What does Cherry do when Dally brings her a Coke?

In The Outsiders, Cherry throws the Coke in Dally’s face when he offers it to her. Dally has been harassing Cherry and Marcia at the drive-in with rude talk, and Cherry has already told him to shut up. When he comes back and tries to give her the Coke, she rejected it in the most direct way possible.

Her reaction shows that Cherry is not intimidated by Dally, even though she recognizes that he is meaner and more frightening than Ponyboy and Johnny. After Johnny tells Dally to leave Cherry alone, Dally storms off, and Cherry thanks Johnny. That moment helps open the way for Cherry, Ponyboy, and Johnny to talk more honestly across the Soc-greaser divide.