Chapter 7

Blink

Blink popped in next to the bed and became fully physical before Ash was all the way asleep. He heard the boy mumble a groan or a greeting as he jumped up on the bed.

Up close, the broken nose looked even worse. The gauze that stuck out of each nostril was stained brown with blood and the whole area was puffy and beginning to bruise. "Damn it," Blink said.

Just last night he had watched Twister literally pin Squat, James' doll, to the floor of the challenge ring. It seemed that any lesson learned by James and Squat was both too narrow and too temporary. He had no idea how, but he had to do something about that.

Maybe he could do something like Twister would do...just more so. That might get James to leave Ash alone.

He put a cloth hand on Ash's shoulder. "Wish I could have helped. But I'll make sure he doesn't do it again. To anybody." Without moving, Blink thought of Voodootown, thought of Squat...and disappeared.

The room he reappeared in was crowded with dolls, most in dark colored clothing. Blink waved an apology at two dolls he had startled and then looked around, noticed the bar and heard the raised voices and music. It was Petro. He wasn't surprised. He'd heard that Squat liked it here. Something about the chaotic energy was a good fit for the doll. But Blink hoped Squat wouldn't be so comfortable here after tonight.

He turned back the way he was facing when he appeared and stepped forward. There was Squat, leaning against a table, pointing to a recently stitched hole in his letter jacket and trying to get the attention of a doll in a cheerleader's uniform, Sticks. She didn't seem too interested in anything he was saying.

Blink slowed as he looked at her. Bambi, Sticks' human, lived only a few houses down from Ash. They had played together as children, though she hadn't spoken to him much since they had started high school. He felt Ash's feelings moving in, felt the way his human's muscles tensed when she walked by without saying hello or didn't remember how he'd let her win at Cowboys and Indians, even though they both knew he had been a better shot and used to say "pow" louder.

The memory slipped away as Squat stood up. Blink shook his head a bit to clear it.

"Man, you're weird here too," Squat said. "And that's saying something."

Sticks leaned around the side of the table. "Hey, Blink. Long time."

Blink wondered what Twister would do. She had made Squat look slow and clumsy in the ring last night. Calm and straightforward, that was how Ash thought she'd do it. Maybe with a touch of menace. Blink knew he couldn't make his voice sound menacing, but he did his best to sound calm. "His nose is broken."

Squat slumped, rolled his button eyes to the ceiling. "Come on. Doesn't anybody out there have a backbone? What's the big deal?"

"His nose is broken." Blink was sure that's the way Twister would say it, all business. He tried to stare Squat down, but was pulled into realizations from that afternoon. It wasn't James who wanted the fights and the trouble, it was Squat. For a moment, that seemed like something important to know.

Then, Blink shook his head again. Of course he knew that. He had known for a long time that Squat was an ass. The fact that James acted like a jerk because of Squat's influence was only new to Ash. But Ash and Blink had been sharing so much more of their thoughts lately, it was getting hard to keep track of who should know what.

"Get lost, weirdo," Squat said as he turned away.

"Challenge," Blink said, before he could change his mind. When he had seen Ash's nose, it had been an easy decision. Squat needed to be stopped before he made James hurt anyone else. But with Squat standing in front of him, Blink realized how dumb this might be. Blink wasn't a fighter, he had no idea how to beat the other doll. And if he got badly hurt, things would only be worse for Ash.

"Blink, no," Sticks said. "He's in a really bad mood."

That didn't do anything for Blink's confidence. But, he knew he couldn't abandon Ash. He tried to make his voice sound brave, wasn't sure it worked. "You want more pins in you?"

The flinch was small, but Blink saw it. Squat was still hurting, still afraid of getting stuck again. There was a chance this would work.

He waited, but Squat didn't answer. "Huh? You like the ring, right? You want more pins?" Blink asked.

"Blink," Sticks said. She moved around the table closer to him. "Just forget it, ok?" Blink tried to keep his eyes focused, tried to keep Ash's feelings for Bambi out of his mind. Having Sticks so close made that really hard. The cheerleader uniform and her blonde hair made him confuse her with Ash's memories of Bambi.

Squat didn't turn toward him. "No pins."

That helped Blink keep his focus. "Fine. Hex court. Ten minutes." He stepped back, ready to transport to his next destination. But Sticks followed him.

"Can I walk you out?" she asked. Blink nodded and walked toward the door.

They passed the doorman on the way out and Sticks returned the doll's wave. Blink noticed that he didn't get so much as a nod. Even here, Sticks and Bambi were popular. But that didn't bother Blink. He had Ash.

Sticks stopped once they were away from Petro and laid a hand on Blink's arm. "Sorry I didn't back you up. It's just," she paused, shrugged. "He is dangerous. Even in the hex court."

Blink shrugged back. "Hopefully, I've got better motivation." He stepped back. "I've got to run. There are a few people I need to tell about the fight."

Again, she reached out. "Can I...Uh," she paused. "It's really nice how you're standing up for Ash. He's a good guy. Bambi misses him."

"What?" He hadn't expected that at all.

"She does. And you standing up for Ash...it got me thinking." She stopped again. "Crap, this is hard to talk about. Can I ask you later, after the challenge? It's about Bambi."

"If I have any stuffing left in me." He smiled for her.

She returned it, obviously happy with the change of subject. "Want me to corner for you?"

His smile grew. "See you there." Then, Blink stepped back, thought of Eun Kyung's doll, and vanished.

Root was already at the hex court, waiting for him when he popped in behind her. Her hoodie and jeans were an almost perfect match for Eun Kyung's. Blink and Ash kind of did the same thing. They often wore the same type of clothing, but mostly by accident. They were both so distracted that their clothing was haphazard at best. Several times Ash had worn jeans and a pajama top to school.

He tapped her shoulder and she turned. Immediately, she hugged him, then stepped back to look him over. "Whoa," she said.

"What?" Blink looked down.

"The line between you and Ash. It's almost like you're both standing in the same place. I've never seen anything like it." Blink had always felt a bit of a kinship with Root's ability to see connections. His bond with his human was like a very limited version of what she could see.

But when she looked at him, he still felt like she was seeing him naked. "Uh, thanks." He looked around, tried to draw her attention away from that link or line that she saw. "You're here?"

"I started paying attention right after Eun Kyung kicked James." Root shook her head. "That girl. I do not know what I'm going to do with her."

"She was nice to Ash today." Blink stopped, remembered. "I...he could tell you were with her today. Thanks."

"Just giving a little push." Then, she slapped her forehead with a cloth hand. "You told Eun Kyung and Shaunice you'd get us here. You need to find Ribbon. There's no line between the two of you yet. You haven't met her."

Blink nodded, but Root had already turned away. Her button eyes seemed to focus on something far away. "She's at Rada, her usual table, in the middle, soaking up a bit of energy."

"Thanks," Blink said before he disappeared.