Brooke followed Leo to the gym. On their way, they passed a redheaded girl and a boy whom Leo waved to. Then they were at a massive, open room with polished floors - the gym. 

Brooke stiffened as she took in the others - a girl, a bit taller than her, and a boy with light blue eyes. There was another boy, looking about her age, a little further away. One person was ok, but she didn't do well in groups of strangers. Distracted by her mounting anxiety, Brooke barely noticed Leo's introductions. For a moment, she wanted to crawl into a hole, to be anywhere but here. A rectangular patch of space beside her visibly shimmered, a portal starting to form without her conscious decision as her power responded to the desire to escape.

No. Brooke willed the unfinished portal to disappear. She didn't know where the other end of the portal led - besides, there was no place left to escape to. 

She could do this. She could. It was just meeting a few more people, who had barely been here longer than she had. They might be nervous too. They were probably nice.

The other boy, Leon, was smiling and introducing himself again. Brooke thought that she was supposed to respond, but it seemed like Leo had already said everything about her that needed saying. What did people usually do in these situations? Brooke couldn't remember, so she took a guess and awkwardly stuck her hand out for a handshake.