✴ SHAPE OF YOU
— CHAPTER FOUR: WELCOME TO RIVERDALE

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"YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, I KNEW FROM THE START" she sang, her voice going nicely with the sound of her guitar. Before she could continue with the next line, there was a knock at her door. Her eyes fluttered open and her head snapped to her right, to see who on Earth would be disturbing one of her music sessions.

     It was her brother.

     "What's up, Arch?" she questioned the other redhead, who just stood in her doorway, his back against her door and his arms crossed. 

     "Uh, nothing. Just heard you playing," he held his arm out gesturing to her guitar. "And I heard you singing too," he moved his arm higher motioning to her face area.

     Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "How much of that did you hear?" she asked in a low voice. Her brother smiled. 

     "Maybe if you don't want people to hear you, don't sing so loud. Besides, dad wanted me to walk you to school so I wanted to come and tell you I'm leaving in a few minutes," he answered here. 

     She sighed, not wanting to start a fight with her brother this early in the morning. "Fine, I'm coming," she said, setting her guitar on her bed and getting up, straightening out her shirt. 

     "Did you write that song yourself?" her head shot up. 

     "Oh, totally," she answered, grabbing her school bag. 

     He sighed. "Can you answer the question without the usual level of sarcasm?" he whined, walking out of her doorway as she followed close behind. 

"Only if you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupidity," she retorted.

✴ 

ASTRID POWERWALKED, her eyes glued to her phone as she did, long red curls bouncing around everywhere. "Astrid!" a snapping voice caught her off track. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" the redhead looked up to see her River Vixen captain.

     "Not like it's any of your business, Cheryl, but I'm trying to find Moose before the next period starts," Astrid glanced up at Cheryl before looking back at her phone. She was scrolling through texts she shared with Moose that morning.

     Cheryl pursed her lips. "Do whatever you want, cherry. I just want to make sure you get to practice on time. This year is going to be our year!" she said with a bitter smile.

     Astrid nodded, trying to match Cheryl's enthusiasm. "I have no doubt of that." she agreed before Cheryl walked away, only for another one of her friends to come and bug her.

     "Have you seen Axel?" Kevin surprised Astrid, making her slightly jump as he whisper-yelled. "Don't get me started on your brother. Everyone got hot this summer except for me."

     "Axel was always hot though," Astrid pushed a curl behind her ear as Kevin gave her a glare. "What, do you want me to argue with you? You're right."

     "Okay, don't look now, but Betty's walking this way with the new girl, and from what I heard, she's a total New York City baddie, so don't ruin this for me." Kevin held onto his backpack strap as he fixed his posture.

     Astrid rolled her eyes. "Come on, Kev. She's just probably another spoiled rich girl with access to daddy's credit cards. Riverdale isn't special, she'll get bored here quickly." Astrid slid her phone into her back pocket, making a mental note to just text Moose later. She didn't have to turn around to remember Veronica's face in the lighting at Pops the night before.

     Right after Astrid finished talking, Betty and Veronica decided they'd join their conversation, thankfully not hearing a word of what Astrid had just said. "Veronica, this is my best friend Kevin, and this is Astrid. She's Archie's brother."

     Astrid smiled, almost too bitterly for her own taste, and stuck out her hand. "Looks like you found me, Veronica." Astrid and Veronica shook hands once before letting go.

     Veronica blushed, nervously looking down at her feet. "This is the part where I say hi then."

     "Do you two know each other?" Betty asked, her eyebrows furrowed as her blonde ponytail swung back and forth.

     "We had a brief meeting prior to today," Veronica smiled at Astrid.

     "I'm glad you found me," Astrid's smile genuinely matched Veronica's. "Do you want to join us for lunch?"

     "I would love to," Veronica admitted. "If that's okay with you guys."

     Betty nodded. Astrid noted how weird the blonde was acting but decided not to say anything. "It's more than okay," Kevin smiled. "Welcome to Riverdale."

✴ 

     AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT from Cheryl Blossom about the back to school semi-formal, the gang headed outside for lunch. Astrid had been seated next to Kevin so, naturally, she used him as a shield to navigate out of the gymnasium into the field of immature and impatient students. Astrid was sure to tell Beatriz to tell Cheryl that she would make it to tryouts even though she opted to sit with her brother today instead of the team. 

     Astrid and her brother, along with Betty, Kevin and now Veronica, sat down at a table and while some were already eating, others were engaging in conversation. "May I join?" Axel came over to their table, and Kevin already had his mouth open in shock. Astrid smiled down at her tray of food while her brother invited him to sit. 

     "Everyone, this is Axel Richards. Star football player, who somehow likes lacrosse better," Archie introduced his friend to the group. Immediately, Astrid thought of Teen Wolf.

     "Can't help that this school doesn't have a lacrosse team," Axel laughed. 

     "Whatever," Archie said, also laughing. "That's Kevin Keller, one hell of a guy. Then there's my sister, Astrid. She's annoying. Then Veronica Lodge, who moved here from New York. There's Betty Cooper, sweetest girl I know," he finished with a huff. Astrid had to give him kudos for the introduction, and even Axel laughed because of it. 

     "You work at Pop's, right?" Veronica asked Axel from down the table. 

     Axel nodded. "For two years now. Pop's a good guy. Makes one hell of a burger." 

     "Cheers to that," Kevin muttered, and Axel sent him a smile.

     "Axel and I are already best friends, Archie," she smiled. "But I appreciate that wonderful and detailed introduction about me."

     "She swings by all the time," he said, smiling at the redhead girl. "So Veronica, you're new right?" Axel switched the topic. 

     Veronica nodded. "Moved here from New York." Astrid looked at the girl, who had her eyes fixated on her lunch tray.

     "How exotic," Axel muttered while taking a bite of his burger. Veronica smiled while looking down, eventually raising her head up to meet Astrid's gaze. Astrid didn't mean to stare, but she couldn't find it in herself to look away from the raven-haired girl. She covered it up with an awkward cough when her brother leaned into her.

"Enough with the eye sex, it's enough that we have Axel and Kevin doing that to each other," he groaned. Astrid broke away from the stare and smiled at her twin brother.

     Oh, Archie Andrews, you have no idea.

✴ 

SHAPE OF YOU ;
happy halloween!