Never Stopped Loving You.

"Get the hell out of my face Radke!" I screamed as I shoved him away from me and into a locker, hearing a crash as his left shoulder slammed against the metal.

"What's the matter, Silverstein, can't take a little confrontation?" he retorted with a sneer, pushing me back roughly as students gathered around us, watching while being mostly silent. I could hear some yelling from down the hallway, a few students shouting to each other with slight excitement in their voices.

"Ronnie and Katerina are fighting again!"

"They're going to beat each other up this time!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"You are such an ass!" I yelled at Ronnie as I rushed forward to shove his chest and make him stumble.

"Oh Yeah?" he shouted in a sarcastic questioning way, "If you weren't a chick I'd knock you out!"

I glared at him, my light eyes filled with hatred. "Stay away from my family!" I yelled again, noticing that he gritted his teeth.

"You've always been the fucking boss, haven't you Katerina? What if I don't want to stay away?" he replied, a scoff in his voice.

I scoffed too and tried to hit him. "No one likes you, Radke! We never have!"

"You're so full of it!" he screamed back at me, shoving me back into a group of kids that were watching with obvious fascination. They pushed me back towards Ronnie, causing me to stumble over my laces as crash into him.

"Don't touch me!" I sneered, clenching my hand into a fist and swinging at Ronnie. I smirked when my knuckles made contact with his cheek bone.

He growled as teachers rushed through the crowd and yanked the two of us apart. I glared as the school cop grabbed me around the waist and pinned my arms behind my back soon after, demanding that I calm down. I snarled and tried to pull out of his grasp and lunge at Ronnie, wishing that I could beat the shit out of him once and for all.

I watched as Mr. Vincent and Mr. Fletcher, a biology teacher and my music teacher, dragged Ronnie away down the hallway with his hands pinned back just like mine and his hair fell in odd places, having been messed up from the fight. I watched as he struggled to get out of their grasp, wrinkling his clothes even more in the process.

I watched him with a glare in my eyes until I was yanked down the east wing hallway and towards the teacher's only entrance of the principal's office. The school cop yanked me through the hallway and past the rooms that were occupied by faculty and another room full of delinquents. I looked confused as Mr. McKrin pulled me into the main portion of the office and sat on one of the uncomfortable blue chairs.

When I looked up Ronnie was sitting on the other side of the office, glaring at me through harsh brown eyes, one of which was already forming a bruise under it. I glared back at him and then glanced to the office ladies who were watching us closely, seeing as Mr. McKrin had left to handle a few kids out on the back bike path who were smoking pot. I looked back to Ronnie who had started picking at his dirty shoes in frustration.

I knew that the principal was in his own office already calling our parents. Or our fathers I should say. That was one of the only things that Ronnie and I had in common; that both our mothers had left. One willingly and the other by chance. I knew quite a bit about Riley and Ronnie Radke, but the only thing that Ronnie kept quiet about was that their mother had walked out on them when they were very little, although it seemed that everyone knew that already, it was the talk of the town. Everyone also knew that my mother died during childbirth when I was eight and they seemed to have different opinions of Ronnie and I, even though we were both in the same situation now, motherless.

The town seemed to think of Ronnie as lower class than most. It was a 'if your mother walked out on you than you must not be worth too much' mentality, something Ronnie tried to break free of his entire life but never seemed to succeed at. People always pitied my sisters and I. They offered to help my father when ever he need it and they always sent food on the holidays. If your mother died while bringing life into the world, it was seen as noble and the children were well respected, but if your mom left when you were young, you become trashy and unworthy... Or at least that's how the adults saw it, the ones who didn't know any better.

Even though Ronnie and I both lived in the same neighborhood, the most run down side of Vegas, we were different. My family lived there because my hard-working mother died and left my father to raise five little girls on his own. But they saw Ronnie as living there because his mother didn't care and obviously neither did his father. I always wondered about the double standard that dictated both of our lives so completely. Wondered why I became the "lucky one", the "good one" while Riley and Ronnie Radke became the "delinquents."

Ronnie once told me that we became who we are because of the way people looked as us as we were born. When I tried to argue his point, he went on to explain that people tend to live up to expectations, even when they're trying to live them down.

I looked up quickly as my own father entered the office, breaking me from my thoughts. He was fuming as he glanced at me and then glared at Ronnie. Ronnie looked up at him with a defiant look on his face as my father yelled. "If you lay a hand on any of my daughters again I will personally make sure you can't breath, Ronnie."

I stood up and reached for my Dad's arm. "Dad don't," I said as I tugged him back to me, "I can do it myself," I said as I shot a quick glare at Ronnie as his smirk melted off his face.

My father looked to me, his shaggy brown hair dangling in his eyes. "Good for you, Kit-Kat," he smiled as he playfully punched me in the shoulder. I smiled and nodded and then pulled my father out of the way as a black haired man came barreling through the door. He looked around for a moment and then when he spotted Ronnie he rushed over there and yanked Ronnie up from the chair by the sleeve of his shirt.

"You fucking hit a girl?" he shouted at Ronnie, "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked harshly as he smacked the back of Ronnie's head roughly, causing Ronnie's head to snap forward and his hair to fly around his face. "I thought I taught you better? I fucking know I did!"

Ronnie glanced at me and then to the floor by his feet. "Dad, stop," he murmured, trying to pull his arm away from his father.

"Are you telling me what to do, Ronnie? Since when is it okay to tell me what to do?" his father shouted back at him, getting a better grip on his arm and then shoving him back into the chair, "Sit your ass down while I talk to your principal to make sure he doesn't expel your dumb ass."

I glanced at my father who had an apologetic look on his face that seemed to be directed at Ronnie as he sat in his chair, rubbing his arm from where his father had grabbed him. My father asked me to stay out here as he was called into the office, along with Mr. Radke to discus our impending punishment with the principal.

Now Ronnie wouldn't look me in the eye as we sat there, listening for any sounds of our fathers. It was a rare moment without glares or eye rolls from Ronnie Radke. After a few moments I could hear voices rising from the office, the sound of my father's voice rising and clashing with Ronnie's Dad's.

"If you're such a good parent than you take my fucking kids and try to turn them around! You seem to forget that your own child is sitting out there too!"

I winced when my father's voice cut in. "If that wasn't considered kidnapping I would! And the only reason my Kat is sitting out there is because you raised your son to be disrespectful! How are you going to teach him to treat people well if you treat him like an animal?"

"Why can't your father mind his own fucking business?" Ronnie growled at me as his head snapped up with a glare in his eyes.

My mouth hung open as I stared at him, wondering how he could be so rude. "Did you ever think that he's trying to help you?" I retorted shortly.

"I don't need help!" Ronnie shouted as he jumped out of his chair, causing the ladies at the desk to ask for officer McKrin in their walkie-talkies. I jumped up as well as he bumped into me and tried to shove me away from him. "This is all your fault!" he screamed at me, desperateness seeping into his words.

I glared up at him, seeing as he was at least six inches taller than me, if not more. Ronnie was fuming as he stood towering over me. There was anger radiating from every piece of him as he stared down at me, his muscles locked and his fingers curled into fists at his sides.

The school cop came rushing into the room and got between Ronnie and I, pushing me back so that he could fit between us, seeing as Ronnie was too lost in anger to move. The officer spoke, trying to calm Ronnie down so much that he could be moved.

"Radke, stand down," officer McKrin demanded, not touching Ronnie but trying to push him away all at the same time. I watched as the main office lady pressed a button on the phone and spoke into it rapidly a few minutes later. I watched as Ronnie's father came out of the office and went over to his son, shoving him backwards towards the chair that he was previously sitting in while yelling at him, knocking him down mentally as well as physically.

With each shove Ronnie's fists tightened even more and his shoulders became stiffer. With each insult Ronnie's jaw clenched and it seemed that you could feel his anger like heat in the room. My father walked over to me and stood in front of me as if Ronnie was going to explode and he could be the shield. Ronnie's father shoved him again and I could see Ronnie flinch slightly, then it happened again, and Ronnie twitched.

"What are you going to do, boy?" Rusell snared, "You going to fight me? You think you're a big man and you can take me down? Step out of line one more time and I'll send your ass to military school, you know I will," his father taunted as he got up in Ronnie's face.

"Stop!" I shouted as I tried to push past my father. The officer grabbed onto my arm and tried to hold me back. "Let go!" I demanded, "I can calm him down!" I said honestly as I turned to McKrin with a serious look on my face. My Dad nodded and had Officer McKrin let go of me.

I ran over to Ronnie's father and slid in between Ronnie and him. I felt Ronnie's father grab my wrist and try to pull me away but I turned around and glared. "Don't touch me," I stated as I pulled my arm away from him.

I then turned around and rested my hand on Ronnie's arm. "Relax," I murmured, rubbing circles on his arm. I didn't know why I was trying to stop him from exploding but I knew that I had to do something to help him, seeing as nobody else would. Ronnie looked down to me with his chocolate eyes searching my blue ones. His muscles were still rigid but I could feel him relaxing under my touch.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, looking up to his familiar face, "I didn't mean to cause all of this, Ronnie."

Ronnie tilted his head down to look at me. "You're the one who started all this."

I put my hands on his waist and bunched up his shirt in my fists. Ronnie held still as if he was frozen. "Remember this?" I asked, "Remember when we used to lay together and you'd tell me about the band and what you wanted to do with your life in the future," I continued. "Remember?" I added, waiting for his reply.

He nodded slightly, confusion in his eyes.

"That's all that matters right now, Ronnie," I told him, "We can go back to that..." I trailed off, "But it's all over if you get sent to military school," I told him, almost begging.

"I know that," Ronnie murmured, "I'm not an idiot."

I chuckled lightly as his fingers moved to my waist and slipped underneath my t'shirt, rubbing circles slightly.

I looked up into his eyes and smiled slightly, noticing that he was back to his normal self. Ronnie leaned down slightly, his gorgeous eyes staring into mine.

"Why don't we go back to what we used to be?" he whispered before leaning down an connecting our lips. The entire room drifted away and all I could think about was how soft Ronnie's lips were and how gentle he was as he pulled me flush against him. I tangled my fingers in his messy black hair as he bit my bottom lip.

Ronnie's father yanked his son back by his shirt, causing us to pull apart quickly and roughly.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Ronnie's father demanded as he yanked on Ronnie again.

"Let go of me," Ronnie demanded through gritted teeth.

"You're my property," Ronnie's father sneered, "I can do whatever I want to you."

I looked to my father as he walked over to Ronnie and grabbed Mr. Radke's wrist, pulling him off of Ronnie. Mr. Radke was about to speak but my father did first, pulling his badge out of his suit jacket. "No. I don't think you can," my father told him as he flashed his badge and pulled Ronnie behind him, shielding him from his own father.

"That's my son! He belongs to me!" Russel Radke yelled, reaching out to grab onto Ronnie.

Ronnie dodged his grasp and looked to me, taking my hand in his. I smiled slightly and then turned my attention back to my father. "I'm taking Ronnie with me on charges of child abuse."

Ronnie's father scoffed. "I don't abuse him," he said then turned to his oldest son, "Tell them boy."

The entire room, the office ladies, the principal, my father, the officer, and I turned to Ronnie who stood frozen, unsure of what he should do. I squeezed his hand tightly, knowing the truth about Ronnie's home life. He looked down to me and I could see fear in his eyes. With just a few words his whole life could change.

Ronnie stared at the people around him. He looked to his father who was glaring at him, seeing as he hadn't denied the charges already. After looking at everyone Ronnie turned his gaze to me as I bit my lip. His eyes hardened and he looked back to his father.

"I'm not going home with you," he stated, his voice calm and void of any emotion as he stared Russell straight in the eyes.

"What?" his father replied, dumbfounded.

Ronnie nodded. "I'm not going home with you. I'm a grown man and I don't need you."

"Where do you think you're going to fucking go?" Ronnie's dad snarled, taking a threatening step forward.

"I-" Ronnie stuttered.

I stepped up to his father quickly. "He's coming with me," I retorted, a harsh look on my face, "To some place where he can be himself without getting shot down and knocked around."

Russel glared and turned to my father. "Fine," he growled, "You can take the boy but here's a warning for yah, he's a little shit-head and he's going to cause you more trouble than he's worth."

My father looked to me as Ronnie glared at his own father. I put a pleading look on my face and begged him silently to give Ronnie another chance, to remember the days that Ronnie used to spend at our house watching movies and playing pool with Max and I. I willed my Dad to think about all the times Ronnie had played with my youngest sister Gianna and how he used to take care of me, of all of us.

My Dad's blue eyes moved to the dark-haired boy who held my hand in his own. Dad reached out and grabbed onto his shirt, pulling him closer protectively. I smiled and squeaked happily as Dad shielded Ronnie and I from Mr. Radke.

"Sometimes you just have to realize that your kids are better off without you," Dad spoke as he looked to Mr. Radke, "Sometimes you need to learn that their adults and they need to be treated that way."

For a second I thought I saw Mr. Radke's brown eyes melt with sadness as he looked to his oldest child. "Well," Mr. Radke stated, "If you want to then go ahead. I don't need you either." I watched as Mr. Radke glanced at his son once, faltering, before hurrying out of the office, out of the school, leaving behind that boy that he had raised all on his own.

Ronnie faltered for a minute and then looked down to me and offered a half-assed smile. I smiled back slightly, knowing that even though leaving his father behind was healthier for him, it wasn't necessarily what made him happiest. I knew that on the inside Ronnie was hoping that his father would fight for him, fight for the right to keep him; to show that he loved him.

"It'll be okay," I whispered as I pulled him down to me and wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling his own arms lightly enclose around my waist as his thoughts took him some where far away from this situation.

Ronnie nodded absently as he walked beside me, both of us leaving the school with my father and starting the beginning of our three day suspension. "As long as I'm with you," Ronnie whispered, "Everything is okay."

I leaned up to kiss the side of his mouth, knowing that after awhile, everything would get back to the way they used to be and that Ronnie would be happy at my house, where he used to be everyday anyways just so that he didn't have to go home.

"I love you," I told Ronnie honestly as we stood leaning against my father's beat up car.

Ronnie looked to me over the hood of the car and nodded, his brown eyes shinning. "I've never stopped."