That Was Then, This Is Now
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That was then, this is now is a novel by S.E. Hinton. It was later turned into a film starring Emilio Estevez. The book (like Rumble Fish) takes place in the same universe as Hintons first book The Outsiders. However unlike Rumble Fish, which only hinted at a connection between the two books, in That Was Then, This Is Now the main character of The Outsiders, Ponyboy, actually makes a cameo appearance in the book.
Plot summary
The novel is supposed to take place roughly two years after the events in "The Outsiders". It centers around the relationship bewtween two teenagers, Bryon and Mark, and how they begin to grow apart. Ever since Mark's parents shot each other out of drunken rage, he has been living with Bryon, his best friend for as long as they can remember. They have spent their days boozing in dry river beds, playing poker, and hustling pool games. But now things are changing. Bryon is spending more time with his girlfriend, Cathy, while Mark becomes more distant and isolates himself from Bryon while bringing in massive amounts of money. Also, Bryon is growing tired of the seemingly never ending street fights that plague their town, while Mark can't seem to live without them. When Cathy's brother, M&M, runs away, Mark finds him in a hippie commune under the influence of LSD. Bryon and Cathy are able to bring him home, but then Bryon discovers something horrific about Mark that changes both of them forever. At the end of the story, Mark is in jail, Cathy has left Bryon, and M&M tells Bryon of the lasting effects the drugs had on him. Bryon is left emotionless, wondering about everything that has happened but knowing nothing will ever be the same.