Joey was confused by my request, but humored me anyway, and brought me to a store nearby that specialized in sports and outdoor hobbies.

"You realize that everything in here is going to be giant-sized, right? If you want to go fishing, you're not going to find any equipment you can use," Joey informed me.

"I know. I'm counting on it," I told him, not elaborating any further. I didn't want to worry him or have him try to dissuade me from what I was plotting. I picked out some fishing line and a smaller fishhook suitably sized for my needs. The giant fishing hooks were all pretty fearsome, large and sharp enough to stab through me and turn me into live bait. I could hardly imagine a fish, really more of a leviathan, big enough to be caught on one of those. Joey bought the goods for me, which luckily were inexpensive. I left the store in high spirits. Joey was puzzled.

"What are you planning to do with this stuff?" he asked as he carried me back to the school.

"Well..." I figured it couldn't hurt to tell him now, considering he had already bought the stuff for me anyways. "I'm going to make a grappling hook and use it to get my cellphone back. I know where it's located. I saw the principal put it in the top drawer of his desk. I can get into his office, even if it's locked, because I'm small enough to slip through the gap under the door. Then, I'll use the hook to climb up, open the drawer, and reclaim what's mine."

"That sounds risky," Joey noted, pursing his lips in thought. "Although, the principal is rarely around on the weekends. You're not likely to be interrupted as long as you go today or tomorrow. Why do you need your phone so badly, that you're willing to risk getting in trouble like that?"

"Trouble is my middle name!" I declared with a smirk. "But in all seriousness, I want to call my mom, and talk to her directly, without anyone else listening in. Find out what's really going on, how she really feels. I want the truth from the horse's mouth, so to speak."

"I see." Joey was quiet for a while. "Eren, I'm sorry that things have been so hard for you here. I hope... I can help to make it better, at least."

"You've already done so much for me, Joey. I can't thank you enough." I could feel his pulse quicken slightly through his skin. I had noticed, since that incident where I almost ended up breakfast, Joey had forgotten about wearing a glove. His palms hadn't been sweating, though, so I supposed he was getting more comfortable with carrying me around. In fact, he was being very protective, as if I was his responsibility to keep safe. His caring nature warmed my heart.

We made it back to the school by late afternoon. Joey was thoughtful enough to stop by the lunchroom first and pick up my meal for me, so I wouldn't have to bike all the way out to the main building for dinner. He then walked me to the human dormitory and set me down on the pavement outside. We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, promising to meet up again soon. I was tired, so I decided I would initiate my phone heist tomorrow, when the day was young again. I retired inside to rest and relax for the evening.

Fortunately, nobody bothered me that night or opened the roof, so I slept in and woke up the next day feeling energized. I was ready to take my life back, to take charge again. I left the human dormitory and biked to the main building of the school with confidence, dodging falling leaves as I went. On the weekends the cafeteria served brunch, so I stopped there first so that I wouldn't be doing a lot of physical activity on an empty stomach. I kept an eye out for my new giant friend, but to my disappointment I didn't see him anywhere. The school grounds didn't seem to be as busy as usual, perhaps because a lot of the giant students slept in or were away for the weekend. Regardless of the reason, I was grateful not to have to avoid as many giant feet or stares.

I snuck out of the cafeteria and down the hall to the administration offices, which were all deserted and locked up. Away from prying eyes, I crept under the door of the principal's office, dragging my bike along with me. The room inside was dark, since the light was turned off, but muted sunlight still filtered in through the blinds on the window. I leaned my bike against the wall next to the door, pulled out my makeshift grappling hook, and crossed the floor to reach the opposite side of the massive desk. Even though nobody was in the room except for me, I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise, as if the creep factor from the principal permeated his lair even when he wasn't physically present. The room was eerily quiet, magnifying the sound of my steps as I walked. I had to remind myself that the principal wasn't on campus, and there was no way for him to know I was here.

I reached the gigantic, sturdy wooden chair behind the desk. All the furniture stretched high into the air above me. Getting into the drawer when it was so high up was going to be a daunting task. I swung the fish hook around on the fishing line until it had some decent momentum, then threw it up as high as I could. The first time, it clunked against the side of the chair and fell back down to the floor. I had to make several attempts before I finally got the sharp point of the hook to embed itself into the fabric of the chair.

I braced myself for the monumental climb ahead of me, then grasped the line in both hands and pulled myself up, hand over hand. The physical requirements were grueling, and my muscles started to ache from exertion. I regretted not bringing any gloves as the skin on my hands began to burn. Nonetheless, I made it to the cushion of the chair, clambering up with a final surge of energy. I stopped to collect my breath, nursing my throbbing palms, and surveyed my surroundings to determine my next move.

As luck would have it, the drawer I sought to get inside was within range of my grappling hook, and had been left slightly ajar. Another couple of swings and throws and my hook was successfully latched onto the handle. I swung out and scurried up the line, trying to ignore how high up I was off the ground. I didn't want to think about what would happen if my hand slipped and I fell. Once I reached the handle, I hoisted myself onto it and sat down, dangling my legs over the edge. I wasn't used to this sort of strenuous exercise, so I gave my arms another rest before proceeding.

I hooked to the top of the drawer and climbed up, then vaulted over and fell inside with a thump. The tip of the hook had chipped the wood on the inside of the drawer. I hoped the principal wouldn't notice, but I wasn't overly concerned. The next step would be to find my phone among all the clutter inside. Office supplies, mostly giant pencils and pens bigger than me, littered the inside of the drawer. I sifted through the miscellaneous giant objects, squinting in the darkness of the drawer to spy my relatively diminutive phone hidden somewhere within. I regretted not bringing a flashlight.

As I shuffled various things about, a small light suddenly appeared with the movement. My phone! I gleefully rushed over and dug it out from underneath all the junk. The battery was low, since the neglected device hadn't been charged in days, but the lack of usage had preserved its limited battery life. I sighed with relief. I had just enough of a charge to make a phone call. Ignoring the other notifications and text messages from my friends, I pulled up my contacts and immediately called my mom. I anxiously waited while the phone rang, praying she would answer. I needed her to tell me the truth.

The phone clicked and I heard static as someone answered. I held my breath.

"Hello?" a groggy, slurred voice answered. It was her, but she sounded drunk.

"Mom!" I blurted out, hardly able to keep in my excitement. "It's me! I'm so glad to finally be able to talk to you!"

A pause. "What do you want?" Her cold tone chilled my enthusiasm. I pressed onward anyway.

"Mom, please take me back. I don't want to be here anymore. It's so scary being here around giants. I know you heard what happened to me, and I'm so afraid. Please."

Another pause. Followed by a long, drawn-out sigh. "Do you know why your dad really left?" I froze up. My mother had never been truly candid with me about his reason for leaving, yet another barb in our relationship.

"W-why?" My voice sounded tiny and weak.

"You were an accident. We never intended to have a kid together. We tried to make it work, but..." She choked, and her voice grew thick with tears. "...I tried my best, you know? I really did."

"W-what are you saying, Mom?" My voice sounded so far away, as if I was no longer tied to my body.

"What I'm saying is... I give up. I tried to raise you right, but you turned into a little terror! You're so damn ornery, I just can't handle it anymore!" She was working herself up into one of her drunken rages. "I just can't do it anymore! I'm done! I want you out of my life! I never want to hear from you again!"

"You can't mean that..." I said in disbelief.

"Why the hell else do you think I sent you off to a boarding school for giants?! I know how dangerous they are to humans! I was expecting you to not come back! Don't you get it?"

My breath hitched in my throat. I felt nauseous, like I was going to throw up. The true horror of what she meant began to dawn on me. I was stung to my core. For once, rather than shouting back at her some snarky or pointed remark, I was rendered speechless.

"Don't ever call me again!" she snapped, and hung up on me.

I stood there, inside the drawer, mouth agape, phone glued to my ear as if she hadn't just cut me off. I was in shock. I felt as if my heart had been violently ripped out of my chest. All at once, the weight of all my troubles, all my sorrows, and the fresh wound from my mother's betrayal slammed into me. It was all too much to bear. I collapsed into a heap in a pile of giant paper clips and sobbed.

The truth was so much worse than what I had been expecting. I had been clinging to the hope, however futile and unrealistic, that perhaps there had been some sort of miscommunication, or misunderstanding, or maybe my mom had just been showing me some "tough love" to straighten me out. I hadn't even imagined that she not only abandoned me, but was actively trying to kill me by intentionally dumping me in a dangerous place. The thought filled me with revulsion and despair. I had no will left, so I lay there crying, feeling small and insignificant inside the dark drawer, alone and broken.