Stafford,

Wow I can’t believe I’m actually admitting this in public, but here goes…I’ve had a crush on you since my freshman year at NCCU. I remember it was the Saturday after I had auditioned for the dance group and Ma P told us we had an African Dance workshop. Now everyone that knows me knows I LOVE to dance, but I just could not stand the thought of doing African. I already had my mind made up that I was going to go to the workshop and just participate in the group stretch then fake cramps. I walked in the door already acting and grabbing my stomach, put my bag on the counter, and then sat down with my back to the door to start stretching. As I was stretching, I heard Baba Chuck ask you to demonstrate a move. I turned around just in time to witness the greatness. LOL Here was this 6ft+ tall man, with an amazing body moving so gracefully yet masculine across the floor. My “cramps” immediately went away and I joined the rest of the group on the floor. I still don’t see how I made it through that workshop…maybe it was the giddiness. Anyhoo, after the workshop Dorinda asked us to run over one of the dances that we had been working on. Already tired from the 2 hours of torture you’d just put me through :), I put on a front and got up to do the routine. I’m always extra when I dance, but I remember being even more extra because I knew you were still in the building. But you didn’t even look my direction…

Fast-forward 3 years to the Black College Dance Exchange at Norfolk state. By then I had gotten used to seeing you, so I could at least hold a halfway decent conversation without looking or acting like a school girl. You showed up that Friday night wearing this plain orange scarf. My girls already knew I had a not so secret crush on you, so while playing Truth or Dare they dared me to ask you for the scarf. They told me I had to do it before we left on Sunday. Well I didn’t have the nerve to do it Friday…but Saturday after the student showcase you were standing there talking and laughing with one of my other crushes and and I thought, OMG both of them together, I’m definitely asking for the scarf. So I told my girls to wish me luck and pranced over to where the two of you were. You gave me a hug and I complimented my other crush on the piece he’d choreographed for another school. We chatted for a brief moment about the dances; then as I was about to walk away, I had a sudden rush of boldness and asked for the now infamous scarf. You grabbed the scarf with both hands like you were about to take it off, I looked back at my girls like “yes!”, then you paused and said “Yes, you can have it, but you have to wait until in the morning at the closing session.” I guess you could see the disappointment on my face, because you went on to say that you didn’t have a coat and that you needed it for the cold weather that night. That was good enough for me, so I told both of you guys bye, then headed back to my girls as if I just knew I was bad.

At the closing brunch my group and I were all sitting at the table, talking and laughing when I caught a glimpse of the scarf in the door. Tami (we know she’s the loud one) says “Uh oh Rachelle, there he goes”. I immediately went from being the bold woman that approached you and asked for the scarf, to a scared little girl that was crushing on her teacher. All during the brunch, I just kept thinking, “am I supposed to ask for the scarf again?” “Was he kidding” “I’m just going to play dumb, I mean after all, I did complete the dare, by asking for the scarf.” BCDE closing ceremonies were now over; I was in the process of completing my 2^nd dare, which was taking a picture with my other crush (Allyne) when I noticed a swarm of girls surrounding you. By this time, I had made up my mind that I wasn’t going to bring the scarf back up anymore. I started to walk out of the ballroom when Tami says something to me about not getting the scarf. I laughed and kept walking down the stairs. Not realizing that she wasn’t following behind me. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs we started taking more pictures to commemorate one of our last dance group trips together. As we were taking the last few pictures, Tami walks up and says, “Stafford said if you want the scarf you have to go get it.” I laughed at her not realizing she was serious. She convinced me to walk back up the stairs to where you were. As I walked back in the ballroom you were front and center, still surrounded by other girls. By now, the whole dance group is aware of the “scarf”, so they’re all peeping and instigating. I walked over to where you were and just kind of stood there. In the middle of one of the girls talking, you grabbed your scarf with both hands, as you’d done the night before, and placed it around my neck. I could have melted. Ignoring the side eyes I was getting from the crowd, I said thank you and walked away.

The scarf had become a prize and I was happy that I was the one that claimed it. I had on a brown and crème dress with a brown blazer and that bright orange scarf.  I pranced on the bus to head back to NC and Ms. Norma said “Wow you must be one of his favorites, because Stafford doesn’t usually give away things.” Can you say CLOUD 9?!?! I knew we could never be, but the fact that you knew what I was trying to accomplish and obliged made my last BCDE the absolute best!

Rachelle

PS: I still have the scarf!

Oh yeah here’s my other crush (the guy Stafford was talking to when I asked for the scarf)