Under the Northern Stars by Tay Marley is part of Teen Vogue's original short fiction partnership with Wattpad Books. You can read all about the I Saw the Signs fiction series here, and stay tuned for new chapters daily updated below from Oct. 19-23, 2026. Leo and Gemma share a fence line, but that’s the only thing the two have in common.
He’s an up-and-coming bronc riding champion. She’s an aspiring scientist obsessed with stars and space. With senior year behind them, Gemma believes ignoring Leo’s constant teasing will finally be easier, except for one teeny detail–her dad is his coach.
When an unexpected accident turns her life upside down, no one is more surprised than Gemma when Leo steps in to help. As the pair shares a summer filled with stargazing, drawing, and fun, they move beyond the assumptions they’ve carried for years. But with Gemma leaving Montana for college, their budding romance might be over before it even begins.
Below, dive into Tay Marley's short story told in five chapters, Under the Northern Stars. Out here, in the vast countryside of Western Montana, most people who want to see their neighbors hop on a four-wheeler and take a two-minute drive down a narrow dirt road. Or maybe you’ll walk for a half hour through the rolling paddocks and then hop a boundary line.
On my family’s slice of land, where I’ve got a small cabin out back that I call the lab (with my equipment and a deck where my telescope stands), I’ve got the privilege of being right up beside the neighbor’s pool house. Three of my favorite things in the world are the stars, my family, and this land I grew up on. Three things I don’t love are leaving for college at the end of summer, snakes, and my egocentric, bronc-riding neighbor, Leo.
He moved in next door when he was nine and decided to nickname me after the only scientist he knew, Albert. My love for science and perfect-score pop quizzes became fuel for the teasing that went on for years. We’re older now, but the tone was set.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
