Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.

Finnick was late for class again.

He was rushing through the school hallways, past the security guards, the janitors, and even the teachers, just to get to his classroom before his advisor started the class. He checked his watch. 7:08. I could make it on time. He ran as fast as his long, lanky legs could bring him, and at last he reached the fourth floor. He opened the door to declare his presence to an expectant Sir Alvarado.

"I'm so sorry, S—"

"We get it Guevarra. Get to your seat."

Emily, the class secretary, wrote his name on the tardiness logbook. She'd gotten so used to writing his name that she simply puts his initials: F.G.

Sir Alvarado sighed deeply, before going back to the introduction of his lesson. On the whiteboard, a Spanish phrase was written in giant letters. Insigne y siempre leal Ciudad de Manila.

"So class, does anybody know what this means in English?"

No one in the class raised their hand, presumably because none of them knew the answer. Finnick actually did speak Spanish, but he didn't seem to care about the lesson. He was preoccupied with his phone. He needed to finish editing this video to put it up later tonight. His 700 subscribers were waiting for the paella mukbang video he's been teasing for months. He was untangling his headphones when Sir suddenly appeared behind him.

"Finnick. What did I say about phones in class?"

Finnick instinctively locked and hid his phone. "Sir, it's for note taking."

"What notes can you take on.. iMovies?"

"How to video edit your lectures, Sir?" he jokingly said.

"Sa akin na, Guevarra."

Finnick had no choice but to surrender all his gadgets, which his advisor displayed on his desk.

"You'll get this back at the end of the day. Meet me in the Faculty Room." He turned to the rest of the classroom, assuming the pose of a poised orator.

"Anyway, class, this is the motto of Spanish Manila: Insigne y siempre leal Ciudad de Manila; The distinguished and ever loyal city of Manila."

Sir Alvarado launched into a quick history about the foundation of the city, originally built on the fortress of Raja Lakandula beside the Pasig River, by the conquistadors of Miguel de Legazpi. He declared it the capital of Spain in the East because of its location and resources. Its famous stone walls were built around the settlement to fend off attacks by pirates, the Dutch, and the British.

Inside the complex were the Governors' Palace, the Cathedral of Manila, and the City Hall. Churches and universities were built by religious orders, banks by rich capitalists, and houses by the highest echelon of colonial society. The whole of the Philippines emanated from this almost 160-acre city. Even when Manila grew out of its shell, even when it was bombed by the Japanese and the Americans, Intramuros remained a symbol of wealth and power.

"Now, you've been wondering about your Performance Task. Here it is."

Alvarado took a giant manila paper full of pictures of familiar places in the Walled City. On the top middle, written in bold letters was the word vlog.

Finnick brightened up. Finally! I can test out my new DSLR and microphone. Probably prank those guards in those stupid uniforms. That'll get a lot of views.

"You will be making a vlog about three historical places of Intramuros across three weeks. You're going to talk about its history and its significance then and now. At the end of each week, you should also pass notes about these places. This will serve as your first three quizzes."

The class started chattering between themselves. They weren't planning for the vlog, but for the things they were going to do other than that. They'll eat out, visit other places, and maybe even drink late into the night. Finnick didn't care about all those though. He wanted to film.

"Silence, class! We're going to do this by pairs, pick your partners! Matthias, please come here. Guevarra, you too." He motioned that the two students come closer.

Matthias Kline, the honor student, stood up languidly from his seat, and walked slowly to the head table. He eyed Finnick with a blank expression, before facing the teacher.

"Matthias, I'm pairing you with Finnick."

"Sir?" they both asked.

"Matthias, I know that you're very knowledgeable about history. Finnick, no matter how troublesome you are, you're good in photography."

Finnick smiled at this compliment to his skill. Matthias just looked at Alvarado.

"The Academy will be holding a vlog contest, that's why we had this Performance Task assigned in the first place. I'm making your our class' representatives. I want you to make this informative and have high production value."

"I won't let you down Sir! But that's as long as you give back my phone."

"Don't push it Finnick. How about you, Matthias?"

"I'll do my best, Sir."

"But Sir, my shots!" he protested.

"Let it go Finnick. You can edit... whatever your vlog is later. We have class, don't you see? You two discuss where you'll go and what you'll do. Alright, good luck."

Finnick excitedly went back to his chair, and pulled it closer to Matthias', which was on the other side of the room. His mukbang can wait. This vlog is on a whole other level. He can use all the skills he learned online and from those photography classes he has applied for. Friendship ended with prank videos. I'm friends with documentaries now.

When Finnick was sitting beside his vlogmate, the other teenager stopped him before speaking. "Alright, Guevarra. Before we begin, don't try to pull something off. I want this vlog prepared, filmed, and edited without us breaking any laws, bones, or sanities, alright?"

"We're not repeating what happened in the last fieldtrip. I promise."

"Good. I don't want the police on our tail while we finish a school project. What do we do?"

"You're the smart one, Matthias. You plan this."

Matthias sighed. "You know you're supposed to pull your weight too right?"

"What? I'll do the filming and editing, you do all the nerd stuff like explaining." Finnick laughed.

"We're in Intramuros. It's literally Spanish Manila. We could use your upbringing and connections, you know?"

Finnick, posing like the emoji, started thinking comically. All Matthias could do was watch. It was tiring to be in school projects with him. He would constantly derail the task at hand with jokes and hijinks. He was a good friend, and a great entertainer, but it was a death sentence to be working with him.

That being said, with his family's reputation and distinction, anything can be done, anywhere at any time. Do you need a place to film? Finnick's got it. Do you need more materials for a stage play? He can finance it. How about books for research? He can ask his father for special access in any library in Manila. Finnick may be tiring, but his privileges make it all worth it.

That's for other people. Matthias for his part can make do without all of that. Of course, he can say that with confidence. He's the top student in the grade level, the class president, and representative to the Student Congress. He didn't need to be with Finnick to make a decent project. He knows how people make fun of him then stab him in the back. I don't see why they keep using Finnick when they can't stand him otherwise. And how can he not notice all of that? Is he that dense?

These thoughts kept going on in Matthias' mind as he discussed what the best spots to visit in Intramuros are. They settled on Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church, and the former Ayuntamiento de Manila, which now houses the Bureau of the Treasury. Finnick promised he can get them access inside by next week, but until then, they'll plan for next Saturday's itinerary.