Summary

By the second week of school, Mia has failed her second math quiz. She works on her homework and can't understand why she is having so much trouble with math. Mia realizes that she can't continue on this path. She goes to the living room carrying the note from her math teacher. There, she tells them everything, including that she's always seen the colors and that she can't figure out why she can't do the math. Her mother asks for more information and Mia describes it to the best of her ability. She says each letter, number, and sound has its own color and that the colors appear in various shapes, such as geometric shapes, zigzags, or swirls.

Mia's parents immediately try to explain why she is seeing the colors. There is a brief discussion of family mental illnesses and accusations about drug use...