Five Ticket Pull Testimonies

Ticket pull is not just a tradition — it is a crucible of loyalty, hierarchy, and fragile logistics. In this new territory of online ticket pull, friendships are tested and futures are decided. These are the voices of those who lived it, confessions from inside the chaos.

The Eleventh Friend
“I’ve texted them all, nothing back. I know it’s a big friend group, but deep down, I really thought I’d make the cut this time. Maybe they’re just asleep, I mean, it’s only 3 pm on a Sunday. I keep telling myself I’ll ask at school tomorrow but by then I already know the group will be finalized. Last week I technically was “in,” but the password they gave me didn’t work. I told myself that it was just an accident, some glitch in the system. It has to be. Because the alternative, that I’m the expendable one, the overflow friend, that’s just too much to admit.”

The Default Planner
“I don’t know how this keeps happening, but somehow I’ve become the unofficial coordinator. Everyone texts me: “What is the plan to pull?” “Which deck do we want?” I should feel honored to be trusted, but instead I feel like I’m sitting on top of a landmine. If I don’t keep every group chat spinning at once, someone’s going to feel excluded. And if someone feels excluded, that’s it, I’ll be accused of splitting the friend group. It’s like trying to babysit toddlers with a grenade. We all keep saying the group is ‘TBD,’ but how long can TBD really survive before it becomes something worse: two groups.”

The Underclassman
“Everyone keeps acting like it’s my fault I can’t pull with them anymore, like not taking dual credit was a choice. I thought I was safe because I had older friends. I really believed that shielded me from this day. Now the rules say I’m on my own. Ratios were supposed to be in my favor, but instead, I feel like I’ve been exiled. What am I supposed to do, start from scratch? It feels like banishment. They’re all out there planning their Saturdays, and I’m just… left behind..”

The Keeper of the Guest Ticket
“My long-distance boyfriend might be coming. He said he’s trying to make it, his ‘maybe’ sounded pretty promising. And sure, the game is at 11 am, which some people don’t think is a big deal, but to me it is. The group has been hinting that maybe I should give the ticket to someone else, someone who’s guaranteed, but that feels wrong. Like, what if he does come? What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t save him a seat? Everyone keeps acting like it’s selfish, but nobody seems to understand the pressure of holding a guest ticket. It’s not just a ticket, it’s the future of my relationship.”

The One Who Tells Everyone Yes
“Whenever someone asks if they can pull with us, I just say yes. It’s easier than saying no, and I don’t like conflict. I mean, who am I to deny them? I figure I’ll pass the info along to the actual planner, and then it’s not really my problem anymore. If the group seems annoyed, I just brush it off. Once I’ve said yes, they have to follow through, right? I keep telling myself the more the merrier, that it’ll all work out in the end. But lately, I’ve started to notice the glares, the way people go quiet after I add ‘just one more.’ Maybe I’ve doomed us all without realizing it.”

Five voices. Five perspectives. Together, they form the history of the first online ticket pull; equal parts comedy, tragedy, and logistical nightmare. In the end, the only certainty is that someone will be left out, someone will be blamed, and someone will still be saying, ‘Wait, who’s in the group this week?’

 

— MS Pick Me