All my friends are superheroes!

On the train back from Londontown yesterday I started and finished reading one of the quirkiest love stories Andrew Kaufman's  "All my friends are superheroes" and needless to say I loved it! 

The story is set in Toronto, "there are 249 superheroes in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. None of them have secrete identities. Very few wear costumes. Most of their powers don't result in material gain." One of these superheroes is the Perfectionist, this is the story of her lover Tom. On their wedding night The Perfectionist was hypnotized by her evil ex-boyfriend Hypno and since then Tom has been invisible to her. Six months later the Perfectionist is sure that Tom has abandoned her, so she’s moving to Vancouver. She’ll use her superpowers to leave all the heartbreak behind and make her new life in Vancouver perfect! With no idea that Tom’s beside her, she boards the plane. Now Tom has until landing to convince her that he’s there or he’ll lose her forever...
 

Enjoy one of my favorite excerpts 

"The Perfectionist pushed Tom onto her bed. She took off his shirt. She took off his shoes and his socks. She took off his pants. She took off his boxers. 

With most guys the Perfectionist would stop there. She didn't. She was still feeling reckless. She took off his skin. She took off his nervous system. She lifted up his rib cage. His heart beat in her hand. And there, underneath it, she found a jewelled golden box. She opened it. Inside she found his hopes, his dreams and his fears. She stared at them. She was surprised to find them there and surprised at how beautiful they were. 

At that exact moment, the Perfectionist fell in love with Tom. 

She put back the box and his skin and his clothes. She held him. 

The Perfectionist remembered that moment as they approached her bedroom door. Tom slowed down. The Perfectionist didn't. She walked past her bedroom. She kept walking.

There was a room at the very end of the hallway. tom hadn't noticed it before. The door was closed. The Perfectionist let go of his hand. She opened the door and flicked on the light. Inside, the carpet was worn and grey. Finishing nails stuck out of white drywall. In the centre of the room were two giant cardboard boxes, the kind refrigerators come packed in.

On the box to the left, in the Perfectionist's handwriting, was the word 'FRIEND'. On the box to the right, also in the Perfectionist's handwriting, was the word 'LOVER'. These two boxes were the only objects in the room.

Tom looked at the Perfectionist. The Perfectionist looked at him. Tom looked back to the boxes and then back at the Perfectionist. He scratched his head. 

'Well?' the Perfectionist asked.

Tom looked at her,looked at the boxes and looked back at the Perfectionist. He still didn't understand.

'Which one?' She demanded. She moved her arms, suggesting he should get in one. 

Tom walked into the room and stood between the two boxes. He looked at the one marked 'LOVER' and he looked at the one marked 'FRIEND'. He made his decision quickly. With sharp steps he moved in front of the box marked 'FRIEND'. Picking it up, he lifted it over his head and put it inside the box marked 'LOVER'. Then he turned around, picked up the Perfectionist, and lifted her inside the boxes. Her climber in with her. In the morning, there wasn't much left of either box."

And the perfect soundtrack for odd love-stories:

"You're a part time lover and a full time friend
The monkey on your back is the latest trend
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else but you.
I kiss you on the brain in the shadow of a train
I kiss you all starry eyed my body swinging from side to side
I don't see what anyone can see in anyone else but you."