Block parties are a major summer event in Portico’s neighborhood. Everyone comes out, and the whole street is blocked off so that people can bring out drinks, barbecue grills, and a sound system for music. Mr. Chico has been the DJ of the building since the 1970s, but today, he is nowhere to be seen. Although he came earlier to set up his speakers, he doesn’t appear when the party starts. Gran Gran surprises everyone when she reveals that she knows how to DJ and gets behind the turntables.

Portico is glad when his dad arrives at the block party because, as a waste collector, Portico’s dad has a special giant wrench that works on fire hydrants. He uses it to turn the block party into a water party. This is fun at first, but Herbert and some other kids start filling water balloons and targeting Portico and Zola with them. When a balloon hits Zola in the face, breaking her glasses, Portico becomes enraged and tackles Herbert. Portico’s parents have to pull him off Herbert and take him home, where they fight over whether Portico did the right thing or not. Portico’s dad believes that he was right to defend Zola, but Portico’s mother sees violence as a poor solution to a problem.