Some days later, Bruno lay on his bed looking at the cracked paint on his bedroom ceiling. He was complaining aloud to himself about how much he hated the new house when Maria walked in with a pile of clean clothes. Bruno had known Maria since he was three years old, and she had always been kind, quiet, and a hard worker. Lonely and with no one else to talk to, Bruno asked Maria if she hated Out-With as much as he did.