>4th grade, 1999/2000, height of pokemania
>between classes friend Chris tells me he knows which back pack is his friend's and that his entire card collection is in it and that during the next break after the class leaves the room, we should sneak into it, steal them all and split the booty.
>I agree, hell yeah.
>we do it, solid fucking snek tier stealth, stuff our pockets with a couple hundred cards each, stash in our own backbacks. Catch back up to class before anyone knows we're gone. Mission success.
>next week, Chris's comes up to me and tells me Josh (the one from whom we stole) heard I had a holographic charizard (i did legit have one but wasn't attached to it because even when I was a kid I wasn't a zardtard) and was interested in a trade.
>sure I'm down
>Bring all your rares to the bathroom next break we'll meet there and work it out.
>meet Chris and Josh as planned. He asks to see the cards, I show him, he inspects them, hands them back. I know I had the charizard, a vaporeon, and maybe 6-8 more holographics. At least a few them were actually his. He's interested.
>Josh pulls out like two or three dozen hard sleeves full of rarecards.
>he flashes them kind of quickly so I get the idea.
>all these for all yours.
>deals on the table and I only have a minute to decide. Seems too good to pass up he has like three times as many as I do.
>I was such a fucking idiot when I was kid. I say yes, let's do it. I hand him my stack and he just gives me the bag.
>we rush back to class before the bell rings.
>feeling good, got a bunch of new cards to check out. Cards are banned of course so in the middle of class I have to look at them discreetly behind my desk.
>I pull the first one out of the sleeve.
>I immediately recognize what I am holding as standard printer paper, not cardboard. Pull the second one out, same thing, and so on.
>internal feels of shame, loathing, anger, etc.
>they are on the other side of the class room giggling to each other.
>(1/2)
