Willow

**Willow** is one of Whitney's teammates.

## History

### Start of the Season

After their first soccer practice, Willow talked to new player, Whitney Chase, in the locker room and told her it was okay to be proud of herself because she was a really good player. Then they overheard another player, Jena, speaking unfavorably of Whitney and implying she didn't deserve her spot on the team.

### Helping Whitney

With continued tension between Whitney and Jena, Willow offered to step in to try to help, especially after Jena invited every player on their team to a party except for Whitney. Willow promised to try to get Whitney an invite, but later told Whitney it wasn't going to happen. Willow was surprised when Whitney showed up at the party anyway, with a plan to win Jena over.

### Tournament

After soccer practice, Coach Woods talked to the team and said she thought they had a shot at the tournament this year, especially with their new first-year talent. They went on to win their next game.

### Out of Town Game

After they loaded a bus to go to an out of town game, Willow told Whitney to eat some crackers when they arrived because the whole team was going out drinking. Whitney was surprised as they had a game the following day, but Willow said they sucked. While they were out drinking and playing mini-golf, Willow saw a shirtless picture of Dalton on Whitney's phone and realized they were sleeping together. Willow assured Whitney she could keep her secret. After the returned to the hotel, Willow promised Whitney again that she would keep her secret and sent Whitney out to go see Dalton.

### Sporting Inequality

Willow and Whitney were at the library when Hayden, one of the players on the men's soccer team, walked by in a new track suit. He explained that they had been gifted to the whole team, despite the fact that they'd lost their most recent game while the women had won theirs. After he'd walked away, Willow told Whitney she lost it when she saw how much nicer the men's locker room was than theirs.

At the Theta-lympics party, Whitney decided to race Hayden when he said that the men's team got things because people actually came to their games, which he said was due to men being better natural athletes. Willow moderated this competition, which consisted of them racing on treadmills to see who could run a mile faster. When Whitney fell after winning, Willow helped her up.

### Investigation

The team played in the final game of the regular season. When it came down to a penalty kick, Willow reminded her that if she made it, they'd be going to the NCAA tournament. When Whitney made the shot, the whole teal celebrated.

Unfortunately, shortly after the win, news broke that Dalton had been having an affair with one of the players. Willow told Whitney that she'd met with Woods and told her it was Jena. She also said that Dalton's wife had found a box of condoms in his car and a search on his iPad about if it was illegal for a coach to sleep with a player. Willow told Whitney to lay low and assured her it would blow over. However, she later went to Whitney and told her that the bus driver told Woods that Dalton was kissing a Black player, meaning it had to be one of them as they were the only Black players. Willow suggested that Whitney should come clean to Woods and Whitney agreed.

At their next practice, Willow and the rest of the team were shocked to learn that both Dalton and Woods had been fired and Coach Hanson, the women's ice hockey coach, was stepping in for them, despite no knowledge of soccer.

Facing the tournament without good leadership, Whitney apologized to the team and took full responsibility, but they quickly told her it wasn't her fault and that it was all on Dalton. When they lost the game, knocking them out of the tournament, Willow told Whitney it was okay and that they'd go all the way next year.

### Covering for Whitney

When Whitney told her mother that Willow was the player Dalton had slept with to avoid her mother finding out it was her, Willow agreed to pretend it was her and talk to Whitney's mom. She weaved an elaborate story of the affair and shared it with Evette Chase, who offered Willow her support. Ultimately, Whitney told her mother it was her.

### End of the Season

With the soccer season being over, Willow, Jena, and Whitney talked about what they were planning to do next. Willow said she was running for student government and planned to do all the things she couldn't do during the season.

### Reassuring Leighton

At the Magic Mike show, Leighton saw Sara making out with a new girl and asked Willow if she was nuts to dump Sara. Willow said that since her coming out, Leighton was one of the hottest girls on campus and pointed out all the queer women in the room who were looking at her.

### Race Discussions

After Whitney was mistaken for the only other Black girl in her biochemistry and biophysics class, she went to a party, where she talked to Willow and Jayla about what had happened. They commiserated with their own examples of similar situations. Whitney was upset that she was the one still thinking about it while the TA got to move forward with his life. Willow suggested Whitney and Moriah trade places one day to mess with him.

### Helping Leighton

Willow was surprised when Leighton Murray approached her and acted as though they were close friends. Leighton admitted she needed Willow's help. She showed her the pictures she'd taken of a girl she liked and asked if Willow knew who she was. Willow looked at the pictures and said it was Tatum. She also pointed out the resemblance between Tatum and Leighton. She said it was okay, that they all go through that phase. Leighton asked if Willow could introduce her to Tatum and Willow agreed to do it in exchange for Leighton buying her a jacket. She set up a game of tennis between them on the court next to where Tatum was playing with Willow's friend Kate. During a water break, the four of them all talked. Leighton was displeased by the outcome, but gave her credit card to Willow so she could buy herself the jacket.

Willow was surprised when Tatum approached Leighton on campus and Leighton essentially brushed her off. Leighton explained that she was trying to get a leg up on Tatum because Tatum was so much cooler than anyone else she'd dated and maybe even cooler than Leighton herself. And it worked, because Tatum texted immediately afterward.

### Whitney and Andrew

Whitney met up with Willow and Jayla on campus. When Andrew Fuller walked by, Willow and Jayla realized Whitney had hooked up with him again. They suggested that Whitney not be alone with Andrew to avoid sleeping with him again.

After Whitney and Andrew went on what Whitney believed was a disastrous date, she told Willow about it. As they talked, they walked past a gym where Andrew was playing basketball. He called out to Whitney and despite Whitney trying to get Willow to come with her, Willow left while Whitney entered the gym to talk to him.

When Whitney decided to declare biochemistry and biophysics as her major, Willow was supportive, but encouraged her to break-up with Andrew in a way that would stick in order to avoid having the same major as her boyfriend. After the break-up was complete, Willow asked Whitney to be each other's wing woman at a party.

## References

1. ↑ Welcome to Essex
2. ↑ Naked Party
3. ↑ Le Tuteur
4. ↑ Kappa
5. ↑ That Comment Tho
6. ↑ The Surprise Party
7. ↑ Cheating
8. ↑ The Truth
9. ↑ Winter is Coming
10. ↑ Frat Problems
11. ↑ Taking Shots
12. ↑ Doppelbanger
13. ↑ The Essex College Food Workers Strike
14. ↑ Pre-Frosh Weekend
15. ↑ Sex & Basketball
16. ↑ The Rooming Lottery