A/N: Connor is thirteen, and Zoe is six. I added a few years between them. I took inspiration from the play I'm in called "Our Place." I did this with Encanto, but it fits here better.
On a winter day, Connor sat on an old dock. He had his headphones on, listening to the band Iron Maiden. Two arms wrapped around his shoulders. Connor took off his headphones, spotting who it was. "Jees, Zo," Connor groaned. "What are you doing here? I'm three miles away from the highway."
"You forgot to turn off your phone's GPS," Zoe explained. "Anyways, after you said you were running away, mom and dad got into a big fight. I told them I'd find you, but they didn't hear me. I'm going to bring you home."
"I'm not going home," Connor said. "I'm staying with Miguel's family for a while. Go home. Mom and dad are probably looking for you."
"You take me," Zoe insisted. "I'm staying with you."
"This is great," Connor declared. "I run away from home, and my sister follows me. My sister; the mistake of the family."
"Actually," Zoe murmured. "I'm a surprise!"
"What is your problem?" Connor screamed.
"What is your problem?" Zoe yelled back. "You need therapy. You are deranged!"
"I've been told that," Connor sighed. "Go home. Things will be better when I'm not... there. I won't be fighting with him. Mom will be able to go for a day without crying. Your life will be better without me."
"I'm staying with you," Zoe murmured. Connor groaned loudly. Zoe knew she had to think quickly. "You never taught me how to swim."
"So what?" Connor asked.
"You promised you'd teach me how to swim," Zoe said.
"Too bad," Connor snapped.
"No," Zoe said. "You promised you'd teach me how to swim. You have to teach me to swim! This dock can be our learning to swim place. This lake will be our place."
"Okay," Connor said. His voice had fake enthusiasm. "Let's do it! Let's teach you how to swim! Oh wait, you and I don't have our swimsuits. It's also like twenty-five degrees! You'll get pneumonia."
Zoe took off her sweater, revealing a purple swimsuit. "Here's mine," she announced. Zoe pulled out a blue pair of swim trunks. "And here's yours."
Connor snatched the swim trunks. "Go home," Connor screamed. He sat on a bench on the dock.
"I'm staying with you," Zoe began to repeat. She bounced around him as Connor blasted Iron Maiden through his headphones. Zoe jumped onto the bench, continuing to repeat the sentence. Zoe lost her balance, falling into the lake.
After a few moments, Connor took off his headphones. "Zoe?" Connor called. He got up to look for his sister. "Zoe? Where are you? Haha. You're funny, but the joke is over. Come on! You left your sweater."
Connor spotted his sister in the water. "Oh no," Connor cried. He jumped into the water. He dragged her back to the shore, noticing his sister was already unconscious. "Help me! My sister is hurt! Anybody!"
Connor tried to slap his sister awake. There was no response. He tried to call his phone, but the water ruined it. "Please, wake up, Zoe," Connor sobbed. "I'm going to take you home. You and I will come back here, and we'll swim. We'll swim all day. PLEASE!"