In the chapter titled "American Chop Suey," after Kevin (Freak) nearly chokes to death, Max shows more concern for his friend than for himself by
- running to the nurse's office for help,
- pushing the other kids out of the way so that the nurse can reach Kevin,
- trying to get into the ambulance with Kevin to keep taking care of him,
- and, most importantly, telling Mrs. Addison that it's Kevin, not himself, who had the terrible day.
Keep in mind that earlier that day, Max had a very negative emotional reaction to the news that his father will be getting out of jail soon. It's as if Max has pushed that personal incident out of his mind so that he can focus entirely on making sure his best friend Kevin is going to be okay.
This selflessness impresses Mrs. Addison, who, after giving Max a serious look, concludes that she is sure now that Max will be okay. She means that Max has really developed into a conscientious, kind person (completely the opposite of his father) and that Max will be able to handle anything that life throws at him.
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