Alexi came in with a small group of people he knew, smiling and laughing as he checked his watch. He knew he still had a few minutes to spare, but the habit has been with him since he was a child.<em>Being on time shows others that you value them and their time</em>, as his father had told him many, many times. One of the many bits of homespun wisdom he had been given over the years, and one of the few that really stuck with him.<br/><br/>He stopped just inside the entrance, looking over the auditorium. The thought of another year at school put a smile on Alexi's face, in spite of his setbacks the previous year. Well, not exactly setbacks, but his lack of progress in controlling his abilities. He still couldn't alter his size by any amount other than the maximum and minimum sizes, and he still had to return to normal size between changes. Still, he knew the potential was there, he just had to work harder to unlock it.<br/><br/>He bid farewell to the group as he started down the aisle. They wanted to sit in the back and play on their game systems, but Alexi was curious as to what the principal had to say. He began to take a seat in a middle section when he saw an unfamiliar young woman sitting in the front. Her shoulders were nearly rigid, and he instantly felt bad for her. He wasn't sure if she was new, or just having a hard time dealing with something, but his urge to look after others kicked in immediately. He walked the rest of the way up to the front and sat down near the strange girl, leaving a chair between them (he didn't want to come off like he was hitting on her). "Hi," he said as he took his seat, "I'm Alexi."