The flashback of Johnny’s beating is relevant because the same boys threaten them again. The flashback foreshadows the reappearance of the car.
Johnny and Pony make friends with some girls at the movies. There is nothing unusual about this, except that these are greaser boys and Soc girls. The girls know that their boyfriends will be jealous and angry if they see them with greasers.
Pony flashed back to Johnny’s condition after he was jumped because this is what he thinks of when he thinks of Socs and greaser. Bob and his friends once jumped Johnny, beating him badly. It traumatized Johnny. He was already sensitive, but the experience left him even more fragile.
"There was a whole bunch of them," Johnny went on, swallowing, ignoring Soda's command. "A blue Mustang full... I got so scared..." He tried to swear, but suddenly started crying, fighting to control himself, then sobbing all the more because he couldn't. (Ch. 2)
When the girls see the blue mustang, they know there could be trouble. Johnny recognizes this blue mustang too. Johnny, Pony, and Two-bit get ready to fight. Two-bit hands Pony a broken bottle, and Johnny fingers his switchbade. Seeing the car makes Johnny go into a panic.
Johnny was breathing heavily and I noticed he was staring at the Soc's hand. He was wearing three heavy rings. I looked quickly at Johnny, an idea dawning on me. I remembered that it was a blue Mustang that had pulled up beside the vacant lot and that Johnny's face had been cut up by someone wearing rings... (Ch. 2)
Cherry temporarily defuses the situation by telling the boys that they will leave with them. That is the end of it for then. Unfortunately, the Socs are still cruising later that night when Johnny and Pony are in the park, and they attack. Johnny kills Bob.
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