The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie Read online

  Jaclyn Moriarty grew up in Sydney’s north-west but has also lived in the US and England. She spent four years working as a media and entertainment lawyer and now writes full time so that she can sleep in each day. She and her Canadian partner divide their time between Sydney and Montreal, depending on where the summer is.

  Also by Jaclyn Moriarty

  Feeling Sorry for Celia

  Finding Cassie Crazy

  I Have a Bed Made of Buttermilk Pancakes

  JACLYN

  MORIARTY

  THE BETRAYAL OF

  BINDY MACKENZIE

  First published 2006 in Pan by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Limited

  1 Market Street, Sydney

  Text copyright © Jaclyn Moriarty 2006

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

  in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

  photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval

  system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

  National Library of Australia

  Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

  Moriarty, Jaclyn.

  The betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie.

  ISBN-13 978 0 330 42238 3.

  ISBN-10 0 330 42238 3.

  I. Title.

  A823.3

  Cover model: Sarah Richardson

  Internal design by Liz Seymour, Seymour Designs

  Typeset in 11/14 pt Minion by Midland Typesetters, Australia

  Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance

  to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Papers used by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd are natural, recyclable

  products made from wood grown in sustainable forests.

  The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulation

  of the country of origin.

  These electronic editions published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd

  1 Market Street, Sydney 2000

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  All rights reserved. This publication (or any part of it) may not be reproduced

  or transmitted, copied, stored, distributed or otherwise made available by any

  person or entity (including Google, Amazon or similar organisations), in any

  form (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical) or by any means (photocopying,

  recording, scanning or otherwise) without prior written permission from the

  publisher.

  The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie

  Jaclyn Moriarty

  Adobe eReader format 978-1-74197-083-8

  Microsoft Reader format 978-1-74197-284-9

  Mobipocket format 978-1-74197-485-0

  Online format 978-1-74197-686-1

  Epub format 978-1-74262-580-5

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  To my mum and dad,

  To Liane,

  And to Colin

  With love.

  CONTENTS

  PART ONE

  PART TWO

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  PART THREE

  PART FOUR

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  PART FIVE

  PART SIX

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  PART SEVEN

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  PART EIGHT

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  PART NINE

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  PART TEN

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PART ONE

  I have never spoken to Bindy, but I am sure that behind her extremely annoying personality she is a beautiful human being.

  A BIT TOO SMART.

  you can’t help who you are, Bindy, and maybe you will change this year? Good luck with year 11.

  I think you will change.

  Bindy wears her hair weird even tho people talk about it behind her back. I’d change my hair, but that’s Bindy for you, she’s got guts.

  Bindy Mackenzie

  She’s a fast typist.

  Well, what can you say about Bindy? Hmm.

  Did someone say the word ‘SMART’???? Bindy!

  You have words in your head that would be too long to fit in anyone else’s head! Because you have SUCH A HUGE HEAD!! Just kidding!! (kind of)

  Bindy Mackenzie talks like a horse.

  PART TWO

  1

  Resolutions from the Heart. This week, Bindy will . . .

  1. Begin Year 11!

  2. Consider her future.

  3. Read the book: How did I get this dysfunctional and what can I do to change? (Britney Brillson, PhD). Photocopy extracts and distribute to fellow students.

  As Wednesday wends its winsome way, so Bindy goes to:

  1. Maths

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  Lucy Tan—she was close second last year and rumour has it she’s had advanced tutoring over the holidays. May well be a threat.

  2. Biology

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  Tonja Slavinksi—her sudden flashes of genius last year were disturbing (to say the least).

  3. English

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  The teacher—it was to be Ms Lawrence, but I hear she took flight at the last minute. Hence: a substitute named Miss Flynn. Substitute teachers, like student teachers, rarely reach the heart of a lesson. Find a way to guide her to the essence?

  4. Form Assembly

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  Nothing—ignore their clichés! Use time to recite strong German verbs in a whisper.

  5. Friendship and Development (‘FAD’)

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  The point—this is a new self-awareness course and, quite frankly, what is the point? Can it be best use of our time? Seems unlikely.

  6. Free Period

  And Bindy, pay heed to . . .

  YOURSELF! Go directly to the library, begin homework at 2.30 pm precisely, and continue until final bell. DO NOT GET CAUGHT IN REVERIE.

  The
Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  Wednesday, 2.32 pm (in the library)

  As with a knocked funny bone, so with life at large. Wait. Simply wait. Let the moment pass and your elbow will be yours once again.

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.35 pm

  Consider a dirty window. If life seems suddenly dirty and smeared, simply wash the window. And life will sparkle once again.

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.38 pm

  But how to wash the window?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.39 pm

  Nay, how to smash the window? And where to buy fresh glass?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.40 pm

  Turn from the window and consider this: people are generally good and kind and it is right that they inhabit the earth.

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.42 pm

  Of course, some people have venom in their hearts. But venom is nature’s defence mechanism and who are you to find fault with nature?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.43 pm

  If certain venomous others—a certain Venomous Seven— have spoken ill of you, what is the antidote to that?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.44 pm

  Kindness is the antidote to cruelty!! Be kind to yourself! Behold! I will try it right now!

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  2.57 pm

  And what, pray tell, if the antidote fails? What if the poison courses through my blood, already seeping into my bones?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.00 pm

  The solution, Bindy, is: move on! Why waste your time on seven troubled people? Think of them as grimy dinner plates arranged in a row in a dishwasher. You, Bindy, are the dishwasher’s fan. Set way above the seven grimy plates, you spin through the soap bubbles of life.

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.08 pm

  Bindy, stop your reverie! Chew on a carob-coated energy drop and turn to your homework at once. Even if you just get five min.

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.10pm

  Oh, who am I trying to fool? My entire study period has been wasted. It seems to me that my entire career at Ashbury has also been wasted! I have been so helpful to my fellow students: I’ve offered free, private tutoring! I’ve offered lunchtime seminars for troubled teens! I realise that my academic record may be intimidating, so I wear multi-coloured nail polish to show that I’m approachable—a free spirit! I hang little sprigs of tinsel from my spectacle frames each December! I know the birthday of every person in my rollcall class, and I always lead the class in Happy Birthday!

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.12 pm

  Secretly, I admit, I find many of my classmates annoying. I’ve often thought to myself, ‘Good grief, these people are five-year-olds. Why must I spend my days amongst them?’ But have I ever said such things aloud? No. I have been nothing but generous to them, and have kept these thoughts to myself.

  And how have they repaid me? Have they been grateful or kind? Ho NO!

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.14 pm

  They have leapt at the chance to attack me! Perhaps the following crossed their minds: ‘Here is a sheet of paper with Bindy’s name in the centre. Shall we write something complimentary?’ But the answer came at once: ‘Why no, let us write vicious comments! Let us be the Venomous Seven!

  ‘What do we care for her feelings?’

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.16pm

  What, indeed?

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.17pm

  Well!

  The Philosophical Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  3.18 pm

  It has come to this.

  A decision has been made.

  Pay heed, Venomous Seven! You thought that I was bad before? Wait until you see what I can be. You think that your words are incisive and cruel? Wait until I speak my mind.

  You had your chance with benevolent Bindy.

  Ruthless Bindy just arrived.

  2

  Night Time Musings of Bindy Mackenzie

  Thursday, 2.47 am

  My strategy is simple. First, I will contact the highest authority and expose the travesty, nay the crime, of Friendship and Development. Second, I will decipher the true nature of each of the Venomous Seven, and will hold up a mirror to their souls. (The blood-curdling screams that will follow!) (It will do them good.) Third, I will attend the next Friendship and Development class and I will speak the truth. Words that have been left unsaid throughout my life will roll like a rich red carpet from my tongue!

  I can scarcely wait.

  They all disguised their handwriting but I know who wrote that I talk like a horse. Me? The girl who had voice training between the ages of seven and eleven? Third speaker on the debating team? A volunteer at the Schools Spectacular each year! The girl who approaches those who seem distressed, and offers a shoulder to cry upon! (An offer rarely taken up, I admit, but never once made in the voice of a horse.)

  This is surely a joke or a bad dream!

  I have known him since infants school, and he always elevates his ‘r’s when he joins them to ‘s’s (so that ‘horse’ looks almost like ‘hotse’).

  His name is Toby Mazzerati.

  Toby Mazzerati is a cane toad. But here is what I wrote (generously) under his name today:

  I admire Toby. He has struggled academically (and perhaps with his weight) over the years, but has found his niche in woodwork. He likes to keep up a low-voiced commentary on life, so perhaps he has a future in radio?

  Here is what I ought to have written:

  Toby Mazzerati should die.

  3

  Bindy Mackenzie

  24 Clipping Drive, Kellyville, NSW 2155

  The Director

  Office of the Board of Studies, NSW

  Dear Sir (or Madam),

  I am a student at Ashbury High, the finest school in Sydney’s windswept Hills District.

  Or, at least, it was the finest school.

  It is my odious duty to inform you that the Ashbury gleam has been tarnished. Nay, I will go a step further: this year, the gleam is gone.

  This year, Ashbury (in all its wisdom) has decided to offer a Year 11 ‘self-awareness’ course entitled ‘Friendship and Development’. (Also known as ‘FAD’.) (You need not hear my views on the acronym.)

  As you no doubt know, this course is not listed on the Board of Studies website. Indeed, it seems that the course does not exist. It is an ‘experimental course’. It will take up an hour of my time each week but it will not count towards assessment.

  Well!

  As a student embarking on the stormy seas of her final two years of high school; as a student determined, with all due modesty, to achieve the best marks in the state; nay, as a student who believes with all her heart that this year will determine her WHOLE LIFE, I write to express my concerns.

  Sir (or Madam), what can be done to save Ashbury?

  I am enclosing a Report which I have just prepared, describing the first session of FAD. It took place yesterday— Wednesday. It is now the next day. Several hours have passed. I have tried to be accurate in my report, but I may have forgotten some details.

  I thank you in advance and I remain:

  Bindy Mackenzie

  PS Please note that the address printed on this stationery is no longer current. I have just moved in with my Aunt Veronica and Uncle Jake (for reasons which do not concern you). I’ll write my new address on the back of this page.

  PPS A note of caution! I assume you do not wish to be offended. I have therefore removed the disgrace
ful language spoken by my fellow students. I’ve replaced this language with words of my own choosing—these words appear in small capitals LIKE THIS.

  Report on ‘Friendship and Development’ prepared for the Office of the Board of Studies, NSW

  by Bindy Mackenzie

  Session 1

  The session took place in the storage room at the back of the gymnasium.

  I could not believe this either.

  But there it was, on my timetable: STORAGE ROOM, GYMNASIUM.

  When I arrived, five other students were already there but not the teacher. These five students had each unstacked a chair for him or herself.

  The chairs are straight-backed with curved iron legs, and are impossible simply to sit in. So:

  • Briony Atkins (round face, blinking eyes) was tipping her chair back and forth, each time tipping further as if tempting the chair to crash;

  • Sergio Saba (dark hair, burn scar on cheek) had turned his chair around and was straddling it, his arms embracing the chair-back;

  • Toby Mazzerati (cane toad) was hunched forward, legs wide apart, hands dangling between his knees;

  • Astrid Bexonville (green slanting eyes, black hair in high ponytail) had her legs folded beneath her and was chatting with:

  • Emily Thompson (drama queen), whose feet were resting on the bars of Astrid’s chair.

  I put my laptop down and unstacked a chair of my own.

  I also unstacked several further chairs and set them out ready for others who might arrive. This is the kind of thing I like to do.

  ‘Wa-hay,’ said Toby Mazzerati. ‘It’s flying fingers Mackenzie. We got lucky. We got flying fingers Mackenzie. Whaddya say, maestros and messieurs, bindi-eyes troubling your feet?’ He continued talking in this nonsensical way.

  The others ignored him. I sat down next to Briony.

  Astrid, her ponytail swinging, was telling Emily a story about a friend at another school whose boyfriend had ended their relationship ‘on the first day of school!’

  She kept repeating ‘on the first day of school!’ as if this had significance.