"Artist Attraction"
Chapter One -- Part One

     "But Shawn..."

     "Beth, we agreed to share all the expenses of this apartment. Now, I've had a job for almost half a year and I'm paying for practically everything while you're still looking. I can't do this anymore."

     Beth sighed and shouldered one of her bags. "Fine." She adjusted her other two bags and left the apartment, slamming the door after her. She stopped and wondered where exactly she would go. She closed her eyes and slowly smiled. She knew someone...

     Beth pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket, shifted her bags once again, and unfolded it, standing in the middle of a hallway. She looked up and began scanning the different apartments as she continued down the hall. She reached the door she was looking for, sucked in a deep breath, and knocked twice.

     From behind the door, she heard a loud, accented, "I got it!" just before it swung open.

     "Beth! You make me so happy, you finally came to visit!" Balki said, then ushered her in, taking her bags.

     "Well, actually..." she tried.

     "Cousin, look who's here!"

     Larry turned from his seat on the couch and looked at her. "Who is she?"

     "This is Beth. She came in the store one day..." Balki began.

     Beth jerked a thumb at him and gave a weary smile. "He sold me a radio."

     "All this excitement over a radio?" Larry asked. "It must've been one heck of a sale." He paused, noticing her baggage. "Traveling somewhere?"

     "Umm, actually, I, uh... Balki?" Beth stammered, turning to him. "I hate to ask, but I kinda need somewhere to stay--"

     "Oh, no. No way," Larry protested, standing up. "Would one of you mind explaining how selling a radio merits asking to stay with somebody?"

     "I was the TA in one of his classes and he remembered me when I came in the Ritz looking for a radio," Beth explained, then added, "I gave him some drawings I did."

     "She likes to draw. I gave her some of mine," Balki said, then turned to her. "You should look at some of Cousin Larry's photographs!"

     "Wait a minute, Balki, how did I suddenly get into this? And why aren't you asking if I'll let you go through my photographs? And how come no one's asking me if she can stay here?" Larry rambled off.

     "Cousin, you cannot tell me that you won't let this sweet girl spend just a few days," Balki said.

     Larry sighed. "Relenting on teaching you not to let people take advantage of you was a mistake, letting you learn how to use guilt was a bigger mistake. Alright, she can stay, but just a few days." He sat back down on the couch and picked up the newspaper he'd discarded. "Now, where have I heard myself say that before?"

     Beth let out a breath she'd been holding. "Thank you, both, so much."

     "Yeah, yeah, but you two get to figure out how to split up the living room." Larry gave up on the newspaper and stood again. "I'm going to bed and, if I'm lucky, in the morning, this will all have been a dream brought on by Balki making supper." He walked around the couch, and went to his bedroom.

     Beth turned to Balki and gave him a worried look. "I... don't think he likes me very much."

     "Don't be ridiculous! He likes you fine, he's just... stubborn as a goat," Balki replied.

     "Uh, I think that's 'mule,' not 'goat,' but I get the point. So, about 'splitting up the living room'...?" Beth said.

     The next morning, Beth rolled over, half asleep, and found her arm had draped itself over something soft. She startled and her eyes opened wide, but nearly laughed out loud when she saw the stuffed sheep was the target of her hug.

     "I hope you weren't planning on sleeping all day."

     She paused, then lifted her head to look towards the kitchen area. "No, I wasn't, really."

     Larry smiled. "Good, then you'll have your own place in no time."

     "Yeah." Beth sat up and looked around.

     "Looking for Balki? He left already. He's got some boxes to move at the store. Seems Twinkacetti doesn't want to chance workman's comp today." He shrugged, a knowing look on his face.

     "Oh," she said, picking up Dimitri. "I guess I'll put the couch back together, then."

     "Wait," Larry stood and went over to the couch. I'll close up the couch, and you can..." He motioned to the bathroom. "Just make sure you leave the sheep over on the desk."

     Noon. The apartment door opened and Beth came in. She flopped down onto the couch and rested her head back, staring at the ceiling. She stayed like that a few moments, then got up again, went over to her stuff, and began rummaging until she pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil. She shrugged off her jacket, left it on the bag, and went back to the couch, plopping herself down once again. She opened the notebook to a blank page and stared at it a moment before getting an idea for a drawing.

     Late that afternoon, the door opened again, this time Balki and Larry came in.

     "That was a great workout," Balki commented. "I'm sorry about the box that fell on your foot."

     "Fortunately for me, it was only one of the semi-heavy boxes," Larry replied, then tossed his jacket at the rack. It fell to the floor, as usual. He sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

     "I wonder if Beth found a job yet," Balki said, hanging up his jacket, then picked up Larry's.

     "I can only hope," he commented, then went over to the couch, exaggerating a slight limp. He picked up the notebook from the coffee table. "What's--"

     As soon as he'd picked it up, Beth came out of the bathroom and saw him holding it. She rushed over and snatched it. She offered a nervous smile. "Hi." She put it behind her back.

     Larry gave her a suspicious look. "Hello."

     Balki joined them and ended up standing between them. "How did you do?"

     "Turned down three times," Beth replied.

     "Three times, huh," Larry repeated, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting onto the foot the box did not fall on.

     "I'm trying again tomorrow," Beth added, quickly.

     "That's the spirit!" Balki said.

     "Balki, why don't you get started on making supper," Larry suggested, with a slight cringe.

     "Any suggestions?"

     Larry sighed. "Anything that's edible and doesn't have surprise ingredients."

     "Well, just take away all the fun in cooking," he commented, then walked over to the kitchen area.

     "So, Beth," Larry began as he sat on the couch, "what do you draw?"

     Beth sat on the opposite end of the couch, placing the notebook between her and the arm of the couch. "Alot of stuff, mostly scenery."

     "Any particular job you're looking for, then?"

     She shrugged. "Not really."

     "That's why you've been turned down," Larry offered, a little too bluntly.

     Beth finally looked at him. "Well, I wouldn't mind a job that includes drawing."

     "Why don't you try one of those places that always turn down Cousin Larry?" Balki offered from the kitchen.

     Without looking, Larry gave a patronizing smile, "Thank you, Balki." He sighed. "I'm assuming he means an employment agency. And it isn't that they really want to turn me down, it's just that I'm over qualified for most of the jobs they have, but maybe you can find something."

     "I hope so," Beth said.

     That night, about 2am, Beth sat next to one of the windows, using the moonlight to see her drawing pad. She had become so engrossed in the drawing, she didn't notice she had company.

     "Can't sleep? Is Balki snoring too loud?" Larry asked, quietly. He crossed his arms as she practically jumped from her seat and dropped the notebook.

     Beth looked across the room to see Balki still asleep. "No... just can't sleep." She picked up the notebook and pencil from the floor.

     "Well, I saw the blinds open and thought I'd check..." He paused and took a glance towards Balki. "Sorry about scaring you."

     "It's okay, really. I'm just a little nervous... uh, about finding a job," Beth said, quietly.

     Larry turned back to her and motioned to the paper. "What exactly are you spending all your time drawing, anyway?"

     "Ahh--I'm just finishing up a couple sketches."

     "And not really planning on letting them see the light of day, right? It's okay, unusual, but okay." He paused and watched her eyes dart around the room, landing on everything but him. "You can go back to your drawing." He turned and went back to his room, but left the door open about an inch.

     Beth let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She moved quietly over to her things and set the pad and pencil in one of the bags. As she stood, the door closed the rest of the way.

On To Part Two