A Click and a Catch

A heavy metal ballpoint pen was resting across an open notebook on the desk. I stepped over the brass spiral binding to reach it. The grooved barrel was cool beneath my hands. Leaning forward, I set both palms against the rear plunger and pushed downward with my full weight. The coil spring inside resisted firmly, then gave way with a sharp, clean snap. The pointed tip clicked out and held its position. I tapped the spring clip once to feel the tension settle, listening closely to the small metal chamber inside.