At school, eight days before the hanging, Mik thinks about her new hearing aids. They're ready for pick up.
She
knows they spent a lot of Joe's money to buy them, and wonders if there will be
any left over for an immigration lawyer to help Fatima.
Gale
gives her a present and she opens it to find a really nice pen—it's even nicer
than the one she wanted.
She
feels badly and says she can't accept it; after all, she doesn't love him so it
wouldn't be right.
Gale
doesn't care, though, and he wants her to have the pen because he loves her and
that's all that matters.
She
agrees to keep it, but on one condition: She'll do his homework for free for a
while. Agreed.
She and
Fatima get back to Mik's place and take out the hearing aids. Fatima thinks
they should wait for her mom—this is a big moment and her mom would want to be here.
But Mik
has her own ideas, so she turns them on and listens—but she doesn't like what
she hears. It's too much sound; too clear; too perfect.
Fatima
tells her it might be better later, suggesting she try again a different time.
Mik's
annoyed. Why does her mom make her get new aids?
When her
mom gets home, she complains to her mom that the doc lied and the new aids are
totally uncomfortable.
Her mom
tells Mik that her feelings are hurt. If she doesn't want the aids, fine, but
how could she turn them on without her mom there? She's been working for this
moment for years, and Mik just ruined it.