How did Rusty-James know Steve Hays in Rumble Fish?
When Rusty-James bumps into Steve Hays on the beach, he doesn't recognize him at first. But after a short while, his memory kicks into gear. He now remembers Steve as someone he used to hang out with when they were younger, more often than not getting into some kind of trouble or other. The regular meeting place for Rusty-James and Steve was Benny's, a hangout for junior high school kids.
One night, at a vacant parking lot behind a pet store, Rusty-James gets involved in a fight with Biff, a young tearaway determined to kill Rusty-James because of something he's supposed to have said to his girlfriend. In the ensuing struggle, Biff slashes Rusty-James down his side with a knife, which accounts for the huge scar that he's sporting when he catches up with Steve a few years later.
In the bloody aftermath of the fight, Steve is the voice...
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of reason, telling Rusty-James that he needs to go to the hospital. But Rusty-James refuses, telling him that his wound is nothing. Steve knows full well that Rusty-James will collapse if he doesn't lean on him, but he doesn't show it, leading Rusty-James to describe him as "a good kid." Presumably, the last thing he wants is to make Rusty-James look weak.
Why was Steve friends with Rusty-James in Rumble Fish?
In chapter 2 of Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton, Rusty-James refers to Steve as his best friend several times. According to Rusty-James, one of the reasons why is that he has known Steve longer than any person other than a family member. Then in chapter 9, Rusty says that Steve might be his best friend because he doesn’t have to act like a tough guy all the time when they are together. Also, Steve seems to be the only person concerned for Rusty-James’s well-being, repeatedly telling him to go to the hospital and to stop being so dependent on his brother, the Motorcycle Boy. In fact, Steve might be Rusty-James’s only friend, as everybody else abandons him in some way. His dad is constantly drunk, his brother runs off and gets killed, and Smokey dates Patty right after she breaks up with him. But in the end, even Steve has to abandon Rusty-James in order to take care of himself and deal with his sick mother.