#TBT to When it all began
- CHAN•pagne
- May 24, 2018
- 2 min read
While reflecting on how Hopper & I became "us" in my previous post "Once Upon A Time..." I mentioned how he used to "stalk" me in school. I use the term "stalk" very lightly. Hopper was a goof. Anyone who knew him in school would attest to his silliness. The fact that Hopper would chant my name throughout the school when we weren't even dating is no surprise.
While being a cheerleader at Briarcrest Christian Middle School, we would do pep rallies during lunch time on the risers located on both sides of the cafeteria. I distinctly remember being in the 6th grade & performing the school's fight song while Hopper started yelling "Chandler Tillman". He then proceeded to clap to the beat of the fight song & yell my name over & over & over again. Keep in mind that Hopper was a year older than me, which led some of the girls in the grade above me to become extremely territorial over him. Therefore, it did not help that he was chanting a random 6th grader's name during the pep rally. Also, after a few rounds of Hopper chanting my name, some of his friends at his lunch table joined in on the fun. I can only imagine how red my face must have turned. Hopper & I were not much of friends at this point. This unexpected chant caught me completely off guard. While dancing to the fight song, a girl in Hopper's grade was standing next to me in line. She questioned me as to why he was doing that & I claimed ignorance! I truly had no idea why this older boy was so fascinated with me.
Within the same football season that year, Hopper's chanting carried on from the cafeteria pep rallies all the way to the BCMS football games. One night after we had just cheered for the middle school football team, which Hopper was on but inactive due to an injured shoulder & foot, I was leaving Clayton Field when Hopper started screaming "CHAAAAANDDLLLLLEEEERRRR TIIIILLLLLLLMAAAANNNN" across the Briarcrest football field. I was walking down the bleachers with my mom when she said, "WHO is that boy screaming your name across the football field in the sling & boot?" I replied, "Hopper Seely & I don't know why he keeps doing that?" My mom had known Hopper's family through mutual friends, our church, & cheerleading, but she hadn't seen him in so long she didn't recognize him across the field. My mom laughed under her breath & then we continued to leave Clayton Field both quietly wondering what is up with this Seely kid?!
Hopper was persistent; that's for sure. His chanting of my name didn't end at football games & pep rallies. Hopper would yell my name down the hallways at school too. I'm not going to lie, as a 6th grade girl, I enjoyed the attention... who wouldn't? But also as a 6th grade girl, I was low key embarrassed every time he did it. I had extremely mixed emotions about the situation, but in the end I loved it the most.
After my 6th grade year & Hopper's 7th grade year, he asked me to be his girlfriend on May 24, 2009. His chanting & screaming paid off.
xoxo
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