Subdued Colours (Ryker)

Soundtrack

“Hey Ryker! You gonna come tonight too?” I looked up at Lola and Andy, the two girls were sitting across the booth from me, grinning.

“Ok… where are we going?” I asked as I picked away at a massive cheeseburger - really, whoever said 9AM was to early for a burger… was missing out for sure.

“Hockey game! Remember that guy that was over yesterday? Well… he invited me to his game tonight; I have another ticket too, if you know someone else that wants to come?”

“What about Zak?” I asked between mouthfuls.

“Already asked, he works…” We sighed collectively and finished eating.

We chatted back and forth about random things; plans for the weekends, ‘work’, and then our conversation travelled back to hockey. “Do we even know anything about hockey?” Andy asked slowly as she leaned back, dropping her head onto Lola’s shoulder.

“Not a thing…” Lola sighed as I shook my head in agreement. “Well… we do know hockey boys are hot!” She grinned, causing me to laugh.

“Yah but they’re also hockey boys…” I held out my arms in front of me and gave her a ‘thumbs down’ gesture. She laughed in response and shook her head.

“Alright well… let’s go tan for a bit before we have to get ready.” We threw some bills down on the table and headed out onto the streets.
The three of us walked shoulder to shoulder down the Chicago sidewalk, giggling and chatting about the night to come.


“What does one wear to a hockey game?” Jenn - a friend and co-worker of Lola's - asked as she danced around my room, riffling through my clothing.

“The real question is, what does one wear to sleep with a hockey player?” Lola laughed back from her room across the hall. Jenn have me a sheepish grin and shrugged, pulling out a baggy, low-cut shirt.

I nodded and rolled over on my mattress, staring at each pile of clothing; searching for an outfit. “Hmmm…” I sighed finally, reaching out to grab at a black over-sized dress. “How does this work?” I pulled it in front of myself and gave Jenn a small spin.

She gave a noise of approval - somewhere between a whistle and a cat’s purr - as Lola entered my room. “We’re gonna have to go now if we want to get there in time…”

“Where the hell are they playing? Miami?”

“No… little Miss ADHD left her car on the side of some highway so… until she remembers where it is… we’re walking.” Lola said, smiling; earning a laugh from Jenn and Andy - who had just appeared behind Lola.

“Only you Ryker…” Jenn sighed as I pulled my tang top up over my head; replacing it with the black dress.

“Alright… let’s go!” I raised my hand like a battle cry, pushing the girls out of my room.



“Ugh… how much longer is this game?!” Lola sighed from beside me, earning looks of disdain from all the people within a 1 mile radius of us.

I shrugged. “Dunno… which one is the guy that invited you?”

“The one that’s been quarantined in the little cubical over there…” She pointed to a small box on the other side of the rink. I shrugged again, we’re way out of our element here. Sure hockey seemed like a fun game and all, but every time it got started; the annoying guy with the whistle would stop the ball. Too many rules. I decided finally, taking another glance around the arena.
The place was packed and everyone was wearing red, black and white - and by everyone, I mean everyone; only, young, women, men… it was slightly mind-blowing.
Just as I was returning my eyes to the ice, someone scored; a guy in red - our team. He threw his hands above his head and let a scream rip through his chest; there was something animalistic and raw about it - powerful, freeing…
I leaned forward in my seat and watched him drift off the ice; my interest in the sport finally being peeked.
I saw him the next time he came off - number nineteen - he was commanding and sure, fluent and graceful. “Hey Lola… who is that?”

“Huh?” She asked, turning back around in her seat and following the direction of my finger. “Oh… I don’t know… Toes? What a shitty name…” I crinkled my nose as I followed him around the ice.



“Alright… here they are.” Lola said, pointing behind me. I turned around the see Adam, Patrick and another guy heading towards us.

“Hey guys!” Adam said as he came to stand beside me, grinning. I smiled up and him and then looked over at his friends.

“Ryker… right?” I nodded at Patrick - guy from Tabitha’s Patrick - earning looks of confusion from everyone else.

“You know each other?” Adam asked, glancing back and forth between us. Something in his voice made it sound like this bothered him; but I couldn’t imagine why that would be - so I shrugged it off.

“Yah… she makes jewellery… I met her at a store the other day.” I nodded in remembrance, before turning my attention to the shorter blond; giving him a smile.

“I’m Patrick, Kane. You can just call me Kaner though…” He smiled, extending a hand to all of us in turn. When he got to Lola he held onto her a bit too long; and I couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his face - poor kid’s smitten…

“Ryker?” I heard someone calls softly from behind me. I turned around to see the guy from the other night.

“Hey Jonny…” I gave him a genuine smile as he timidly stepped towards me.

“Woah, wait… you guys… know each other?” Patrick from the Tabitha’s asked. I looked over at Adam, once again he looked put-off by the news.

I looked back at Jonny, he looked terrified. I grinned again, walking up next to him, wrapping my arm around his waist. “Yah! Jon and I go way back, don’t we?” He chuckled nervously, swaying slightly as I pulled him closer.

“Oh well, you’ll have to come out with us then, get reacquainted.” I took that as an invitation, grabbing onto Jonny’s arm and pulling him towards the exit. The glares from the people around us were finally starting to have their effect on me - I definitely didn’t belong here.

“Alright well… let’s go then!” Adam called from behind us; his arm around Jenn.



“Ok so… you didn’t say it was a pro hockey player that drove you home!” Jenn laughed as we reached the bar.

“I didn’t know…” I shrugged, smiling slightly as I thought about what a coincidence this night had turned out to be.
At the thought I turned around, leaning my back against the bar as I watched Jonny and his friends across the room. They all looked up at once; their eyes finding me - causing me to flash a grin before turning back around.

I smiled to myself as I thought about how he was so nervous and scared now that he was off the ice. Here he was like the subdued colours of his true self... it was sad.
The conversation we shared on our way to the bar had informed me that he was not only the captain of his hockey team; but that he was in-fact; the guy that had captured my attention. I took another peek at him over my shoulder and shook my head. How can a sheet of ice make such a difference in someone’s personality? What happened to that confident man from the rink?

He blushed as I took my seat next to him; it was then I realized what was probably bothering him. He was clean-cut, rich, famous - he was use to pretty Barbie dolls, not a girl like me. I’m embarrassing him, I sighed to myself; as pity for the poor guy started to rise in me.
I hardly noticed Lola and everyone else leaving the table and heading for the dance floor. “You don’t dance?” He asked, his eyes following my friends.

She shrugged and smiled at him. “Do you dance?”

He shook his head forcefully. “I hate dancing…”

“Well, then I hate it tonight too.” I continued to watch him as he started at the girls on the dance floor; I couldn’t tell if he was worried for his friends, or jealous of them. “It really bothers you doesn’t it?” I asked as I reached out to him, letting my hand fall softly on his bicep. There was no reason why I touched him, other than - at the particular moment - I wanted to.

“Um… what?”

“The fact that they’re dancers, it bother you…”

He looked up into my eyes “Well, they aren’t dancers, they’re strippers and… doesn’t it bother you?”

“Nope.” I answered honestly, and it really didn’t… I wouldn’t change my friends for anything.

“Oh… oh, you’re a- one of them?” His face contorted into a strange emotion as he looked away, causing me to laugh.

“No… with boobs this small? No… not a chance.” I chuckled as I tried to find a boob beneath my baggy dress. I looked up to see him blushing, trying to apologise. “Don’t worry about it… but, would it make a difference? Would you still be here talking to me if I was?”

“I don’t know…” He said, after considering the question. I couldn’t help but laugh slightly. He was like Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. The Jonathan Toews from the rink would have said what was actually on his mind…

I smiled at him as a thought dawned on me. “Do you like swimming? You don’t like dancing but… do you swim?” He nodded as I reached for his hand. “Come on… I wanna show you something.”

I pulled him out of the bar without a backwards glance. I was a little surprised with myself; something that didn’t happen often. Was I really going to take someone I knew nothing about to my favourite place in the entire city of Chicago? I looked at him - walking beside me - as we continued hand and hand through the city streets; apparently…

I smiled as he fell into step beside me, pounding the pavement on familiar streets. I wanted to meet the powerful Jonathan Toews; he was somewhere in there, and I was going to find him...