"You didn't know?"

Toby was shocked. The person he anxiously hid from, was no adult, but a kid. The same kid from before, Eva. Her dark brown eyes scanned him from head to toe before saying, "leave," then she turned around. Toby's anxious attitude was immediately abolished, the audacity she had to tell him "leave." But Toby couldn't really argue, because that is exactly what he would've told her, just in a nicer manner. 

He quickly got up, and jumped right in front of her. Although he didn't like her attitude, he still wanted to avoid letting her see the mystical creature. 

"Hey you're just gonna tell me to leave? If you want to leave so bad then leave with me."

Toby was desperate while saying this and he was currently blocking Eva's path and line of sight. She simply said "Leave, you're too young to be out alone." That struck a nerve for Toby, she was one year younger than him, and he's "too young?" As Eva said this, she tried to go around him again, but Toby stopped her once more. 

"You sure you don't" He was about to finish but something cut him off. 

The creature Toby saw before flew from behind him to crashing behind the girl, approximately next to the rock he hid behind. As this creature was poorly flying because of its broken "arm" Toby rushed forward and covered Eva's eyes. She immediately kicked him in his knee and he could feel her anger. He fell down in pain as she turned around and saw the creature. Despite being in pain he grabbed her arm but it was too late. She had already seen the mystical being. But unlike what Toby thought, she didn't seem surprised. 

She was about to approach it but she was stopped by Toby for the third time, 

"Wait! Please keep this a secret." Toby said desperately while on the floor and he grabbed her hand. 

Eva then realized that all the weird stuff he did was to keep her from finding the creature. And when she looked at the pitiful sight, Eva helped him up and said,

"Why should I keep the parrot's existence secret." Toby stood upright and looked at her in confusion. 

"Parrot?" he repeated.

"Yes, parrot. That's the bird's name. You didn't know?" Eva said sounding a little shocked which was quite the contrast from her skittish attitude from before. 

"Bird?" Toby said dumbfounded. Eva looked at him in pure disbelief and he looked at her in confusion. Eva was about to say "You don't know what a bird is?" but she then remembered, they live underground, and the textbooks are horrible so there would be no way for an eight-year-old boy to know what a bird could possibly be. He most-likely never even hear those terms before.

Toby was confused but quickly regained his composure and said,

"Lets make a deal, you can't announce this creature to the world and-." Toby paused. 

"And you have to teach me all you know about it. In return, I'll stay quiet about you kicking my knee." 

Although Toby had an innocent face and voice, he knew how to bargain. Eva thought about it for a moment. She wouldn't have expected for him, out of all people to know how to strike a deal. 

"That's unfair. I'm doing two things while you're only doing 1." Toby wanted to be fair so he then said,

"I'll also help you get rid of the rumors, and those mean kids won't bother you anymore." Saying this Toby stretched out his hand hoping for her approval. She looked a bit skeptical but shook his hand regardless, agreeing to the deal Toby proposed. As she did this Toby had a mixture of relief and happiness on his face. The creature or parrot would be safe and he would learn more about it. Although he wasn't sure if he could trust her, Toby was satisfied. For now he accomplished his goal and got more benefits in the process.