Franklin watched as Matt slipped on a beaten up jacket and carefully tucked his wallet into his pocket.

"You coming?" Matt picked up his cane.

"No. And neither are you."

"I'm not?"

"Nope. We're going out."

"We are?"

"Yep. There's this great hole in the wall I've been wanting to check out. Pizza place. Does a Friday night special for all Columbia students. Get a pie and pitcher half price for flashing your student ID."

"I'm not exactly flush with funds right now so I'll just stick with the cafe."

"Objection, your honor. Dudes don't let roommates eat in the cafe on Mexican Fiesta Night."

"Mexican Fiesta Night?"

"Yep. And as yummy as plastic cheese sauce and dry tasting refried beans are, in the interest of air purity I'm going to have to insist that you go for the pizza. My treat, apology for the lameness."

"You aren't going to let me say no are you?"

"Nope." Franklin laughed. "But I am going to point out that you have something on your shirt."

"I do?" Matt pulled off his jacket.

"Looks like toothpaste. And I can't let my roommate go out to a hot spot for the lovely college ladies with a dirty shirt. Makes me look bad."

"Can't have that." Matt pulled a shirt out of his closet.

"Not that one."

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's a button down. Hello, trying too hard."

Matt reached for another shirt, a dark blue henley. "Is this okay?"

"Much better."

Matt pulled off his dirty shirt. "There is something you haven't considered."

"Which is?"

"I don't know this area. I mean I know the campus buildings but off campus I'm basically clueless."

"So?"

"So you're going to have to guide me."

"What I tell you to turn left, turn right, don't trip on the curb. Sounds pretty easy."

"It's more complicated. Yeah, it's partly that stuff but it's also about protecting me from other things, unexpected things."

"How exactly does that work?'

"Say some kid is skateboarding down the sidewalk and he's texting on his phone and not paying attention, you have to pull me out of the way before he bashes into me and I end up with a broken arm or leg or something."

"That sounds pretty easy. And kind of bad ass."

"No, it's not hard. But does mean being able to react in a split second so it requires constant physical contact."

"Physical contact?"

"Yeah. Think about it, if you don't have to reach out to grab me then you can react faster."

"Makes perfect sense."

"Typically it's just holding hands. Not really an issue unless you have chronic sweaty palms. In a big crowd it's better if I put my arm around you."

"Yeah, sure. No big. Sounds easy."

"It is. And I'm going to have my cane so I can feel it out to walk it later on my own."

"Right."

"So it's not like folks won't get what's going on. They aren't going to misread two guys walking down the street together."

"Who cares what they think. Right. I'm not but I have no issue with folks thinking I am or anything. I've got no problem with it, which probably means I'm a really crappy Catholic" Franklin stopped short when he heard what sounded like a snort coming from his roommate. "What?"

"You really know nothing about blind people do you? You've never seen a blind person on a tv show or a movie or something?"

The truth hit Franklin like a slap to the back of the head. "You were shitting me?"

"Only the end part." Matt laughed. "Had to grab the chance to dish a little."

"I guess that makes us even."

"No I think I might be ahead, given mine wasn't as lame."

"But you flinched."

"True. So does this mean you aren't going to treat me to dinner. Cause I wasn't about joking about the cash thing."

"No, I'm still good for it. Even though you don't deserve it."

"What if I said I could earn it?"

"How exactly would you do that?"

"Well it's Friday night and you're willing to take your new roommate out to dinner on a not date plus you haven't mentioned a girlfriend. Add to this that you didn't want to be seen with a guy that had toothpaste on his shirt and I'm thinking you're looking to chat up one of those lovely ladies likely to be at this hole in the wall."

"And?"

"And three things that score points with the ladies are guys who like small dogs, are good with small children or are kind to the disabled."

"Yeah but you aren't disabled."

"True. I'm a reasonable fit guy who's a borderline genius with a sharp wit and a mildly demented sense of humor but most folks don't notice that cause blind. You being all smooth and cool and I've got this, it's no biggie will be irresistible."

"And you can make me an expert in 8 blocks?"

"Pay attention and I can do it in 3, 5 tops."

"Irresistible?"

"Sexy even."

"Well in that case, Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. That's from"

"Casablanca. I have seen that one."