Latest Curfew Ever

I was raised in the 70s. That will help with the timeline of this period of my life. While in sixth grade, I had a curfew of12:30am. It was the latest curfew I would ever be granted. I guess the roller skating rink closed at 12:30am which made the decision for my parents. We would always go on Friday nights. Someone’s mom or dad would drive a group of us, drop us off and pick us up again at 12:30am. It was freedom. I still remember the nervousness in walking into the roller rink, the flashing lights, the tying of the rented skates and the hopes that at the couple’s song maybe someone would ask me to skate. We mostly skated in groups of girls and there was a lot of giggling, trips to the bathroom to check our lip-gloss and whispers saying, “He’s here.” Unfortunately, I had a crush on my best friends “boyfriend” rather than on my own. Mine was only a “boyfriend” in name and for one or two couple’s skates. We never did more than hold hands at the roller rink. I would later call him, that summer after sixth grade, and tell him to never ever call me again. But before that happened and we were a ”couple” there was that moment of anticipation and wondering if he would ask me to skate to “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. To this day, when I hear that song on the radio I turn it up to eleven.