Gone were the days, or maybe not.

Self-admittedly, during my primary school years and for the better part of high school, I wasn't your average kid bursting with energy. I preferred the quiet kinda life, the one where I minded my own business, where making friends weren't necessary, and those thick rimmed glasses made me feel special. I was the kind of character most people, for some reasons unfathomable to me, refer to as a nerd.

It didn't help that I was born with this unusual streak of shyness. I was shy around everyone and rarely spoke to anyone not family. Friends at school were a-ok because I've slowly grown accustomed to their familiar voices and image over time and I've reassured myself that they wouldn't harm me.

Rules must be abided by back then and being this nerdy kid whose nerdiness knows no bounds, breaking a rule would evoke pure sweat-drenching moments. So I guess remembering this particular event isn't that weird after all.

It was a Saturday, and like most Saturdays, it was an extra cocurriculum day. I was enrolled in (surpise, surpise!) the Science Club. But unlike every other cocurriculum day, it was Different. On that fateful day that changed everything, I decided to not wear my collar stud.

Now most of the time, you have got to keep on your collar stud and your student ID, or you'll be booked by the prefects. SO the thought of broaching up this willful act of disobedience was easily trauma-inducing. Everybody gasp with me. Gasp.

I was a rebel.

I was cool.

So I smugly went to school sans the collar stud. And, somehow slightly disappointly, there were no outcries of "He doesn't HAVE a collar stud!" or "Man, that kid is a cool one.". Instead, many didn't even come to school in the uniform. I tried to act pokerface about the whole thing but somehow my mind kept wandering to how cool I'm being. I started making mock fun of the nerds who're still wearing their collar studs on a Saturday. Gee, that ain't cool, no way dude.

Next week was going to be better, I just know it, because I'm going to not wear my collar stud.... on a weekday.