✴ SHAPE OF YOU
— CHAPTER TWO: A BLOCK PARTY

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AN ANGRY FATHER AGGRESSIVELY SHOOK HIS DAUGHTERS LIMP AND RELAXED BODY. He had just come back from work, only to see his youngest sound asleep.  "Astrid!" he tried again, unsuccessfully. "Would you get up already?" he questioned her as if she would respond. He rolled her body to face him, trying to see any signs she might be awake and faking it. "Astrid, get up!" he groaned. She groaned back and turned over, taking a hold of the sheets and taking them with her.

     "Astrid, this isn't funny. I told Axel I'd bring you," he tried to reason with her. Her eyes barely flickered open, as she groaned once more. She slowly sat up straight, much to her dads happiness. "I hope you remember about Axel's block party."

     "Why's everyone gotta be ruining my vibes and shit, summer's meant for sleeping," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. He began to walk away from her bed and down the hallway to the kitchen.

     "Language," he scolded her, at the doorway of her bedroom.

     "Alright, Captain America," she grumbled and slowly raised from her bed to get changed into something comfy, like jeans and a t-shirt.

     "Taylor Lautner was just about to kiss me," she complained out loud as she followed her dad down the hallway, and her brother smiled at her words, slightly shaking his head. He loved his daughter, but sometimes she was just too much.

     "C'mon, let's get some food in you so you're not so grumpy," he turned back to show her his smile as she reluctantly smiled too. "I mean Axel's going to have food but you're really grumpy."

✴

1 NEW MESSAGE: BETTY 
Hey, how is it down there?

1 NEW MESSAGE: BETTY
How are you and your brother?

1 NEW MESSAGE: BETTY
Hope you guys are doing okay!

✴ 

AXEL REALLY KNEW HOW TO THROW A PARTY. And everyone knew it. Astrid smiled at the raven-haired boy as her and her dad walked onto his lawn to see him ready to go, fresh and clean like practically always. "Ah, my favourite family!" Axel was more than happy to greet the Andrews, sharing a firm handshake with Fred before giving Astrid a small hug. "Where's Archie?"

     "He's on the camping trip with Jughead," Astrid informed with a tight tipped smile.

     "My father is out back, I'm sure he'd love your company, Mr. Andrews," Axel offered.

     "I'll go see if he needs any help. Thanks, Axel," Fred replied before patting the boy on the back and heading towards Bruce Richards.

     Axel directed his attention back to Astrid. "Beatriz got here a while ago. I think she's helping Thea with her makeup. She looked like she was in actual pain." he joked. Astrid snorted before punching him playfully in the arm for his rude remark. Axel laughed as Astrid followed her father inside.

     Athena was Axel's little sister, and despite her being two years younger than Astrid, she always found a way to connect with the young girl. Astrid was the type of girl to try and connect with everyone, and she honestly felt for Athena. She didn't have many females figures left standing.

     "Hello," Astrid called down the hallway.

     "In here!" Beatriz responded, leading Astrid to Athena's room. Astrid wasn't surprised to know Beatriz was here early, she did live on the same street as Axel. Astrid turned her head in, seeing Beatriz sitting on Athena's desk chair and Athena on the bed. "Look, I just taught her the tape trick."

     Astrid sat down next to Athena. "Blink twice if you're being held captive."

     Athena and Astrid erupted in laughter, while Beatriz sat with a pout, chucking an eyeliner pencil at Astrid. "Ouch!" Astrid giggled. The laughter died down and Athena was the first to point out how Reggie and Moose had just pulled up in a car together, and the three girls turned to face her window.

     "They kind of disgust me, honestly," Beatriz spoke up. Everyone was zoned out on what was occurring outside. "Tell anyone I said that fresh meat, and I'll kill you," Beatriz pointed at Athena. Beatriz was one of the softer River Vixens, but she still had a reputation to protect.

     Athena held her hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, I won't!"

     "C'mon," Astrid stood up, pulling Athena's wrist to pull her up. "Let's go join."

     Astrid lead them back into the front yard, letting go of Athena's wrist and the three girls sat down on a blanket on the lawn. "It's a good game, if you wanna join!" Axel offered. By now, more people had come, meaning more people joined the game. It was now Reggie, Moose, Chuck against Trev Brown and Axel.

     "Yeah, you're going to need all the help you can get," Athena muttered. Axel mocked her word for word in the highest pitched voice he could get.

     "Okay, okay, little Andrews is coming in," Astrid stood up and shrugged off her bomber jacket. Reggie whistled at the girl, she was wearing a pair of regular jeans but with a white muscle shirt tucked in. Her hair was thrown back into a perfect slicked back ponytail.

     "Wanna team up for a little defeat?" Astrid asked, turning to the boys.

     "Always," Chuck responded taking a couple steps forward.

     Astrid held her hand up. "Not you."

     Axel laughed. Beatriz giggled as she watched her best friend walk past Chuck (and maybe glare at her now ex-boyfriend, Moose) and fall into a spot between Axel and Trev. Everyone knew Athena didn't play, Archie and Axel were the only ones who knew Beatriz and Astrid played. and took a spot next to the raven-haired male. "Huddle up!" Reggie called out, causing each team to swarm around their designated captain.

"Alright." Axel said with a clap of his hands. "Here's the game plan. Trev you'll be the center. You two ladies stand on either side of him, and when I call hike, you run straight out and make like a 180 degree curve. Try to cover as much distance as possible, and stay open." He demonstrated the movements on his hand.

The three nodded at him before taking their stances in a line. "You sure you don't want to get your nails dirty, princess?" Reggie remarked as he stood across from Beatriz.

"You sure you don't?" She replied with a smirk.

Axel scanned the playing field, and threw the ball to Trev. "Alright, that's enough. Let's get this show on the road!"

This signaled the start of the game. Trev hiked the ball to Axel, who watched his other three teammates take off away from him. Upon seeing them make their slight turn, Axel noticed Astrid to be the most open. He threw the ball to her area and hoped that she would catch it. However, he didn't get a chance to notice because as soon as the ball was released from his hand, Chuck tackled him to the ground.

Astrid caught it with ease, and took off towards the touchdown area as fast as she could. In the process she yelled, "Hey, Kev!" Kevin Keller watched with utter shock as Astrid crossed over the line without being touched by the opposing team.

     Athena had put on Astrid's jacket now as it was starting to get colder and the game had been going on for a while now. It was such a small game, yet somehow you could tell they were determined to make it last.

     "Oh shit!" Axel yelled with joy when Astrid scored a touchdown.

     "Hells yes!" Beatriz called out from behind Axel. "That's like what?" Beatriz questioned, not knowing the score. Her low ponytail was now a mess.

     "It's six to nothing!" he cheered, giving Beatriz a high five.

     "Food's ready!" Bruce Richards announced to everyone, despite actually still cooking. It was a good turnout, and with Fred's help, they were making sure there was food for everyone. The Richards didn't like being bad hosts. Everyone ran to be first in line, meaning the game was dropped immediately.

     "Kev, Kev, Kev!" Astrid jumped on her friend as everyone paraded inside.

     "Hey there, Ast," Kevin patted her hands that were wrapped around him. He seemed a little off. "You look like you were having fun."

     "I was..." Astrid trailed off. "Are you okay? You don't seem all that happy."

     "Has Axel said anything about me?" Kevin asked in a hushed whisper, pulling Astrid to the side so they could talk in private.

     Astrid furrowed her brows. She was clearly confused. "No, why?"

     "Uh, something happened at that party the other night," Kevin said, still in a hushed voice.

     Astrid shook her head. "Wait a minute," she pulled him outside so they could be alone. "What do you mean something happened?"

     "Maybe if you didn't take off you would've seen, but Axel kissed me," Kevin confessed. Astrid felt a pang in her heart by the tone he was using in his voice when he commented on her disappearance. Despite her feelings, Astrid chuckled.

     "Why are you laughing?" Kevin asked.

     "Axel was blackout drunk, Kevin. He doesn't remember anything from that night," Astrid bit her lip and crossed her arms. It was starting to get chilly outside.

     Kevin was quiet for a minute. "Nothing?" he asked. Astrid shook her head. It was almost like he let out a breath of relief. "Now I'm all screwed over."

     "Why?" Astrid didn't understand. Clearly, her best friends hit it off.

     "Because I like him, Astrid," Kevin huffed after a moment, awaiting his best friends' response.

     "Well duh, I like him too," Astrid giggled. Kevin furrowed his brows.

     "Sometimes I question why we're friends," he left her outside confused and alone.

✴ 

BEATRIZ HAD BEEN BABBLING ABOUT THIS GUY SHE WAS INTO. Astrid wasn't really that interested, causing her to zone out. "Astrid, you listening to me?" Beatriz snapped her fingers in front of her best friend. They were sharing a blanket, waiting for fireworks.

     "Hmm? Yeah, you're going to go out with Chuck," Astrid looked into the street to see Reggie eyeing her as he pulled out a package of matches.

     "Yeah, he's pretty cute," Beatriz went on. "I'm sorry, Astrid, are you okay?"

     "Yeah, Bea. Never been better. Just been a long day," Astrid turned to her brunette best friend, pushing a string of her dark hair behind her ear. "You okay? You sure about this guy?"

     Beatriz nodded. "I'm so sure. So ready to be back out there again!"

     Astrid laughed. She knew Beatriz had a rough dating history. But sooner than later, that would be the last of their problems, as a bigger storm was coming to Riverdale. And it had a bigger name than all of theirs combined.

✴ 

SHAPE OF YOU ;
anyways i'm fucking excited