A quiet night, a list of names

It was one of those nights where the walls felt closer than usual. The evening stretched out, empty and quiet, and the only decision that mattered was what to do with it. We were all there, but we weren't really anywhere.

The weight of a simple choice

Someone mentioned a movie. Then someone else suggested a game. The conversation just... stopped. We all stared at our phones for a second, the blue light reflecting in our tired eyes. It wasn't about the movie or the game, not really.It was the mental math of it. Weighing everyone's unspoken preference, trying to remember who picked last time, wondering if anyone would be secretly disappointed. My brain felt like it was shuffling through a deck of sticky notes, each one with a different, equally valid option. It was exhausting, for something so small.

Letting the wheel decide

I opened the random name picker on my laptop. The screen was bright in the dim room. I didn't say anything, just started typing names into the list. It felt like a small act of surrender.There was a collective, almost imperceptible release of tension in the room. No one had to be responsible for the choice anymore. No one had to be the one who suggested the 'wrong' thing. We were handing the evening over to chance, and it was a relief.

The click of the button

The cursor hovered over the 'spin' button for a moment longer than necessary. A final, quiet hesitation.

The name that landed

It landed on a name. There was a soft chuckle, a shrug. The decision was made. The awkward silence that had filled the room just dissolved, replaced by the simple fact of a direction.