Johnny and I were in that church, I felt like our friendship blossomed. It solidified the idyllc interlude of the church. We escaped the world, from adults and the Socs. I felt as reckless as Sodapop while in that church. That poem, how I longed to remember. I tried to forget it. Everytime I thought about it, I thought about Johnny. But that poem was gold itself. This idyll the church had tinged with sadness. Just as the gold in the poem vanishes, the idyll must end, and the church burned to the ground. It vanished. But then again "Nothing Gold Can Stay." I pondered that thought. Finally Sodapop shook me out of my daydream. "Come on Ponyboy, eat your chicken." I grinned and ate. Boy was Sodapop funny. I always looked up to him. I did love him more than Mom and Dad. He always wanted to have fun. But was there ever a time to quit having fun? No, Johnny told me to Stay Gold.