Freak and Max walk over to the July 4th fireworks show at the millpond. On the way they’re accosted by Tony D, a seventeen-year-old delinquent who is nicknamed Blade because he already nearly killed a guy by slicing him with a razor. Blade’s crew sidle up alongside him. He insists Max and Freak give him any fireworks they may have. Freak tries to angle away, telling Max to ignore the “cretin.” Max can’t help but laugh at the word, but Blade turns and stares at him and Max goes cold with fear.

A siren sounds as a police car angles through the crowd; Blade and his boys run off. Freak says, “Whew! That was a close encounter of the turd kind” (31). Max is impressed by Freak’s bravery. Freak asks, “You can take him, right?” (31) Max explains that he’d have to fight Blade’s entire gang. Freak realizes he vastly overestimated their chances and starts laughing loudly until people turn and stare.

At the pond among the crowd, Freak is too short to see the fireworks, so Max simply lifts him up onto his shoulders. Freak isn’t insulted but exults in the fireworks, calling out their colors by the names of the different chemicals that produce them.