Another way (Young Royals)

The shopping trip

The album was about to drop and the release party was that night. I had pinched myself in the arm several times that day, because I could not believe that it was actually happening. People would be listening to my music. My voice. It was what I had always dreamed of. But so surreal.

"Are you ready for the performance tonight, Simon?" Anton, my manager, asked me. We had not seen each other since that day in his office, when he had been surprised by Wille being my boyfriend. We had just talked on the phone since then. Life had been a bit much, with Erik's accident and everything. "And are you feeling well? Just tell me if you need anything." He was wearing sunglasses, even if we were inside. He was also wearing a hat.

"I am fine, thank you. And I have prepared the performance," I said. He nodded.

"What are you wearing tonight?" he asked. I looked down at my mustard yellow shirt and NASA t-shirt underneath and the skinny jeans I had on. That apparently said it all. I had not thought about it. I had been so excited for the night that I had not had a moment to think about it.

"Don't say you were planning on wearing that, Simon," Anton said only partly joking. "I told the stylist to reach out to you. Did not Roxanne call you?" I shook my head. I had not heard from anyone named Roxanne. Anton was less than pleased about that.

"Oh God. I can't believe it. My new heartthrob pop star can't be dressed like he just threw the first thing he found on the bedroom floor in the morning," he said and held his face in his hands. It was apparently a disaster. I was a disaster. Or well, at least my clothes were. And Anton's once good mood was not as good anymore. Anton tried to get hold of the woman called Roxanne, but she apparently was not available. He then spoke to Peter, who could not hold himself from laughing at the situation.

"The kid would be cute in a potato sack, Anton. Don't stress yourself up over this, okay?" Peter commented.

"But what is he supposed to wear, Peter?" he asked. Peter shrugged.

"I can take him out shopping if it is such a disaster that he is dressed like a sixteen year old school boy," Peter suggested.

"Perfect. Simon, you go with Peter and fix this little problem this instant, okay?" Anton said. He acted like he had something else he urgently needed to do. I told him I would.

"Don't mind him. He can be a bit like that when he is stressed out, okay?" Peter said. I nodded. "Do you have everything to head out for some shopping?" I thought about it. I had my phone and my wallet in my back pockets of my jeans.

"That would be Wille then," I said. Wille was sitting in a room studying. That was the condition that he too could be absent from school.

"Of course we have to bring the boyfriend for some fashion advice," Peter said. I ran downstairs to fetch him.

"Wille, I will apparently need to shop for something to wear tonight. Will you come with me, please?" I asked. He was concentrating on his maths assignment, but looked happy for my interruption. He nodded.

"Were you really thinking of wearing that, darling?" Wille said teasingly. I felt warm. I probably blushed.

"Don't be a tease, okay?" I said. Wille laughed.

"Oh god. I will keep in mind that you forget that you have to wear something on stage too," he said and grinned. He stole a kiss from me and then we went upstairs to Peter who was waiting for us.

"So that was everything then? No one else or nothing else you need?" Peter asked. We shook our heads. We then went out in his car. Wille and I sat in the backseat. He held my hand and smiled.

"How is your brother doing, Wilhelm?" Peter asked and looked in the rearview mirror. I squeezed his hand in mine.

"He... he is doing better thank you," Wille said. "I don't think I am allowed to tell much more than that. My mother has been asking me to come back and be a prince, though." She wanted him back even before that. But Erik's accident had not made that wish any less. And now Erik apparently could not have children anymore, due to the injuries he had gotten. As if Wille would want to fill in, just to have an heir to the crown.

"I wish him a speedy recovery," Peter said. "And I suppose the answer to your mother was no as you are sitting in the backseat of my car with Simon. Am I right?" Wille nodded.

"I would not have even considered it if Erik died in that car crash. I am not the prince type and they will have to live with that," Wille said.

"On a happier note. What should we dress your boyfriend in tonight?" Peter asked with a smile. Wille said that he might have some ideas. We went to some stores that I had not even imagined visiting. I had grown up on a budget. I usually had no money to spend on anything expensive.

"Anything we buy now is on the label, so don't worry about the prices too much okay?" Peter said. I nodded shyly. I was so not used to this. I saw clothes I had just dreamed of wearing everywhere. "So any ideas for what we are going to put you in then?" I shook my head. I was overwhelmed by just putting a foot in that store. Wille was looking at a wine red bomber jacket. I saw all kinds of stylish clothes everywhere. I did not even know where to start.

"So how are we going to do this?" Wille asked.

"I suggest the three of us go around the store and pick anything we think might fit for the night. Then Simon puts it on and then we will see what works on?" Peter said. We nodded.

"So one outfit each?" I asked. He nodded.

"Begin with that. Then we will see," he said. "It is a good start if it actually matches, you know." We started to go through the store, on our own. I looked at different fabrics and styles. Just trying to piece something together in my mind. While I was going through a clothes racket I heard someone say my name. It was not Wille or Peter's voice. It was a girl's voice.

"Oh my god. Are you not Simon Eriksson?" she said. She had blond hair and blue eyes. Glasses. I guessed she was kind of cute. I nodded.

"Yeah. I am Simon," I said. She looked like she was about to cry. A woman I guessed was her mother was standing next to her, telling her to breathe.

"I absolutely love your music. Can I have an autograph?" she asked. "And maybe a photo?"I nodded, a bit surprised to be recognized.

"Sure, but I don't have any paper or a pen though," I said. I was not used to this. Not prepared either.

"That's no problem. I have both," she said. I signed on something that seemed to be her notes for class. Her mother then took her phone and took a picture of us. I gave her a fast hug, before her mother said they had to go. I then returned to my shopping for the performance. I found a nice white shirt, a jacket and worn jeans. A few accessories. Then I went to find Wille and Peter to see what they had found. We went for the fitting room. I tested my own outfit first. It did not look quite right I thought. It did not feel as good as I had thought it would. Then I tested out what Wille had found for me. The wine red bomber jacket, a white plain t-shirt, black jeans and white sneakers. It looked better. Wille had an eye for clothes it seemed like. They also liked the outfit better.

"I don't think you even need to try what I found you on. Your boyfriend apparently knows what fits you," Peter said. I changed into the clothes that Anton thought was a disaster and then put the clothes I was not getting on a return racket.

"You were really handsome in that, baby," Wille said. I stood on my tip toes and kissed him.

"I know. Maybe I just need you to style me," I said.

"Yay. You have found me a new future career baby," Wille joked. We both giggled. Peter laughed and went to pay for it.