Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm back, just as promised. Sadly, I haven't had much time to write this week due to studying for exams (I had my first one today), but it won't be long before I can get back to it. I just gotta catch up with my writing and then I'll be right back on schedule so you can expect another update coming pretty soon.

To the guest who reviewed asking, I'm not yet sure who I'll be pairing Leonora with, I've kind of just left it open for now to see who she matches with the best and possible who all the readers want her to end up with. Does anyone have a preference so far?

Eternalbutterflies88: Leo will be having her own story lines as well as playing part in the original story. I hope that answers your question.

To the other guest and purplestan, thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like my story so far!

I'm very disappointed in you all. Not a touch of drama for the first day of school. No food fights or screaming matches. The closest we got was Little Lion and S on the steps of the Met. What were they whispering about?

To: Leile

From: Serena

How about I start making up for it with shopping? Bindles with me & Eric at 5?

To: Serena

From: Leile

See U there.

Leonora dropped her phone down on her bed, rolling over and groaning up at the ceiling. Does she want to forgive Serena? Should she? Everyone was so concerned for Blair when Serena left that she just got swept under the metaphorical rug.

"Alice? I'm going out! Make sure dad doesn't wait up would you?" Leonora called into the expansive house, not waiting for a response before she headed out the front door.

To: Serena

From: Leile

The Palace?

Ash-blonde hair whipped in the wind as Leonora rested her back against a marble column. Her blue eyes darted around looking for a familiar blonde and her younger brother. Both of them had been missing in action for almost a year now.

"Leile!" The blonde barely had time to turn towards the sound before a shorter yet equally blond-haired boy crashed against her torso.

"Eric." Leonora's voice held a hint of a smile as she wrapped her arms around the boy, her head resting on his shoulder.

Serena appeared behind the two, watching as they spoke quietly and waiting for a chance of her own to intervene. "Ready you two?"

"What exactly are we shopping for?" Eric's voice carried lightly as he bumped shoulders with Leonora. Same blonde hair as Leo and Serena, almost all three looked like a family. If only they were.

"I don't know, ask Serena. She dragged me out here same as you," Leonora responded, bumping his shoulder back and smiling slightly. Blue eyes grazed across the different stores. "So, Ser-"

"Hi Serena!" And, an interruption. Lovely.

"Hey!" Serena smiled over at the girl who had shouted her name, her eyebrows crinkling with kindness. Serena, ever the amiable one. Placing a hand on the back of either accompanying her, Serena led them over to the store. "Hey. Jenny, right?"

"Yeah. Hi," The blonde seemed to smile even more than before, practically bouncing on the spot.

"This is my-"

"Stylist and personal shopper Eric. Hi." What was that about? Serena looked just as confused as Leonora, who was looking between the two Van der Woodsen siblings.

Serena shook her head, her facial expression changing minutely before she placed her hand on the back of Leonora's head. "And this is-"

"Leonora! I- uh—you're Blair's friend."

Leonora frowned slightly, looking the newcomer, Jenny, over. "I do have more qualifying details about me besides being Blair's friend, but yes."

Jenny's face blushed a dark pink, her eyes turning downwards to her intertwined hands. "Uh, yeah, sorry. Um, this is my brother... or..." The girl spun around, face dropping even further when she realized she was introducing air.

Serena noticed the uncomfortable look on the girls face and cut into the conversation. "Um, so is—is that your dress for the kiss on the lips party?"

"Sort of. Speaking of that, um, here." Jenny fished around in her bag for a moment, bare feet tapping against the floor as she looked before eventually pulling out a yellow envelope, identical to all the others. "I made you one during free period, but if anyone asks where you got it, I know nothing."

"Thanks."

Serena once again placed a hand on the back of either of her companions, leading them away from the store and the blonde in it.

"Dan? Dan?" So she really did have a brother, huh? Dan. Mister air person seemed to have mastered the art of disappearing.

Halting in her tracks, Serena turned around once again, a small, signature smirk across her features. She was planning something, that was for sure. "Jenny? That dress would look even better in black."

"Black. Cool, thanks."

Spotted: S and Little Lion shopping for some designer high fashion. And is that Eric Van der Woodsen with them? Back from Miami so soon? What are these three planning?

Leonora walked alongside Eric and Serena, eyes scanning over the pieces in the shop. "So are we going to do some shopping or what? I'm ready to do some serious damage. What do you say, mister personal stylist?"

"You're not going to let that go anytime soon are you?" Eric's face turned a light pink although he didn't avert his gaze like that girl, Jenny, had.

"Nope. Why'd you lie anyways?"

"Uh... no reason. Just having some fun."

Leonora looked over at Eric, confusion written across her features. Blair was the one who plays games. What was she missing? While Serena had seemed just as confused in the moment, she had long since moved on, happily looking over a Gucci bag. "...Okay.

Leonora walked over to one blue slip cocktail dress hanging off a rack, running her hand over the silky material. It was very obviously made for a night out, perhaps a Bass party. "Like what you see?"

"What? Oh, yes. This dress, who's the designer?" Leonora's eyes continued to look over the dress before eventually turning to the sales associate. Rebecca her name tag said.

"I do believe it's a Proenza Schouler."

Leonora nodded, blue eyes trailing over the piece. "It's nice." And it was, a smooth satiny dark blue. Fell to about mid-thigh with thin spaghetti straps crossing in the back and a straight-across neckline.

"Serena, what do you think? Kiss on the lips?" The sales associate had walked off by then Probably off on her merry way to go schmooze up to more customers. Dresses can't sell themselves after all.

"It's not too short?" Serena turned from the dress to Leonora, one hand coming up to her hip and her head tilting slightly in the same direction.

Leo rolled her eyes. Classic protective older sister. "No, Serena, it's not."

"Okay, okay, it's pretty."

"Thank you."

To: Leile

From: Al

Where are you? We were supposed to be at the studio thirty minutes ago! You know I can't leave without you!

I have a question for all you Upper East Siders. What is it like always being involved in a scandal? Stay tuned, more to come later tonight, and trust me, this is a big one.

Xoxo,

Gossip Girl