In Chapter 8 of the book, Darry, Ponyboy, and Soda are having a playful argument about who loves Soda more. Darry and Ponyboy start teasing Soda and pretending to play tug of war with him. Ponyboy grabs Soda's arms, and Darry grabs his legs, pretending to pull him in opposite directions. Soda laughs and protests, saying that he is going to get ripped apart. However, he is not actually being pulled apart, and it is all in good fun.
The playful tug of war is a lighthearted moment between the three brothers, showing their close relationship and affection for each other. It also demonstrates their ability to have fun and joke around, even in the midst of the difficult and dangerous situations they often face in their lives as members of a gang.