17
The patter of rain on the window kept distracting Melissa, but whenever she looked through it, she saw only a blurred image of the street outside. Sheets of water cascading over the glass obscured her view of the small bakery and the arcade on the other side of the road.
The fash kids had rented a small room in a youth centre, a trendy space with white tiles on the floor, couches and chairs in a variety of neon colours and tables with game boards already set up. It was exactly the kind of place that adults would design for their teenage children: a safe space for good, wholesome fun. On some level, she wanted to roll her eyes at the whole thing, but another part couldn't help but wonder if growing up on Earth would have been easier with more places like this. Instead of house parties
