Building on Lies by T. Banny

print hoodie and a pair of dark jeans like Ro’s. Instead of slouchy boots, I put on a pair of dressy sneakers. I was comfortable enough to go bowling, but dressy enough for a party at the Atrium.
    “ That’s better”, Ro said approvingly. “ And of course, your hair looks good no matter what you do with it, so no worries there. You just need to put some makeup on that pretty face, and we’re ready to roll”.
    A half hour later, we were in my car, waiting for it to warm up. We’d told my mother we’d be home no later than one.
    “ Have fun girls, but no drinking, no drugs and no sex," my mother said.
    “ Oh come on, Mom! Being drunken crack whores was so on our agenda tonight!" I said, pretending to be upset.
    “ Nellie!" my mother warned, but then she laughed and told us to have a good time.
    “ So, things are getting pretty serious between Tommy and me," Ro said, as we drove downtown to the bowling alley.
“ That’s awesome, Ro!" I said, happy for her. Ro and Tommy started seriously dating over the summer. They’d always had a love/hate thing going on, but it was obvious to anyone who saw them together that they were crazy about each other. What made their relationship work was they’d always been friends. Friends at each others throats, but still friends.
    “ He asked me to marry him!" she said, in an excited whisper, even though there was no one in the car but us.
    “ Ro! Get out! No, he didn’t!" I gasped, looking over at her. She was grinning from ear to ear.
    She nodded, happily. “ Yeah. He’s even picked out our engagement ring. He wants to wait until I turn seventeen, and then we’re going to go apply for the marriage license”.
    “ Oh my goodness. Ro, so soon?" I exclaimed. Ro would turn seventeen in just a few months.
    “ Yeah. I mean, we both know we want to spend the rest of our lives together. So why wait?”
    “ But we’re not even seniors yet!" I pointed out. I clapped a hand over my mouth. “ Oh no, Romina. Tell me the truth! Are you pregnant?”
    Ro laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d ever heard. “ No, silly. I’m a good Catholic girl, remember? No sex until marriage for me.”
    “ Then why the rush?" I asked earnestly.
    Ro’s face turned serious, as if she didn’t quite know how to phrase her answer. “ I guess it’s because I want a place of my own. I love how Daisy took me in after my parents died. She’s the best godmother I could ever ask for. In fact, she feels more like a mother than my own mother ever did. I‘ll forever be grateful to her”.
    Ro paused. Ro’s parents died in a car accident several years before, when Ro and I turned twelve. As awful as it sounded, it was really the best thing for Ro. Her parents had been abusive to each other, and even worse, abusive to her. She’d practically lived at my house to escape the constant fighting, so it was only natural she came to live with us when they died. Her mother had even written a will, leaving my mother…one of her best friends, and Ro’s godmother… as Ro’s guardian.
    None of Ro’s family came for her, even though they all lived in Egg Cove. Ro’s older half brothers returned to the Azores, the islands in Portugal most of the people in our community immigrated from. Ro was pretty much on her own, but my mother and I did our best to make her feel like a part of our family. Ro honestly felt like a sister to me.
    “ But I just want a home that belongs to me, you know? And I can have that with Tommy. His parents are going to let him have his grandparent’s old house, right next to the factory. His Dad already has a job lined up for him there. So, it’s not like we’re going into this with nothing, you know? His parents know about his wanting to marry me, and they approve. Can you imagine? They have no problem with their son wanting to marry trashy Romina Vilella.” Ro’s voice trembled a little.
    “ Ro, you’re not trashy. You’re the most decent girl I know," I said, and it was