3. A Dangerous Day

A DANGEROUS DAY 3 Sam, Antonio, and Lucy could not stop thinking about the close call on the steps, but their classmates were already focused on something else. There was an exciting new addition to their classroom. A small cage sat on Ms. Grinker's desk. Inside was a very furry and very adorable hamster. Students gathered around to get a look.

"She's soooo cute!" one student burst out. "This is Squeakers," Ms. Grinker said. It was Ms. Grinker's first day back. "I heard you were good while I was gone. So I brought Squeakers in as a surprise." Sam glanced at Lucy and Antonio. Ms. Grinker's week away from school had been weird. They had had a strange substitute— Jasper Eerie, the great- great-grandson of evil Orson Eerie. Jasper even lived in Orson Eerie's old house! But it turned out he only wanted to help Sam and his friends.

Every student in class got a moment to play with Squeakers. The hamster was so cute that even Sam began to forget about the falling plaque. But then— AIIIIEEEE!!! Hot steam was blasting from the radiator! "Oh my!" Ms. Grinker exclaimed. She raced to turn it off. And she looked relieved when the bell rang for lunch.

"First, the plaque fell, and then the radiator broke," Lucy said as the friends walked down the hall. "This day is weird." There was a lot of chatter throughout the lunchroom. Almost every student had heard about some near-disaster! There were tales of the school stage crumbling, ceilings cracking, and floorboards busting. "Dangerous stuff is happening all over school!" Antonio said as he bit into one of his famous peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

At recess, Sam and his friends learned that the school nurse had been very busy that morning. A broken water fountain had squashed a student's foot. Another student twisted her ankle dodging a falling pipe. RING! Recess was over. Sam and his friends walked to their next class: gym. The hallway looked different... "There are new cracks in the floors," Lucy said.

"Lockers are hanging off their hinges," Antonio added. "Everything looks run-down." Sam said. "It is not normal for a building to suddenly just fall apart!" Sam had a tight feeling in his gut. It was the same feeling he had gotten before the plaque fell. It was the same feeling Sam always got when the school was about to strike! He stepped inside the gym.