Zodiac University

Virgo ran down the hallway, tears streaming down his cheeks. He wasn’t usually the type to cry, and definitely not in public. He didn’t even know why he was crying. All he knew was that he was overwhelmed and angry.

How dare that bully kiss him?! And…and…

…and why hadn’t he pulled away?

Virgo knew why. It was because he liked it. He liked the kiss. He may have even leaned into the embrace a bit. Being held by Taurus, the calloused finger under his chin, and his hands pressed against the taller man’s chest—it turned Virgo on. And although he would never admit it, he wish the kiss lasted a few seconds longer.

But after Taurus threw him against the wall like a used hankie, reality came flooding back and fury surged in Virgo’s bloodstream. He was so irritated, so aroused, so disgusted, so disappointed that all he could do was mutter ‘fuck you’ and disappear down the hallway. Now, as he ran, he cursed himself for being so weak. He should’ve let Taurus have it. Maybe with another slap.

But Taurus would’ve liked that, wouldn’t he. It was just how twisted he was, and Virgo wasn’t so oblivious that he didn’t know what the jerk was scheming. He was trying to break Virgo down, one little bit at a time. Virgo wouldn’t be surprised if he knew he liked him.

Hell if I let him have his way, Virgo thought and gritted his teeth. I’ll show him. I’ll prove to him that I’m not to be messed with. Ideas started running through his brain. First, he’d have to hack into all his official digital records and change some things. He’d already encrypted a lot of the data, but not so fast that Taurus’s goons couldn’t find them. Then, he’d mess with Taurus in person. It was a war Taurus wanted, and it was a war he was getting. And though Virgo had lost today’s battle, he would win in the end.

Virgo headed for the boys’ bathroom at the end of the hallway, but just then, a familiar voice called out to him.

“Virgo!”

Virgo paused and looked over his shoulder to see Cancer waving at him and walking out from an intersecting corridor.

“Cancer.” Virgo gave her a fake smile, still distracted by the concoction of emotions in his heart. “I hope you’ve been okay as of late.”

Cancer nodded eagerly. “Taurus didn’t bother me yesterday. I heard…” she paused and fiddled shyly with her backpack string. “…I heard you stood up to him…physically.”

Virgo gave a stiff nod. “Let me know if he does anything else to you,” he said, and turned to keep walking.

“Ah! Wait!” Cancer said. “Um…it’s thanks to you that I can finally feel at ease.” She clasped her hands together in a similar manner to how she’d done before. Virgo couldn’t help but notice that she seemed to do it when she was overwhelmed with emotion. “I called my boyfriend yesterday. He’s going to come visit campus soon! I’m so excited! So…thank you!”

Virgo blinked and nodded again, not sure why she was telling him all this. Then a thought hit.

Could it be…could it be that Cancer’s lonely?

Maybe she didn’t have any friends. And Virgo wouldn’t stand for that.

“I’m actually on my way to my next class,” Virgo lied. “Where are you going?”

It was Cancer’s turn to act confused. “Huh? Oh! I wasn’t planning on doing anything, really. I was just going to look for you and go back to my dorm.”

“You don’t have any classes?”

Cancer shook her head. “I do, but I’ve finished the coursework for all of them. My professor for this period said attendance isn't mandatory. Around this time, I usually just hide—I mean, study in my dorm!”

Virgo watched her analytically. “When do you hang out with your friends?”

As he predicted, Cancer’s head drooped ever so slightly and she clutched her hands tighter. “I…um…I don’t really have many friends.”

“You do now,” Virgo said with a wide smile. A genuine one.

Cancer looked up at him quizzically.

“I’ll introduce you to one of my own good friends,” Virgo added. “I think you two would get along well. Her name is Capricorn.”

Cancer beamed.

Virgo hadn’t gotten Capricorn’s phone number or social media yet, so he didn’t have a way of contacting her directly. He did, however, use his context clues to narrow down the places that she might be. He figured she hadn’t left the main campus because of her goal to be top of the class. It wouldn’t do for the future valedictorian to be skipping classes and joyriding around the city, wasting precious time that could be spent studying.

So, after a little searching, he finally located her in the library. He spotted her reading her chemistry textbook. Sure enough, after being kicked out by Leo in chemistry class, she was here making up for it.

“Capricorn,” Virgo whispered loudly. They had to be quiet here.

Capricorn looked up and waved slightly as Virgo and Cancer approached the table she was sitting at.

“Sorry I just left you like that,” was the first thing out of Capricorn’s mouth. “I was just so scared…”

“That’s water under the bridge,” Virgo replied. “Plus, I dealt with it…sorta.” He tried not to think about the events that had transpired involving Taurus.

Capricorn gave a relieved smile and then looked at Cancer. “Who’s this?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Virgo said. “This is Cancer, my new friend. And I’m hoping you’ll be her friend. She’s kind of lonely.”

At this, Cancer gasped and blushed. “I-I’m not lonely! I-I just…um…”

“Uh-huh,” Virgo said with a sly smirk. “Anyway, she’s a freshman like us. She lives in the dorms on East Campus. And she, too, has been a victim of Taurus’s tyranny.”

At the mention of Taurus, both Cancer and Capricorn shuddered.

“I don’t even want to think about that,” Capricorn said, and then grinned at Cancer. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Cancer! You have quite the name.”

Cancer giggled nervously. “I-I guess.”

“I’m Capricorn,” Capricorn said and then leaned forward curiously. “What did Taurus do to you?” She knew the question was dangerous, but couldn’t help herself.

Cancer hesitated and pressed her hands, which had started to shake, to her chest. She looked at the floor.

“You don’t have to push yourself,” Virgo said reassuringly.

Cancer shook her head. “It’s fine. I, um…Taurus took interest and me and wanted me to be his girlfriend. I don’t think he even really liked me but wanted me as a trophy for his little collection.” She frowned. “A-and I even told him that I was in a relationship, but he’s been bothering me ever since. Yesterday was the first time I got a break from his bullying…thanks to Virgo.” She smiled up at the young man. Virgo smiled back.

Capricorn sighed and rubbed her temples. “That’s awful. I feel a bit guilty—I’ve never been an object of desire for Taurus, yet here I am asking insensitive questions about the experience.”

“Oh, no! You’re fine!” Cancer said and then frowned again. “Taurus is the problem. He’s just a big bully!”

“Be careful when you say that,” Capricorn said, and patted the seat next to her. “He has ears everywhere. Wanna sit?”

Cancer nodded and happily bounced over to the available chair. The two continued their conversation about Taurus’s oppressive ways and how they wished the teachers would get their act together and just expel him already. Virgo grinned and crossed his arms, all negative emotions churning in his brain forgotten. After all, it felt good to bring people together.

“Well, I have to get to my next class,” Virgo said. “But before that…can I get both of you guys’ numbers?”

“Sure.” Capricorn smiled.

“Of course!” Cancer said.

They exchanged information and then Virgo left the library, waving to his two female friends. As he walked down the hallway, he figured he might as well follow the rest of his schedule. He had been so distressed earlier that he had decided on going home…but the encounter with Cancer had stabilized him. Now he was calm.

I should just forget Taurus, Virgo thought, humming to himself as he waited outside his next class. After all, I have almost the exact same resources he does. He won’t get to me. I won’t let him.

He thought about the kiss again and then shook his head, dismissing the thought.

He just did that to mess with me, Virgo reasoned. There’s no way he did it out of pure attraction. A sociopath like him can’t be bothered with human emotions.

Still, the idea lingered in the back of Virgo’s mind. What if Taurus had done it out of attraction? What if he had his eyes on Virgo, and not just for revenge for the slap? Capricorn did say that he liked both guys and girls. If you even consider that ‘liking’.

Virgo tsked under his breath. What a monster. He just did what he wanted with no regard for other people. And Leo was just as bad, letting Taurus do what he did without even trying to stop him.

It’s all fear, Virgo realized and grinned. Take the fear of Taurus away, and he’s powerless. That means taking his resources away. I’ll have to manage that somehow.

It was a competition—to see which student could ruin the other student’s life first. Virgo knew it was immoral, but had no intention of backing down. He couldn’t—not when Taurus cast such a spell over everyone. No one should have such a power.

So what if Taurus was interested in him romantically and/or sexually? Let him come. Virgo would just use their encounters to his advantage. He just had to remain cool and calculating.

I won’t lose control of my emotions again, Virgo decided. It was like poker. You had to have a completely neutral resting face to sway the game in your favor.

That’s right. Taurus was going down.

Virgo was going to make sure of it if it was the last thing he did.