What is the most important thing that happens in The Outsiders in chapters 1–8?

I'm not sure if this question is asking for the single most important thing that happened in all of those chapters or is asking for an important thing that happened in each chapter. I'm going to choose an event from each chapter just to be safe.  

Chapter 1: This chapter is mainly an introduction to each gang member, but one important event that happens is Ponyboy almost getting beat up by the Socs.  

Chapter 2: I think this is the most important chapter in the book.  Ponyboy meets Cherry, and she helps Ponyboy begin seeing that Greasers and Socs aren't all that different from each other.  This chapter also has the flashback that explains what happened to Johnny when the Socs jumped him.  

Chapter 3: Darry hits Ponyboy.  This causes Ponyboy to run away with Johnny.

Chapter 4: Johnny kills Bob in order to save Ponyboy's life. This forces the two boys to flee and hide out in an old abandoned church. 

Chapter 5: Not much action happens in this chapter.  It's focused on Johnny and Ponyboy spending the better part of a week hiding out in the church.  Readers do find out at the end of the chapter that Cherry Valence is spying on the Socs for the Greasers. 

"Hey, I didn't tell you we got us a spy."

"A spy?" Johnny looked up from his banana split. "Who?"

"That good-lookin' broad I tried to pick up that night you killed the Soc. The redhead, Cherry what's-her-name."

Chapter 6: The church burns down, and Ponyboy and Johnny rescue some kids; however, Johnny is hurt during the rescue. 

Chapter 7: Randy comes to speak with Ponyboy.  Randy is amazed at what Pony and Johnny did, and Randy admits that he's tired of all of the fighting. The exchange is important because it's further evidence that the Greasers and Socs aren't that different.  

Chapter 8: I think probably the most important thing that happens in this chapter happens at the end.  It's when Ponyboy admits that he would help Cherry and Randy out.  They are no longer Soc enemies.  They are just people with problems that watch sunsets like him.  

I'd help her and Randy both, if I could. "Hey," I said suddenly, "can you see the sunset real good from the West Side?"

She blinked, startled, then smiled. "Real good."

"You can see it good from the East Side, too," I said quietly.