Enza, 16, a drop out, is arrested with her older sister, Rosaria, for shoplifting. They're sent to a reformatory run by hard-nosed nuns. The girls tease Enza because she's a virgin. So, on the first Sunday she's allowed a pass, she goes to bed with Sebastiano, a young street vendor who chats her up. Enza thinks it's love, but when the authorities ask him if he wants her to live with him, he says no. On her next visit home, Enza meets Franchino. He seems nicer and passes her test: he sleeps beside her but keeps his hands off. This must be love, she thinks. Then, through her sister, she sees another side of Franchino. Now pregnant, Enza has major, long-term decisions to make.