Why does Ponyboy prefer books, clouds and sunsets to “real-life”?

Ponyboy likes stories with happy endings.... heroes, beautiful sunsets, and watching clouds in the sky. These things sparked the imagination and could be anything he wanted them to be. These preferences speak to Ponyboy's optimism, belief in good things, and a sense of hope.

That was the first time I realized the extent of Johnny's hero-worship for Dally Winston. Of all of us, Dally was the one I liked least. He didn't have Soda's understanding or dash, or Two-Bit's humor, or even Darry's superman qualities. But I realized that these three appealed to me because they were like the heroes in the novels I read. Dally was real. I liked my books and clouds and sunsets. Dally was so real he scared me.