Playboy panics at the thought of Johnny being crippled for life why does pony wish he was dreaming

Johnny has had a completely dysfunctional life because he has terrible parents who have made him identify with the Greasers rather than his family. If he is convicted of the murder of Bob, he would spend his life in prison crippled. Although he may not entirely verbalize these exact thoughts, he can see that the entire group of Greasers, including his own family, is about to fall apart.