15 Current Favorite Songs (Because I Felt The Need To Make This Post Again)

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I wasn't actually sure if this post was going to get done because I had no time to work this weekend, but I was able to complete it in two days! Hooray! I'm still not sure if I want to switch and post every other Wednesday, but I'll try to decide soon. My original plan was to write the third installment of The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland, but my limited schedule prevented that from happening. I decided to do another list of my favorite songs instead. If you read my 30-Day Music Challenge, you'll probably know why, but if you didn't:

"I really regret making that one Current Favorite Songs post from a few weeks ago at the time I did because I really struggled coming up with 10 songs I was really into. I should’ve waited a week to write it, because that week I discovered a bunch of songs I LOVE..."

So yeah. I just thought it would be a good idea to list the songs I love here. Some of these I discovered recently, but others I've known about for a while and am just now starting to get into. You may even recognize a few from other posts! That's enough rambling for now, let's get started.

#1. "Pray For Me" by The Weeknd and Kendrick Lamar

Black Panther made its box-office debut last month and quickly became the biggest superhero movie of all time. Naturally a mega-smash like this deserves an awesome soundtrack, so they got Kendrick Lamar, who is probably the biggest rapper in the world right now, to curate it and appear on many of the songs, including "Pray For Me". Considering that I've liked every song I've heard from both Kendrick and The Weeknd, I had really high expectations when I saw it on the track listing, but my expectations were somehow surpassed. Both artists get their chance to shine and tell about the emotional turmoil superheroes face, and despite the fact that I am not a superhero, I can relate. My favorite part is when they sing "Just in case my faith go, I'll live by my own law" in unison at the end. I'd love to see more collaborations between between these two. Like maybe a full collab album or mixtape. That would be amazing.

#2. "Reminder" by The Weeknd

You know that quote above from the 30-day music challenge? Yeah, it was referencing this song. I had heard snippets of “Reminder” in various places, but I didn’t think much of it originally. Then I heard it again in some “try not to sing along” video I don’t remember, decided to give it a chance, and I’ve had it on repeat ever since. This song’s about how The Weeknd is reminding everyone that he’s here to stay and he’s not going to change, and it has one of my all-time favorite lyrics: “I just won a new award for a kids show talking ‘bout a face numbing off a bag of blow/ I’m like, ‘god****, b*tch, I am not a Teen Choice’”. That line is just so much fun to scream out. Combine that with a cool, relaxed beat and some really catchy melodies and you have a song that will stay on my playlist for a while.

#3. "False Alarm" by The Weeknd

No I don’t like The Weeknd what are you talking about. All kidding aside, I’ve recently become obsessed with these first three songs. In my head I always compare “False Alarm” to “Reminder” because they’re by the same artist off of the same album (“False Alarm” even comes before “Reminder” on Starboy), I discovered them at the same time, and I like them both an equal amount. Seriously, I wouldn’t be able to choose the one I prefer if I had a gun up to my head. The one thing I will say is that “False Alarm” is way ballsier. If you like an adventure in your song, you’ll like this one. It has an unsettling vibe complete with screaming in the chorus, like an upbeat version of The Weeknd’s own “The Hills”. This song is weird, but not weird enough that it’s unlistenable or alienating. It’s still got a really catchy hook and intense beat.

#4. "Candy Paint" by Post Malone

Fun fact: I discovered this song from a The Office meme account on Instagram. Not even joking. Basically, I saw something mention that Post Malone had a song in which he says "I love paper like I'm Michael Scott", and I thought that was funny so I Googled that lyric and found this song. Ever since then, I've been obsessed. I've only heard like, three songs from Post Malone, but I like all of them and this is my favorite. It is insanely catchy and laid-back hip-hop, the kind of thing he usually does and excels at. I kind of feel like a Basic White Girl™ every time I listen to it, but is being basic really that much of a bad thing?

#5. "How Long" by Charlie Puth

When Charlie Puth first came onto the scene, I wasn't a fan. I mean, I liked "See You Again" until I heard it five billion times, but his solo work was mostly pretty mediocre to me. When he changed musical styles with "Attention" last year, I liked it but never really loved it. However, I did begin to see his potential, and the follow-up single "How Long" blew me away. There really aren't many differences between "Attention" and "How Long", it's just that, for whatever reason, the latter is better. It has lots of melodic hooks, a great bassline, and even decent lyrics. Hopefully Charlie continues to make music in this vein, it’s working out for him well.

#6. "Obsession" by Vice ft. Jon Bellion

And here we begin a series of songs I discovered from the First Impressions #5 post. I went pretty in-depth on these, so I’ll keep it short. More than any other song on that list (except for maybe “LOVE.” by Kendrick Lamar), “Obsession” has been a song I’ve just played over and over again. I am (obligatory crappy pun) obsessed with it. It’s so upbeat and fun, just a joy to listen to for me. This is probably my favorite song in that entire post, now that I think about it.

#7. "Cut To The Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen

We continue our list of songs from First Impressions #5 with this similarly jovial song from Carly Rae Jepsen. This is probably the happiest song ever written, and considering I’ve been through some dark times lately, it’s definitely one I need. I like to imagine an alternate universe where this is the Carly Rae Jepsen song that became a billion times platinum and was a cultural phenomenon instead of “Call Me Maybe”. Also in that universe, Donald Trump is not president, scientists found the cure for cancer, and my blog has as many views as the “Despacito” video (almost five billion as of writing this!) Can I please transport to that universe?

#8. "Woman" by Kesha

Last one I discovered from that specific post. I love Kesha, but honestly I think this might be my favorite song of hers. It’s the lovechild of her old and new music, combining the attitude and immense personality everyone fell in love with and funky, organic instrumentation. It’s confident and sassy in all the best ways. Besides, sometimes you just need to scream “I’M A MOTHERF***ING WOMAN” at the top of your lungs.

#9. "Motorsport" by Migos ft. Nicki Minaj and Cardi B

I discovered this song from my First Impressions #3 post, and although I originally gave it an 8/10, I was leery about accepting it as one of my favorites. I'm a person who values their morals over anything else, so I kind of feel like I'm committing a sin by liking a Migos song. Because no matter how many bangers they make, I still can't overlook the fact that they are, indeed, homophobic. But one day I just could not get this song out of my head and I was forced to accept that I loved it. It's a banger, with good verses from all three of the Migos (there's this one part in Quavo's verse where he says "Xan, Perky, check, Bill Belichick, take the air out the ball" that just loops over and over in my head), even though the two girls steal the spotlight. Especially Cardi, whom I've discovered has my favorite verse upon repeated listens.

#10. "The Way Life Goes" by Lil Uzi Vert ft. Oh Wonder

I talked about this one in some other post (not gonna link because it’s already linked up there), but I didn’t go super in-depth about it. I probably won’t go in-depth here either, tbh. I’m starting to come around on Lil Uzi Vert, and you can blame my brother for that. I remember I was talking to him about the Grammys one time and he was just like, “How come Lil Uzi Vert didn’t win everything?” “The Way Life Goes” is just really catchy and actually pretty positive. I know it hurts sometimes, but you’ll get over it. That’s just good advice, especially for me, a person who freaks out over everything.

#11. "Lemon" by N.E.R.D. ft. Rihanna

This song is actually really dumb, but screw you I like it. In a time where most hip-hop is dark trap bangers (that I mostly like, for the record), it’s nice to see a fun, energetic, and straight-up weird song like this. This has quite possibly the greatest opening line ever: “The truth will set you free, but first, it will piss you off.” I just find that hilarious. Also: can Rihanna please release a rap album? I normally don’t want my pop stars rapping, but Rihanna’s verse on this is awesome. Just another reason why she is, and always will be, a queen.

#12. "One Foot" by Walk The Moon

Once again: “Shut Up And Dance” by Walk The Moon is my favorite song of all time. Despite my utter adoration for that track, I honestly don’t know any other songs from the band. I heard they had another song, “One Foot”, on the radio and I was excited. No, it’s not as good as “Shut Up And Dance”, but I do indeed like it a lot. It’s a really upbeat and positive song (it feels like there are a lot of those in this list), and it combines modern pop with the sounds of the 80s in a cool way. Hopefully we get more songs like this (and “Shut Up And Dance”, of course) from Walk The Moon in the future. And hopefully my lazy self will actually dive in deeper to their discography.

#13. "Confident" by Justin Bieber ft. Chance The Rapper

Yeah, I like some Bieber songs. Shut up. “Confident” has been out since 2013, but I only got into it last summer. I’ve really been playing it a lot lately. This song flopped pretty hard when it came out, but I’m of the opinion that if it came out today (instead of in 2013, when Biebs was in his juvenile-delinquent phase and the public hated him), it would’ve been a smash. It has R&B production, laid-back vocals from Bieber, a subtle-earworm chorus, and even a verse from Chance The Rapper before he blew up and won a bunch of Grammys. This is probably my favorite Justin Bieber song, and it makes me sad that people don’t really know it.

#14. "Break Your Heart Right Back" by Ariana Grande ft. Childish Gambino

Honest question: can a post even be considered a Stellar in Neverland creation if it doesn’t have a reference to Ariana Grande? No, no it cannot. I’ve talked about her so many times you’re probably getting sick of me praising her, but I don’t care. Her 2014 album My Everything is an album I haven’t actually heard in its entirety. I’m honestly not that big on any of the singles anymore, but the few deep cuts I’ve heard are some of my favorite Ariana songs. “Break Your Heart Right Back” is one I’ve been liking a lot lately. The song is about Ariana breaking up with a guy who cheated on her with another guy, and it’s a fun and sassy throwback hip-hop inspired bop. Ariana sounds great as always, and Childish Gambino’s verse as the guy in question is pretty funny. Should’ve been a single.

#15. "Bad Decisions" by Ariana Grande

And speaking of Ariana Grande songs that should’ve been singles, I’m ending this playlist with “Bad Decisions” from her most recent album Dangerous Woman. I reviewed the album back in November, and while I did that, I had an epiphany: I have totally been sleeping on “Bad Decisions”! At the time I wrote the review, I hadn’t listened to it in awhile, but I realized how good it was then and it’s been on repeat ever since. It blends R&B with pop and is mature yet fun, exactly what I want from Ariana.

That’s all I have for this week. Next post will be either another Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland or another new series I just came up with. It'll either come out next Wednesday (April 4) or the week after (April 11). I’m not sure yet. Either way, I’ll see you then. Peace!

Stellar

QUICKIES #1- 5 Favorite Fast Food Restaurants

Hi, I’m Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I’m sorry that I’ve been slacking on the posts, but between my busy schedule and broken computer, I haven’t been able to write as much as I’d like to. I may end up deciding to post every other Wednesday instead of every week, which is sort of what I’ve done for the past month, but I’m not sure yet. In the meantime, I’d like to announce a new series I’ve started: QUICKIES! Quickies are short little posts I can pull together when I don’t have time for long ones or am feeling lazy. Most of the time, they’ll be top 5 lists about a random thing, and they’ll probably just be things I can throw together during study hall Monday or Tuesday. Today’s topic? Fast food restaurants! I like fast food way more than I probably should, and I have quite a few favorites. Today I’m going to talk about five of them.

Oh, and by the way: I started actually putting effort into my bitmoji things at the beginning of each post. I use a free app called Pic Collage to make them, and I think they’re cute. Deal with it.

#5- KFC

Founded on March 20, 1930 (it turned 88 yesterday!), KFC is the oldest restaurant on this list. I’ve admittedly only had it a few times, but I love it. Obviously it’s not the healthiest restaurant out there, what with its name literally being an acronym for “Kentucky Fried Chicken”, but it’s still one of my favorites. Weirdly enough, the fact that I don’t have it often makes it that much better, because it’s more special that way. When I go to KFC, I get the drumstick and thigh $5 fill-up, which comes with a drumstick and thigh of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, a biscuit, a soda, and a cookie. It’s quite a bit of food for a great price, what more could you want?

#4- Arby’s

Arby’s is the second-largest sandwich chain in America, with only the behemoth that is Subway ahead of it. However, it’s definitely the one I prefer. Arby’s is known for their vast selection of meats (their slogan is, of course, WE HAVE THE MEATS.), but I always stick to classic roast beef. One thing I like about Arby’s is that they cater. My family has had many a party catered by this place, and the great thing is that they give you like, six pounds of roast beef so you can freeze it and eat it for a week straight. Oddly enough, it’s just as good reheated as it is when you first get it. Also, they have curly fries. Nuff said.

#3- Taco Bell

If my mom were making this list, she would probably put Taco Bell at #1, but there are two restaurants I love more. Sorry, Mom. Either way, I still really, really like Taco Bell. Is it just that I like Mexican food? No, that can’t be because calling Taco Bell authentic Mexican food is an insult to the entire country of Mexico. It’s not high-quality food, it’s not authentic, and it isn’t healthy. Whatever, it’s still delicious. I don’t have a consistent thing I order here, but usually my mom will get me a $5 Cravings box or whatever their current deal at the time is. It’s all good. However, I can’t put it any higher than #3 because they got rid of the Stacker, a soft tortilla filled with beef, nacho cheese, and a three-cheese blend. I only had that thing once but it was life-changing, and I pray that the gods of fast food will bring it back.

#2- Chipotle

Chipotle was only founded 25 years ago, so it’s one of the newer fast food restaurants, but in that short amount of time, it’s become incredibly popular. A lot of the Basic White Girls(™) at my school are OBSESSED with Chipotle, but it’s one of the few “basic” trends I can totally get behind. To quote their website, Chipotle is “committed to sourcing the very best ingredients we can find and preparing them by hand”, meaning they don’t use preservatives or anything that isn’t “real”. Despite my belief that those statements are semi-pretentious, it still means Chipotle is probably of a higher quality than other fast food restaurants. I get a burrito bowl with pork (carnitas), cheese, black beans, cilantro-lime rice, and lettuce, and I always get chips on the side because their chips are awesome.

#1- Culver’s

I wasn’t even sure if I should talk about this place, because I thought it was only a Midwest thing and I was a bit paranoid that someone would use my knowledge and adoration of it to somehow find out where I live. Then I looked it up and discovered that while Culver’s does primarily operate in the Midwest (and is REALLY big here), it also can be found in other states like Texas and Utah, so it’s not just regional. In conclusion: yeah, I live in the Midwest, and you can tell, because I love Culver’s so much. Culver’s is a burger place, but their burgers are legitimately some of the best I’ve ever had. They’re known for their ButterBurgers, which are perfectly seared on the grill and paired with a buttery, delicious bun. They’re also known for their  frozen custard, which is like ice cream, but even better. I almost always always get a chocolate shake with peanut butter in it, but recently I had a mint shake which was somehow even better than McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. I’ve had Culver’s so many times and it’s familiar and always delicious. If you aren’t from the Midwest, make sure you go there if you happen to take a trip there. You won’t regret it ;)

So that’s that...I am now very hungry. I’m not sure what or even when I’ll post next, so keep checking back to see when I do. I’m Stellar in Neverland, and I’ll see you next time. Peace!

Stellar

30-Day Music Challenge!

Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! It feels like it's been a while since I've posted, but I decided to come back in honor of my sixteenth birthday, which is today!

Happy birthday to me!

My original plan was to sum up myself in 16 songs, but I decided to do the 30-day song challenge instead because it would be easier. I've wanted to do this post for months, but I didn't know when the right time was. I've seen a few versions of this challenge in various places, but I found this one just by Googling "30 day song challenge" and I thought it would be fun. Obviously, I did not do this over the course of 30 days, and I might do a different version of it in the future. 

Here is the picture with the challenge I used.

Day 1- A song you like with a color in the title: "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane

This one became a #1 hit because of a meme-the Mannequin Challenge from late 2016, to be exact. However, I like it because I actually think it’s a pretty good song. It bangs and the line “I had haters when I was broke, I’m rich, I still got haters” makes me laugh.

Day 2- A song you like with a number in the title: "679" by Fetty Wap ft. Remy Boyz

This song was my jam in eighth grade. It’s a joyful trap-rap song that’s fun to sing along to and I wish we had a lot more songs like it getting popular. Speaking of Fetty Wap, whatever happened to him?

Day 3- A song that reminds you of summertime: "Slide" by Calvin Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos

Honorable mention to “Feels”, which is just as summery, I just prefer “Slide” more. Pretty much everything Calvin Harris has made in the past year is summery and awesome.

Day 4- A song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about: "I Don’t F**k With You" by Big Sean ft. E-40

This song reminds me of everyone who’s ever pissed me off. I listen to it when I’m angry and once I’m done, I feel like I’m on top of the world. It is unironically probably my favorite rap song ever.

Day 5- A song that needs to be played LOUD: "Mercy" by Kanye West ft. Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz

This one you have to play loud because of the bass. The beat in this one bumps so hard.

Day 6- A song that makes you want to dance: "Reminder" by The Weeknd

I really regret making that one Current Favorite Songs post from a few weeks ago at the time I did because I really struggled coming up with 10 songs I was really into. I should’ve waited a week to write it, because that week I discovered a bunch of songs I LOVE, and “Reminder” is one of them. This song isn’t super upbeat, it’s more of a lowkey banger, but I love dancing to it alone in my room. It’s just great.

Day 7- A song to drive to: "Castle on the Hill" by Ed Sheeran

I’ve never actually driven to this song. I have my temps license, and most of the time when I drive with my dad, we don’t play music. My instructor plays pop radio when I have behind-the-wheel lessons, but this song has never come on. Shame, because the overall feeling of this song is like driving down a country road at 60 miles an hour. This is probably my favorite Ed Sheeran song, by the way.

Day 8- A song about drugs or alcohol: "Chocolate" by The 1975

Fun fact: “Chocolate”=“Weed”. This song is about weed. It’s not subtle at all. Still bangs tho.

Day 9- A song that makes you happy: "I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)" by Jamie xx ft. Young Thug and Popcaan

I discovered this song from one of my brother’s NBA 2K games. I would hear it in passing, think it was catchy, and make a mental note to look it up. I looked it up and fell in love with it. Young Thug’s parts can take a bit to get used to, but the song is so joyous and infectious you can’t help but love it. I’ve listened to this song so many times and it puts a smile on my face every time.

Day 10- A song that makes you sad: "Fix You" by Coldplay

This song is about Chris Martin wanting to comfort his wife-at-the-time Gwyneth Paltrow during her father’s death. It makes me sad because I relate to it a lot and it’s an emotional rollercoaster. The part when it transforms from a beautiful piano ballad to a lively rock song is so powerful and gives me goosebumps. Easily my favorite Coldplay song.

Day 11- A song that you never get tired of: "Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbra

I plan on doing a post about 2010’s one-hit wonders in the future, so I’ll talk about this song more in detail there. This song is one I’ve heard millions of times and still adore. It’s just captivating in every aspect.

Day 12- A song from your preteen years: "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

This song came out when I was in fifth grade, so I associate it with that time. I remember writing in my fifth grade journal something along the lines of, “They played ‘Thrift Shop’ on the radio, which is probably my favorite song, even though it has lots of bad words.” I find that hilarious now. This could also be my answer for the karaoke question, because I know all the words and could totally do it.

Day 13- One of your favorite '70s songs: "Superstition" by Stevie Wonder

The 70s are obviously way before my time, so I had to Google “70s songs” to get ideas and this was one of the first ones that came up that I knew. I know it from Just Dance 4 and it’s a groovy, funky classic.

Day 14- A song that you would love played at your wedding: "I See The Light"from Tangled

A song I love from a movie I love. It’s a gorgeous song, by far my favorite from the movie. It might change in the future, but right now, this is what I want my first dance song to be.

Day 15- A song that is a cover by another artist: "Don’t Dream It’s Over" by Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande

The original version of this song was recorded in 1986 by the band Crowded House, but I’m much more familiar with this cover. In 2015, Miley did a series of performances in her backyard to publicize her Happy Hippie Foundation. She and Ariana performed this cover in animal onesies and sang on an inflatable couch, making it feel down-to-earth and comfortable. I love this cover because of the beautiful harmonies and cute banter between the two, as well as the important message of the lyrics about keeping hope.

Day 16- One of your favorite classical songs

I don’t listen to classical music so I'm skipping this one. I'm in band and the songs we play there are pretty cool (right now we're working on a medley of Pirates of the Caribbean songs and I LOVE it), but I don't listen to them on my own time so it wouldn't feel right picking one. 

Day 17- A song that you would sing as a duet at karaoke: "Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey

I don’t even like this song that much, it just feels like a good karaoke song. It’s one of those songs everyone knows the words to like it or not, it’s instantly recognizable, and anyone can sing it-no Mariah Carey range required. “Thrift Shop” is also a good karaoke song, but I would do it solo and the question’s asking about duets.

Day 18- A song from the year that you were born: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem

This song came out in 2002, the year I was born. It isn’t my absolute favorite rap song, but it’s probably the one I would crown as being the greatest of all time. The beat is intense and powerful, and Eminem’s amazing flow makes you feel like you can do anything. “Lose Yourself” is a modern classic, one that everyone knows and agrees is great. Also, MOM’S SPAGHETTI.

Day 19- A song that makes you think about life: "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

This one probably seems like a weird choice, but I can explain. Recently I heard this song in a shampoo commercial and I realized it was three years old. I immediately started having a mental breakdown because how can it be that old? It feels like just yesterday when this song was the biggest thing ever, but it’s been in my life for three freaking years. We’re all getting old, whether we like it or not, and “Uptown Funk” unexpectedly made me realize that.

Day 20- A song that has many meanings to you: "Doubt" by Twenty One Pilots

I chose this song because a lot of people interpret it as being about lead singer Tyler Joseph’s relationship with God, but my interpretation is different. To me, this song is about the fear of being forgotten, and I relate to it so much it makes me emotional to think about it. At the time I discovered this song, I was having fear that my friends were starting to abandon me, so it really resonated. I don’t listen to it often because I outgrew my edgy-Tumblr-emo phase but it will always mean a lot to me.

Day 21- A favorite song with a person's name in the title: "Caroline" by Amine

My brother got me into this song and I’ve loved it ever since. It’s just fun to rap along to and it makes me smile.

Day 22- A song that moves you forward: "The Way Life Goes" by Lil Uzi Vert ft. Oh Wonder

I KNOW IT HURTS SOMETIMES, BUT YOU’LL GET OVER IT. That’s the main lyric in this song, and honestly, truer words have never been spoken. It's pretty much my life motto. Also, random note: this is my brother’s favorite song.

Day 23- A song that you think everyone should listen to: "Sugar" by Robin Schulz ft. Francesco Yates

I edited this question to be “a song you wish was more popular” because I can’t think of any song I like that everyone else I know would. Besides, that's sort of in the same wheelhouse as the original question, right? I’ve always liked this song and I saw a Walmart commercial that featured it the other day and was reminded of how much I love it. It’s just an effortlessly cool and laid-back EDM track that should’ve been bigger.

Day 24- A song by a band you wish were still together: I don’t have one. My instinct is to go with a My Chemical Romance song but I’m not as familiar with their discography as I’d like to be. Sorry.

Day 25- A song by an artist no longer living: I’m gonna skip this one as well because I can’t think of anyone. Part of me wants to go with an old Taylor Swift song because the old Taylor is dead, but I felt like this isn’t really a good question to joke about like that and also I don’t really like her.

Day 26- A song that makes you want to fall in love: "Into You" by Ariana Grande

I’ve talked about this song so many times so I’ll keep this short. Basically, everything about this song, from the lyrics to the vocals to the instrumental, it’s all blissful perfection and it feels like the most incredible love story.

Day 27- A song that breaks your heart: "Praying" by Kesha

This one breaks my heart and makes it feel happy at the same time. It’s heartbreaking that Kesha had to go through what she did, but inspiring because she came back stronger than ever.

Day 28- A song by an artist with a voice you love: "Touch It" by Ariana Grande

I tried to only choose one song per artist, but I cheated and chose a few from Ari because I just love her so much. I chose this particular song because it best shows off everything I love about Ariana Grande’s voice: the low notes, the stratospheric belted notes, and the angelic falsettos.

Day 29- A song that you remember from your childhood: "So What" by Pink

This song came out in 2008 and it’s one of the few songs I can remember from that time. Most of what I listened to when I was younger was either country music or what my parents liked. I still really like this song for its IDGAF nature and overall bada**-ness.

Day 30- A song that reminds you of yourself: "Young, Dumb, and Broke" by Khalid

My original plan for my birthday post was to sum up myself in 16 songs, seeing that I’m turning 16. Plans changed, and here we are. This song was going to be in that post, so that’s why I chose it. I relate because I also happen to be young, dumb, and broke LOL.

Well, this was not what I expected to do for my birthday post, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless. Some of my answers are serious and some of them are funny, which I think is cool. As for my next post, I have no idea when it will be. I'll try to get it written by next week but I can't make any promises. I'm Stellar in Neverland and I'll see you whenever. Peace!

Stellar

Another Important Announcement

You’re probably reading this and wondering, “Stellar, why are you posting this late on a Saturday night?” Well, I just thought I should let the maybe-one-or-two of you who read my blog know something. Just wanted to say that my computer is broken and I’m not sure how this will affect my posting schedule. My next post might come Wednesday, it might not. I’m writing this on my phone right now hahaha. I’ll let you know as I decide more things, just know I am NOT quitting on this blog. I love Stellar in Neverland too much to even consider quitting. But I’m putting this out there so you all can stay in the loop. Peace!

Completely random bitmoji- I just think it’s really cute. Besides, the Winter Olympics are almost over and figure skating is my favorite event to watch. 

Stellar

The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland #2- First Day On The Job

Hi, I’m Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! In case you didn’t see my announcement last Monday, I took the week off last week. I did it for a few reasons, the main one being that I was dealing with a tragedy in my life outside of the blog. I’d prefer not to get into details, but what happened took a toll on me and my ability to write, and I wanted to take a week off to deal with my emotions. Don’t worry, I’m back and better than ever now! I started a series called The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland last month. Here is the link to last week’s post. I’ve decided that I’m gonna write a new installment once every month, and this is the installment for February. The series is from the point of view of my Bitmoji (the little cartoon of myself that appears at the beginning of each post), and it’s basically a fictionalized version of my life. This one in particular is pretty teenybopper-cliche, but that’s kind of the whole point, seeing as I’m a teenager. So I’ll quit my rambling and just say this: welcome to The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland #2: First Day On The Job.

Side note: My Bitmoji got a new makeover, being that I switched the avatar style from "Bitmoji Classic" to Bitmoji Deluxe. I think a few of them automatically changed styles, but some of them still have the classic style. Not that you really care, though. 

High school comes before college, so I think it would be fair to say that the entirety of the high school experience is specifically created to prepare students for further education. Because of this, a lot of the Neverland High student body has at least one job, likely to pay for college. My friend Will works at Neverland Acres, the local golf course/supper club, and another one of my friends, Macy, works at Harry’s, a grocery store in Tinyton, a town nearby. And of course, my friend Penelope Schuyler is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Nightshade Romancers, the mega-successful vampire series that will soon be a movie. And she’s sixteen, which I can’t stress enough. So yeah, everyone in my immediate circle has a job. Except, of course, for yours truly. I would’ve gotten a job sooner, but my parents insisted I wait until I got my driver’s license. When I did, I quickly began applying for jobs left and right. At first I wanted to work with Macy at Harry’s, because she’s told me all about how they pay really well and I just feel like she’d be fun to work with, ya know? I applied there, but so did Caroline Cameron (aka Little Miss Perfect). That girl’s got straight A’s, multiple scholarship offers, rich parents, and consistently flawless winged eyeliner. I can’t compete with somebody like that!

Of course, Harry’s gave Caroline the job, leaving me to search by myself. I applied to McDonald’s, Subway, and the bowling alley, but none of them hired me. McDonald’s wanted somebody more experienced, Subway said I didn’t have the right paperwork, and the bowling alley liked me...until they saw a video I posted on Instagram of me and Macy rapping “Gucci Gang” (ironically, mind you) and didn’t want someone who curses like that working for them. Sigh. The job I wanted more than any other was at the movie theatre about twenty minutes away. I love going to the movies, I figured it would be well-paying (because snacks there are unreasonably pricey), and I’ve watched enough Drake and Josh to know that jobs at movie theatres can get a little crazy in the best way. I applied, figuring they’d never hire me. I’ve heard that they’ve turned down quite a few people from my school, including, rumor has it, Caroline. If Caroline freaking Cameron isn’t good enough for the movie theatre, then how was I? I was feeling desperate, so I applied on a whim. I knew there was no way I’d get hired, but what’s the worst that could happen? The worst that could happen, as it turns out, is that I showed up to the interview with nacho cheese on my shirt because my idiotic brain thought going to Taco Bell before my interview was a good idea. (To be fair, I hadn’t eaten since 7AM and the interview was at 3PM. I was STARVING.) I also possibly offended the person who interviewed me by saying I’ve never seen a Star Wars movie. But you wanna know the funny part? I got the job! Yes, that’s right. I, Catalina Lily Taylor, am now an employee at the Sunset Hollywood Cinema in Almsdale. Take that, Caroline Cameron. (Sorry, I just really don’t like her!)

My first day on the job was on a Saturday. I’m scheduled to work on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00 to 8:00 and Fridays and Saturdays from 6:00 to 10:00. Sunset sent me my polo shirt a few days ago, so I strolled into the theatre wearing my polo with a pair of khakis and some new Converses. I attempted to style my hair nicely for the job, but it still looks somewhat disastrous. Altogether, I felt like I’m in middle school band again, forced against my own will to wear a stupid, almost grimy polo shirt and act “perfect.” Ugh.

I appeared confident as I walked with my boss, David, to the snack counter, but I was nervous on the inside. I kept having this repeating nightmare where I mess up EVERYTHING and spill Icee on myself and a customer. You know, like in a cliche teen movie where I star as the awkward teen girl who can’t do anything right but is quote-unquote “adorkable” and ends up being really hot and dating the Ken-doll male lead? Maybe that’s just me.

The first coworker I was greeted to wore a name tag that revealed her name as Patricia. She looked maybe a little younger than me, with short but unruly red curly hair. She had pale skin, light green eyes, and a huge grin on her face. I could tell I was going to like her.

“HI!!!!!!!!!” she said enthusiastically, practically skipping up to me. “You must be Catalina! David’s told us all about you! I’m Patricia O’Brien, but you can call me Pixie! Or Pixy Stick! I can feel like we’re going to be friends! Is it true that you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie? David told us that. Don’t worry, I’m not offended! But Marcus will be!” Her voice was high pitched and sugary and she talked a mile a minute. I could see why someone would think she was annoying, but I found her kind of adorable.

“Umm...hi?” I said awkwardly, then nervously chuckled. Pixie giggled so loudly the entire theatre could hear her. I began to grin, because I’ll be damned if her enthusiasm wasn’t contagious. “So, you’re Pixie, who’s this Marcus dude?”

“Marcus Williams, at your service. Welcome to Sunset, your new place of employment,” a deep baritone voice said almost sarcastically. I looked up to see a tall black older teen who looked vaguely familiar shake my hand. He had short black hair, dark eyes, and a medium build, and he wore glasses. I couldn’t get past his face. I knew I had seen him before, but I couldn’t for the life of me remember where.

“Hi, Marcus. Not trying to be awkward here, but...do I know you? I swear I’ve seen you before,” I shrugged.

“I’ve never seen you, but maybe you know my brother Isaiah? He’s a running back for Boatwright High. Nationally ranked. Won the state championship three times. No big deal.” Despite what he was saying, he didn’t sound like he was all that impressed. There was a twinge of jealousy to the way he spoke, like he felt overshadowed by his brother.

“Oh yeah! That makes sense now. My dad and brother are, like, always talking about how good your brother is, but I don’t really care about football so I tune out. No offense.”

“None taken. I don’t really care about it either. I like comic books and Star Wars. I’m a bit offended that you haven’t seen any of the movies, but if we can fix that, we can probably get along.” He laughed, more of a soft-spoken chuckle than a guffaw like Pixie.

There was one other new coworker I had to meet, a skinny Hispanic-looking (is that racist?) boy. He had curly black hair, chestnut-brown eyes, thick lips, and pronounced cheekbones. He looked sad, so I decided to give him a little space. Pixie didn’t let me, though, as she yelled, “Hey Ramon! Come meet your new coworker!”

Ramon walked over and sighed. “Hi,” he said wistfully. “Are you Catalina?”

“Yeah. Is something wrong? You look sad.”

“I’d prefer not to talk about it.” He walked away.

Pixie pulled me over and whispered, “His boyfriend broke up with him a few days ago, and he’s still not over it. He’s been moody ever since.”

“Pixie, I told you not to talk about it!” Ramon sounded angry.

“Well, I’ve never dated, so I don’t know what advice to give you. I guess I’d say just take some time and cry it out while eating Ben & Jerry’s? That’s what I always hear.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t immediately comment that he was gay, or make a joke about he’s her new gay best friend,” Marcus quipped. “That’s what Brynn did the first time she met him.”

“Who’s Brynn?” I asked. Pixie began to speak before she was rudely interrupted by another coworker. She looked like a model, with big blue eyes, long platinum blonde hair, thick eyebrows, and perfectly straight white teeth. She walked like she owned the place and had everyone under her finger. From the moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she reminded me of Caroline. I hated her instantly.

“That...would be Brynn.” Pixie’s normally hyperactive self shrunk all of a sudden, and from the looks on the boys’ faces, I could tell that they all hated her.

“What’s up losers?” Brynn’s voice was pretty much what I expected. She spoke like she thought she was better than everyone else, and her tone was obnoxious and vapid. She looked at my coworkers, then scoffed when she saw me. “Oh...the newbie’s here. Ugh.”

I glanced at Pixie, who looked as scared as I felt. “Y-you know, Brynn, I d-don’t think you should be so judgy...Catalina could be...g-great for all you know,” Pixie stuttered.

“Shut up Pixie, no one cares what you think. I don’t care about Caterina or whatever the new girl’s name is, all I know is she…,” she glared at me. “...is the reason why I have to take a paycut. I’m never gonna get into an Ivy League school now. The thought of getting to Harvard is the only reason why I put up with you morons anyway, but now that’s never gonna happen because I won’t have enough money.”

“Brynn, your dad owns like half of Wall Street. Money should be the least of your problems,” Marcus sighed.

“Besides, last time I checked, Harvard doesn’t accept people who bully and harrass people they’ve only known for two minutes!” I said passionately. “ I may not be Miss Perfect, and I may not be drowning in my own wealth, and I’ll never make it into an Ivy League school. But at least I have humility, something that I am quickly discovering that you lack! Everybody knows that the girl who pushes people down to get to the top will always lose. You know why? Because, honey, karma is never wrong. Karma will come back and knock you off of your cloud, and none of us- not Pixie, not Marcus, not Ramon, and definitely not me- will be there to help you. So back off.”

As soon as I finished speaking, everyone was awestruck. Pixie gave me a hug and yelled, “You go, girl!” as loudly as she could. Marcus gave me a round of applause and a look that said, I did not expect that from her. Even Ramon came out of his corner, clapped, and smiled at me. Truth be told, I felt a little mean for my outburst, but I mostly felt awesome.

Brynn stormed off to the bathroom in a feisty rage. Served her right. As soon as she was gone, my coworkers began talking excitedly about how proud they were of me. Apparently, they’ve all hated Brynn for quite some time, and they were proud of me for saying everything that they had wanted to for awhile now. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t notice him.

“Hi, sorry I’m late. Lacrosse practice ran long,” he quickly apologized, hurrying behind the snack counter. I couldn’t believe it. They say love at first sight isn’t real, but thanks to my first impression with this mystery guy, I could confirm this as false. He was the single most attractive guy I had ever seen, with chocolate brown hair spiked up in just the right way to make me swoon, amber eyes that squinted as he smiled, adorable dimples, and a smile that left me feeling weak. I had to practice some incredible self-control to stop myself from drooling. I took another look at him to notice his body, which was...oh my god. He was muscular, but not to the point where it looked like he was constantly working out. His biceps were perfectly ripped to my liking, and I bet his abs were perfect. I would have loved to see him shirtless...oh my god Catalina, you sound like such a pervert! For the sake of everyone’s sanity, I will shut up.

He looked at me and smiled, and I thought I was going to have heart palpitations. “You must be the new girl! Carolina, right?”

“No, I’m Catalina.” He looked like a puppy after he realized he messed my name up, adorably, genuinely sad. “Nice try,” I told him out of kindness. And also to prevent myself from saying what was really on my mind. Do you have a girlfriend? You’re so attractive you can’t possibly NOT have a girlfriend. Any girl would be lucky to have you. If you do have a girlfriend, which you probably do, do you also have an identical twin brother? And with the incredibly slim chance that you’re single, do I have any chance of being your girlfriend?

“Nice to meet you, Catalina. I’m Josh, and I look forward to working with you.” I had to giggle once he told me his name. Of course it was Josh. He noticed, and seemed to be confused. “Did I do something funny?” he asked.

“Sorry, it’s just that over time, I’ve realized that I consistently have a thing for Joshes. It started in like first grade, when there was this dude named Joshua who I don’t even remember liking that much but wrote that I was gonna marry. I was so weird in first grade. And I still am weird. But not like, creepy-weird. I don’t, like, collect the teeth of famous people or anything.” SHUT UP, CATALINA. It’s a miracle that a boy of this caliber is talking to you at all. Don’t blow it.

“That’s a relief. So, do I join your list of lovers named Josh?”

YES! YES! YES! “Well, I don’t know you too well but you seem nice enough...maybe?”

“Duly noted,” he laughed. His laugh sounded like music to my ears. “So, Catalina. What kind of stuff are you into?”

“I like writing.”

“Me too! What do you write?”

“You know...anything. I mainly write realistic fiction, but I can turn out a pretty bomb English paper in an hour. You know, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten below an A- on an English paper.” I laughed nervously.

“Interesting. I guess I’m not into writing-writing, if you know what I mean. I’m more into songwriting. Me and my friends just started a band, but we haven’t played any gigs yet. I’m the lead singer, and I play guitar and write the songs.”

Oh my god. As if this dude couldn’t get any more perfect, he just so happens to be a musician. Musicians are like kryptonite for me. Roughly 99% of the dudes I’ve had crushes on have been musicians. There’s just something so sexy about a guy who, regardless of talent, is as passionate about his music as he is about you. Swoon. I’m convinced God created this boy for the sole purpose of killing me. “Um...you write songs? That’s cool. I wish I could write songs. I tried to be a songwriter in elementary school but everything I wrote was garbage. And like three lines long. Horrible.” Catalina, this is the second time you’ve brought up your embarrassing childhood in front of this guy. He doesn’t care about it. Stop it. OH DAMN YOU AND YOUR PERFECTNESS JOSH PLEASE STOP MAKING ME FEEL FLUSTERED.

“And I wish I could write awesome English papers, so I guess we’re even.” WHAT? PERFECT JOSH IS JEALOUS OF ME? ASDKFSJDKLFJASKLDJFSKLAFD.

“So, tell me about your band. Who’s all in it? Are you guys any good? No offense. I’m sure you’re wonderful.”

“It’s me and a few of my friends from school. Hayden, Drew, and Tyler. We’re called Rollercoaster Streets and we’re as good as a band who’s only had two rehearsals. Which is to say, not that good.”

“Haha. Where do you go to school?”

“St. Martin’s.”

“Oh...well, you’re not gonna like me saying that I go to Neverland.” St. Martin’s Catholic Academy and Neverland High are fierce rivals, and I mean fierce. I’m pretty sure I’m committing treason by interacting with one of them.

“I guess this means we can’t be friends? Unless you wanna do some Romeo and Juliet-type thing. But they kill themselves at the end so I don’t see why you’d wanna do that.”

That wasn’t even that funny, but Josh had such an immense charm and natural sense of charisma that every word he said seemed hilarious. Plus I’m just a sucker for bad jokes-if you can even call them that. I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe.

“Um...Catalina, are you okay?” Marcus said to me. I was so lost in my conversation with Josh I forgot there were other people in the place.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Now to change the topic: Josh, did you see what Catalina did earlier?” Marcus asked.

“She owned Brynn! Brynn was being really mean to me so Catalina was just like, ‘You’re being horrible and karma will get you.’ It was AWESOME!” Pixie said in her trademark excited way.

“Well, she was being really rude, and it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. I don’t want any of you to think I’m like her,” I defended myself.

“You’re good. We all HATE her, and anyone who shows that much loyalty to a person they’ve just met is pretty awesome in my book,” Josh winked at me. Am I going to faint?

“Brynn cheated on him last year,” Ramon added, breaking his silence.

“...oh. As if I didn’t already hate that girl already. I’ve never dated anyone, but if I were to, I would never cheat on them. Common courtesy, you know?” I said sincerely.

“Ignoring the fact that you’re from Neverland, you seem pretty cool, Catalina. I look forward to working with you. See ya round,” Josh said as he walked out. I checked the time, shocked that it was already time to leave. I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun...or rather talking with the most attractive teenage boy on the planet.

Pixie and I walked out to the parking lot. She explained to me that she had to get a ride with her mom because she wasn’t old enough to drive. As we walked, we made small talk.

“Oh my god, Cat, you totally looove Josh! And he totally seems to looove you too! I ship it!” She got so excited talking about it.

“Was it obvious? I felt like a nervous wreck. He’s just...so dreamy. And funny. And he’s in a band. And he’s really, really cute. Did I mention that?”

“No offense, but it was pretty obvious. You were blushing the whole time. But that’s okay. He probably didn’t even notice. Josh is cute, but he’s painfully ignorant sometimes. We had to straight-up tell him that Ramon was gay...”

“Really?”

“...even though his boyfriend at the time had been coming to see him at work for a month! He thought they were brothers!” Pixie was giggling really hard to the point where it was hard to understand her. But hey, it was funny.

“Oh my god, that’s hilarious. So what about you? Are you dating anyone?”

“Not at the moment. I’m trying to look but I can’t find anyone. I’m bi, so you’d think the field is wide open with both boys and girls. Nope! But just between you and me, I kind of have a thing for Marcus. Don’t tell him!”

“I can see that happening. You should ask him to hang out. You’d be cute together. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

“You’re a good friend, Catalina. You know that?”

“Thanks. I gotta go. I’ll see you Monday.”

“Bye!” She scurried into her mom’s SUV. I got into my dad’s Nissan Altima and headed home. As I drove, all I could think of was Josh. I couldn’t wait to tell Macy and Penelope about my big, stupid, embarrassing crush on him. He was just...too perfect. All I wanted was to see him again. And call him my boyfriend. It’s still unclear whether he’s taken or not. Anyways, Catalina out. Hopefully next time she’s less of a nervous wreck.

Yeah, I know, it’s really cliche. And I didn’t actually mention anything about Catalina or anyone doing actual work. And Catalina is a bit of a Mary-Sue. Don’t worry, I’ll fix these things as the story goes on. Also one last thing: Some of the characters in this series are based off of real people, but Caroline and the movie theatre gang are not. Josh is, to be pretentious, “an amalgamation of every boy I’ve ever loved”, and the others are from my imagination. I’m just mentioning that in case someone who actually knows me reads this and is curious or nosy. My birthday is in two weeks, so I have one more post left before my birthday special. I’m going to do something inspired by songs or TV shows from my childhood, but I’m not entirely sure exactly what. As for Stellar Adventures, the next installment will come out some point in March. I’m not saying much about what it’s gonna be, but it’s inspired by something that happened as a result of the tragedy I mentioned at the beginning. Don’t worry, it’s actually a very fun story. I’m Stellar in Neverland and I’ll see you next week. Peace!

Stellar

Important Announcement

You’re probably reading this and thinking, “Stellar, why are you posting on a Monday?”. I didn’t want to have to make this post, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am currently in the midst of a personal tragedy and I would like to take the week off from posting so I can mourn properly. I am nowhere near the right mental state in order to write, and it’s what I need to do. I will resume posts next Wednesday, February 21, until further notice. Much love.

Stellar