Chapter Fourteen:
Melissa swiped the tears away from her face. She couldn't cry. She may have just made somebody into a vegetable but she couldn't cry. Crying showed weakness, and weakness wasn't good at all. Her sobs racked her body harder as she remembered telling Rex that just this morning. But she couldn't cry, even if the man she drove insane abused her best friend and deserved it.
She'd just made a guy a vegetable.
She peered at her bedside clock and it took a minute for the blurry vision of tears to let her see that it was 11:53. Seven minutes to midnight. Melissa picked herself up off her bed and opened her window. The need to go to Rex, to apologize, to explain. Melissa clambered out the window and dropped down to the ground. Her parentals wouldn't notice if she left a few minutes before they became stiffs.
Melissa pulled her headphones on, more to drown out her own thoughts then anyone else's.
Melissa didn't run this time, she couldn't. Crying took a ton of energy out of her. So she walked quickly and quietly to Rex's house, trying on the way to compose herself. By the time she reached his house, it was already midnight and she had stopped crying, but upon seeing him waiting for her in the front yard she collapsed into tears again.
"Rex, I'm so sorry…I was trying to help you…but pushed…too hard…and now…your dad…" she babbled. Rex looked at her and a shadow of a grin flickered on his face. "Calm down Cowgirl. It's okay."
"No it's not Rex. Your dad is a vegetable thanks to me!"
Rex smiled sadly. "And I thank you for that. Because of you I'm saved."
"I was just trying to smooth out that hate…but there was so much…and it overwhelmed me…I'm so sorry!!!"
"Hush Cowgirl."
She stopped rambling and fell silent on his command.
"Cowgirl, it's fine. Mom's freaked out, but its fine." He told her calmly.
"No it isn't."
"Yes it is."
Melissa sighed. She knew he was trying to make her feel better like he always did, she could taste it, but underneath he was frightened by her power.
"I need control." She whispered, giving up.
Rex cocked an eyebrow. "Yes you do." He agreed.
"No more touching people."
"I agree." He commented.
"Until I get control of my anger."
Rex looked at her and nodded.
"I'll help." He murmured, stroking her gloved hand. He turned it and opened it, palms facing up. He pressed her other glove into it and closed her hand gently around it. Melissa smiled blearily through her tears.
"Thanks Rex." She murmured.
Rex smiled and turned to go. Melissa did too, but stopped and spun around again.
"Rex." She called. Rex whipped around. "Don't tell anyone about this, please. If there happens to be other Midnighters in the future or we make other friends and they find out about my powers, don't tell anyone about what I did."
"Don't worry Cowgirl, I promise." He called back.
Satisfied, Melissa spun around. She may have just made a man empty and gone completely deranged with anger but she would always have Rex there to help her, no matter what.
