Zodiac University

After Taurus had left the room, students started filing in, clamoring anxiously and surrounding Virgo and Gemini with questions and comments.

“Are you okay, Gemini?”

“Be more worried about Virgo! Did you see what Taurus did to him?”

“Were they fighting? I didn’t see!”

“Taurus threw Virgo into the desks!”

“What about Gemini?”

“We’re fine,” Gemini said with a light laugh. Virgo looked at her, searching for any sign of fear or shock--Taurus did just try to hurt her, after all. But to his surprise, Gemini was fine--no, better than fine. She was standing tall and smiling widely, as if the whole incident had invigorated her instead of putting her down.

Virgo continued watching her as she interacted with the other students, and couldn’t help but feel a numbness in his heart. He’d messed with Taurus. Things had gone as planned.

So then…why did he feel so horrible?

This wasn’t what he wanted at all. He’d wanted Taurus to get stirred up, which he did--but then, Taurus had just…stopped. He’d done nothing. The second Virgo mentioned the Campbell Branch, the brown-haired man had gone silent and utter despair had flashed across his face. It was as if Virgo had struck a nerve and the second life he was leading had come tumbling into reality.

Virgo ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He wanted to go after Taurus. That was the only thing he wanted in this situation. He wanted to go after him, and tell him he and Gemini weren’t really a couple. He wanted to see relief on Taurus’s face, and for him to angrily tell him not to play with his feelings. He wanted Taurus to admit that he loved him, and he wanted them to embrace again.

What am I thinking?! Virgo slapped his forehead hard, causing the crowd to turn towards him. I must be insane. Taurus, love me?

“Virgo! You good, man?”

Virgo’s thoughts were interrupted as his peers began swarming him. “I think you should go to the health center, and get that wound checked out,” one girl said.

“Definitely. File a report on Taurus, too!”

“Idiot, like a report will do anything.”

“Taurus should be expelled already.”

“Don’t speak so loud! He could hear you.”

“Nah, he’s long gone. I saw him running out of the building.”

“Yeah, he ran like his pants were on fire!”

“Haha, dude, shut up!”

Virgo blinked, shocked by the lack of fear among his classmates. People were talking like Taurus didn’t even exist. Not only that, but they were talking to him. Him, who had been so feared at Lausk Lake! Did that mean the war between him and Taurus was coming to an end? Did that mean he had more people on his side?

Screw the sides, Virgo thought. It’s not even a war anymore. Taurus pretty much admitted defeat. I’ve won.

So didn’t it feel like he’d won?

Gemini raised a finger to her lips and everyone stopped talking.

“Virgo, let’s go to the nurse,” she said and moved to grab Virgo’s arm lovingly. Virgo flinched and looked away.

“I’m…fine, really.”

Gemini stared up at him, studying his face, and then dropped his arm. “...Okay, babe. If you say so.”

The students started gossiping again and slowly trickled out of the room.

“She called him ‘babe’!”

“So they’re dating, for real?”

“I guess so!”

“They’re a perfect couple. Virgo is handsome and Gemini is beautiful!”

“Aw, man, I wanted to shoot my shot with Gemini.”

“Dude, shut up--you know someone like that is out of your league.”

“Ha ha!”

Eventually, Virgo and Gemini were left alone again and Virgo reached for his aching side. It hurt…but not as much as the tight feeling in his chest. He gently fondled the wound, not even realizing Gemini was staring at him.

“Hey, Virgo,” she said, finally. “I’m sorry.”

Virgo looked up slowly, as if in a trance. “Huh?”

“You told me not to rile Taurus up too much, but I did,” Gemini explained. “I couldn’t help myself. I guess I just…” She sighed. “I guess…I let my personal feelings intrude on my goal. This is strictly business, and I have to remember that. Even if you are my type.”

Virgo found himself nodding. “I’m glad you realize it, but it was my fault, too. I took things too far, just to see Taurus react. As a result, you almost got hurt.”

Gemini waved her hands. “Me?! You got thrown into a desk! Don’t worry about me, you dummy!”

Virgo mustered a smile and shook his head. “I’d better get ready for my next class. We’ll have to do that dining hall date another time.” He moved toward the door. Gemini grabbed his arm and tugged on it gently.

“Give me your number before you go,” she said. “So we can text.”

“Alright,” Virgo said absentmindedly. He was still distracted by the tightness in his chest, and the numbing void that seemed to be growing bigger and bigger within him.

*

The rest of the school day passed agonizingly slow, and for the first time in his life, Virgo was seriously considering skipping. I already know this material, anyway, he thought. I could just go home now.

He wanted to be in his bed, cozily wrapped in his sheets as he dreamed the day away. Even though the whole Taurus-incident had lasted a few minutes, it had felt like a few hours, and Virgo was completely drained.

He pictured Taurus’s defeated expression and his figure quickly disappearing as he bolted from the room. It was so unlike him…and it had been Virgo’s fault.

The raven-haired man sighed and flicked his pencil halfheartedly. But if I go home now, Mom will question why I’m so early, he thought.

He’d just have to tough his next few classes out.

*

“Hey, Mom, I’m home,” Virgo called, pushing open the door to the apartment. He dropped his backpack at the front door, not even having the strength to carry it to his room. All he was going to do was take a shower and go to bed. Then he’d have about 9 hours to forget about reality.

He approached the kitchen and noticed the lights were off. Mrs. Clemson hadn’t responded to his voice, either. Virgo had figured she was just deep in her work, but what if it was something deleterious? What if…

What if something had happened to her?

Virgo instantly picked up a knife from its holder and crept further into the darkness. It was eerily quiet, and Virgo couldn’t help but be on edge. It would be stranger if he wasn’t, after the day he’d had.

Someone could’ve broken in, he thought. Or maybe Mom went out and--

He heard a thump, and then the lights flickered on. Virgo yelped in shock and immediately brandished the knife, stabbing blindly into the air in front of him. He felt the knife slide across something soft. Flesh! He’d caught the intruder!

Or so he thought. But as his eyes adjusted to the sudden flash, he realized it wasn’t an intruder at all.

“Now, son,” Virgo’s father said, wiping the blood from the knife scrape on his cheek. Virgo’s eyes widened at the voice that he hadn’t heard in years.

“Is that any way to greet your father?”