It takes conscious effort for my voice to emerge calmly. “What is it, Maddox?” He tentatively holds out something, his hand trembling a little. “You can keep it.” I turn to take the object from his palm and, upon recognising it, sigh through my nose. It’s an academy stress ball some of the students designed as a project. Printed on the front in bubble letters, it says: ‘Squeeze me, baby’. On the back: ‘I like it hard’.
