Almost exactly two months ago, Travis Kasperbauer took in new a roommate, Missy.

Like every college student, Travis ran into some money issues. Well, he'd had money issues since his dad lost his job 12 years ago, but college just made them worse. When he talked to his girlfriend, Bridget, about it, she suggested the roommate idea, adding that he needed to meet some new people anyway. After a week of unsuccessful roommate hunting, Bridget told Travis about Missy Carmichael, the blond chick in their animation class.

Travis was genuinely surprised that Bridget was so open to the idea of him living with another girl, especially a girl like Missy. After Bridget mentioned her, he started to... observe her. She had a short, pixie-esque haircut and wore awesome vintage band t-shirts and aviator sunglasses. She also drove a motorcycle.

This girl was cool.

A week later, Missy was completely settled in her new room, and she and Travis began to get acquainted. He was thrilled to discover that Missy shared his passion for Kung-Fu movies and was thoroughly impressed by her rare comic book collection. To top it all off, she was an 11th level Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons, which warranted Travis' ultimate respect and admiration... and affection.

One night, while watching Chinese Super Ninja, Travis finally got up the courage to go in for a kiss. However, before he could make contact, Missy began to laugh.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I... I thought... What?"

"Dude. I'm a lesbian."

"Oh. Wait, really?"

"Didn't Bridget tell you?"

"You're not serious. You're joking."

"How could you not have picked up on this yet?"

"No. You're not a lesbian."

"Travis. Look at me. I like girls."

"I don't believe you."

"I have short hair, I drive a motorcycle, and–"

Suddenly, Missy's cell phone rang: I kissed a girl and I liked it...

Travis sunk into the couch, mortified. How could he be so oblivious? Of course she's a lesbian. Why else would Bridget be so comfortable with them living together? But what kind of lesbian name is Missy, anyway? That's so misleading.

So they talked it out. Well, Travis apologized profusely and Missy tried not to laugh at him, but at least by the end of the conversation, things weren't quite so awkward.

A month later, Travis was sitting in bed, staring blankly at his cell phone screen as his stupid train alarm clock blared on. Missy hated that alarm clock almost as much as Travis did, and after about three and a half minutes of it choo chooooing around the mountain, she burst into his room, sleep-deprived and cranky.

"What the hell, Travis? You know this is the one day of the week that I don't have class in the morning."

But Travis didn't look up, partly because he could barely hear her over the sound of the train, but also because he just couldn't bring himself to care about what she was saying.

Although they hadn't known each other for very long, Missy instantly knew something was up. She walked across the room and turned the alarm off. Travis's eyes never left his phone.

"What's wrong?" She sat at the corner of his bed.

Travis looked up. 

"Is it Bridget?"

He nodded.

There was a long pause. Nobody said anything. Travis stared at his phone while Missy stared at Travis.

"Get dressed. Said Missy. I'm taking you out for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then don't eat anything. I'm still taking you out for breakfast."

"Missy, not today, please," Travis begged.

"I'll buy you a beer."

Travis blinked. "Give me two minutes."

After leaving apt. #1212 in Castle Apartments, Travis & Missy walked in silence down 12 flights of stairs. Missy had gotten stuck in the building's elevator multiple times in the past, so she insisted that they take the stairs whenever possible. Travis didn't mind. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings, anyway.

However, as they exited the building, something caught his attention. Across the street, and old man sat on the sidewalk by the clinic, singing along with his tiny, beat-up walkman:

"...She dropped a coin into the cup of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate..."

Beside the old man was a small, copper bowl containing a few coins and a one dollar bill. Travis didn't have any money, but he felt a strong, inexplicable urge to give the man something. He shoved his hands in his pockets, searching for anything that could be of value to the man. His fingers wrapped around a small pocket knife given to him by his father when he was a cub scout. You know, the kind with scissors, a cork screw, a wrench, etc. The whole shebang. He hadn't used it since he quit the boy scouts in the 5th grade, but he carried it with him everywhere we went. This was, oddly enough, one of the few pieces of advice from his dad that he actually listened to, and one that, until now, seemed pointless.

Travis crossed the street and gently placed the knife in the bowl, smiling at the man. It was then that he noticed the man's eyes: vacant, almost translucent. The man was blind.

Upon hearing the chime of the knife hitting the bowl, the man smiled. "What will come will come. Even if I shroud it all in silence," he said.

What? Asked Travis, confused. But the man just continued to sing:

"...Maybe she'll pick him out again how long must he wait
One more time for a simple twist of fate..."

After a brief pause, Travis and Missy continued down the block to Casa d' Waffles. They spent a lot of time there because it was the only place on the block where college students could afford to eat regularly, the only place open 24 hours, and the only place that served alcohol before noon.

Missy ordered pitcher of the Casa's cheapest brew. Three cups later, Travis began to open up, explaining how surprised he was, how he thought that everything was going great with Bridget. All the while, however, the blind man never completely left his thoughts. His words repeated in Travis' head for the rest of the day:

"What will come will come. Even if I shroud it all in silence."