Chapter 2 – Something Strange

Lucas is sitting at the bus stop. The morning is quiet, and the sky is gray.

He is looking at the road and waiting for the bus.

His friend Marta is running down the street.

“Lucas!” she calls.

Lucas stands up.

“You’re late again,” Marta says.

“I’m not late,” Lucas answers. “The bus isn’t here yet.”

Marta is breathing quickly.

“I was running,” she says. “I almost missed the bus.”

---

The bus arrives a few minutes later.

People are getting on and showing their bus cards.

Lucas and Marta are standing near the back.

“What are you doing today?” Marta asks.

“I’m taking a history test,” Lucas says.

“Are you ready for it?” she asks.

Lucas shrugs.

“I’m not sure.”

---

The bus is moving slowly through the city.

People are talking quietly. A man is reading a newspaper. Two students are listening to music.

Lucas is looking out the window.

Something feels strange.

“Do you feel that?” Lucas asks.

“Feel what?” Marta says.

“I don’t know,” Lucas says. “It feels like… this morning is very familiar.”

Marta laughs.

“Of course it’s familiar,” she says. “It’s Monday morning.”

---

When the bus stops near the school, Lucas and Marta get off.

Students are walking into the building. Some are talking and laughing. Others are looking at their phones.

Lucas is walking next to Marta.

Suddenly he stops.

“What’s wrong?” Marta asks.

“That boy,” Lucas says quietly.

“What about him?”

“He is dropping his books.”

Marta looks at the boy.

At that moment, the boy drops his books on the ground.

The books fall everywhere.

Marta smiles.

“Well,” she says, “that happens a lot.”

But Lucas looks confused.

“I knew it,” he says.

“Knew what?” Marta asks.

“I knew he was going to drop his books.”

---

They walk into the school building.

Students are moving through the hallways.

A teacher is talking loudly near the stairs.

“Don’t run in the hallway!” she says.

Lucas stops again.

“What now?” Marta asks.

“That teacher,” Lucas says.

“She is saying the same thing.”

Marta looks at him.

“She always says that,” Marta answers.

---

Lucas is feeling strange.

His heart is beating fast.

He is thinking very hard.

“Can you remember yesterday?” he asks Marta.

“Of course I can,” she says.

“Did this happen yesterday?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“The boy dropping his books. The teacher shouting. Everything.”

Marta laughs again.

“Lucas,” she says, “these things happen every day.”

---

Lucas opens his locker.

He is taking out his history book.

But he is not thinking about the test anymore.

Something is wrong.

He can feel it.

“I can’t explain it,” Lucas says quietly.

“What?” Marta asks.

Lucas closes his locker.

“I feel like this day has already happened.”

Marta raises an eyebrow.

“That’s impossible,” she says.

Lucas looks down the hallway.

Students are walking, talking, and laughing.

Everything looks normal.

But Lucas is watching carefully now.

Something strange is happening.

And he is starting to notice it.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. Where is Lucas at the beginning of the chapter?

A. At school
B. At home
C. At the bus stop
D. In a shop

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2. Why is Marta breathing quickly?

A. She is laughing
B. She is running to the bus
C. She is carrying heavy books
D. She is feeling sick

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3. What important thing does Lucas have at school today?

A. A math test
B. A history test
C. A science project
D. A football game

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4. What are some people doing on the bus?

A. Sleeping and eating
B. Reading and listening to music
C. Playing games
D. Talking on the phone loudly

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5. Why does Lucas stop when he sees the boy near the school?

A. The boy is calling him
B. The boy is asking for help
C. Lucas thinks the boy will drop his books
D. Lucas wants to talk to him

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6. What happens to the boy’s books?

A. They fall on the ground
B. He gives them to a teacher
C. He puts them in his bag
D. He leaves them on the bus

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7. What does the teacher say in the hallway?

A. “Open your books.”
B. “Be quiet.”
C. “Don’t run in the hallway.”
D. “Go to class now.”

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8. What strange feeling does Lucas have at the end of the chapter?

A. He feels sick
B. He feels very tired
C. He feels like the day has already happened
D. He feels excited about school