Re: PERFORMANCE: Neveah Dean-Ramirez
The video package ended, cutting to Neveah standing in the middle of the stage. dressed in a form-fitting red tanktop, black denim cutoffs over fishnet leggings, with black Docs on her feet. While clearly still suffering, she was trying to put on a brave face, giving a smile to the judges before starting to play her guitar.
"La-da da da da da da daLa-da da da da da de La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Oh the games people play now
Every night and every day now Never meaning what they say now Never saying what they mean
And they wile away the hours In their ivory towers Till they're covered up with flowers In the back of a black limousine"
Her foot tapped to the beat, as she began to walk to each side of the stage, making certain that the audience on each side got to be up close and personal with her. She didn't want to be "the mopey one" on the show anymore. She wanted to convey her feelings and her hurt without seemingly like an emotional mess.
"La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Talking 'bout you and me And the games people play
Oh we make one another cry Break a heart then we say goodbye Cross our hearts and we hope to die That the other was to blame
Neither one will give in So we gaze at our eight by ten Thinking 'bout the things that might have been It's a dirty rotten shame"
The audience began to clap along with the rhythm, and for the first time, Neveah began to actually feed off of their energy, her smile finally beginning to look less forced and more sincere. She'd said she was coming on this show as therapy... maybe the therapy was finally beginning to work?
"La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Talking 'bout you and me And the games people play
People walking up to you Singing glory hallelujah And they're tryin to sock it to you In the name of the Lord
They're gonna teach you how to meditate Read your horoscope, cheat your fate And further more to hell with hate Come on and get on board"
Neveah let herself stare up into the lights, as though trying to sing to Penny, wherever she was. She felt a part of herself beginning to let go. To accept what had happened. Sure, it would take her a while to truly heal... but the first step of healing is accepting what happened.
"La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Talking 'bout you and me And the games people play
Look around tell me what you see What's happening to you and me God grant me the serenity To remember who I am'Cause you've given up your sanity For your pride and your vanity Turns your back on humanity And you don't give a da da da da da"
As for Noah... it was finally beginning to hit her that while she did lose her dad, she was taking for granted the fact that she still had Whitney and Karolina here. She'd have to correct that immediately. She felt good now. She felt free. Yes, she was still sad. She likely would be for a while. But for the first time since the purge... she also knew, without a doubt, that she was going to make it through this. That she'd be ok.
"La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Talking 'bout you and me And the games people play
La-da da da da da da da La-da da da da da de Talking 'bout you and me And the games people play "
As she finished, the crowd began to cheer her, as she looked up again, kissing her fingers and holding them up in the air. She loved Penny. She always would. But this... was Neveah finally saying goodbye.