I Learn To Weld

So the other day a couple of my best friends, Zach and Emily, picked me up from my house and drove me to our Maker club meeting. Well technically Zach's and my Maker meeting, because Emily's group of Makers is focusing on their own project, an elaborate cake. Mine, consisting of my best friends Brenten, Derek, Zach and I are fixing a go cart and mounting an airsoft gun. Emily, however, was invited along because Zach, her brother, was already going and she had nothing better to do, and of course we love having her. Also she'd been invited by Brenten, whose house we're holding the meetings at, or at least we have been so far. Brenten was thoroughly teased by Zach for this due to the fact that it happened to be "Hug a Tall Person Day" and both Brenten and Zach are known for being awfully tall! But I just kind of blew off the made up Facebook holiday and didn't hug anyone. We arrived at the meeting after Derek. Firstly we cut this piece of metal with both an older cutter (wowza I forgot the name of it) and then the newer, more efficient plasma cutter. It was really fun! Then we took the pieces back and sanded them on electric sanders. Doing that was ineteresting because you have to get all the extra slag off, and as you press it to the sander sparks fly up. But they don't really hurt, even if they land on your face accidentally, they're incredibly mild. Then lastly we tried our hands at welding. Each of us had two pieces of metal and Derek went first. Then Zach, Brenten and lastly Em and I fought over who had to go first until Mr. Fillmore called her over and had her do it. "Now I want you to put a big 'E' right there," h demanded. She laughed, "Yeah right!" "No!" he replied, smiling, "I'm serious! put an 'E' on there!" "OOOOOOHH" teased Brenten. "That's what you get for going last." someone said. "I'm not last," reminded Emily, "Halie hasn't gone yet." "Oooooooohhh!! He's gonna make YOU sign your WHOLE name!" Brenten and Derek laughed. Emily put an E on the pieces of metal she'd just welded. Then I inevitably and nervously took my own turn, stepping forward and putting on the helmet and gloves. I welded it, but had to go for a second try to get it right - ish, and then Mr. Fillmore said "Alright now put an "H" on!" "In CURSIVE!" added Brenten malignantly. "I actually started writing in cursive..." I replied. "Really?" I pulled the mask down and tried, keeping my hand as steady as I could and giving it my signature curve at the beginning and not picking it up or stopping. Then I stopped and looked down at what I'd done. Everyone else pulled their masks off too. "And in CURSIVE too!" Mr. Fillmore laughed. They looked in, as we all had on everyone else's welds. "Hey! Nicely done, kid!" Brenten said. We took a look at the go cart after that, or mostly the others did and Em and I stood back being goofballs and repeating over and over, "You're warm.. I like that in a friend," because it was cold. Then as we were leaving I approached Brenten and held out my hand to hand him something. He couldn't see what it was because I held my initialed weld over it, but he held out his own hand anyway and I dropped in the infamous and dreaded clothespin before turning and running to the car. I slid in next to Em, past Derek, who we were taking home. Then Derek slid in next to me, all the while we kept throwing the pin out of the car and Brenten hastily launched it back in, determined not to be stuck with it. I thought we'd gotten him until we were halfway down the driveway and Emily triumphantly held up the clothespin. "EM!!" I scolded, "We were supposed to leave it!! If we'd just gotten it out of the car, he would've been stuck with it!!" We dropped Derek off at his house and then they drove me to my oh so interesting Drivers' Ed class and dropped me off. A very awesome Maker meeting!!