Max didn't say anything else, instead taking a keen interest in what Sydney and Zoe were up to. It wasn't Blaze's fault. At the question, however, Max glanced back over at him. "Oh, there are a bunch of us, yeah. So, I've seen Teddy and Sally and Cady. Then I've seen Jack and Jer and Jude." He tried to think if he'd seen anyone else. "There were others on the beach. The party girls. But I don't remember talking to them."
When Blaze touched his shoulder, Max couldn't help himself. He turned and hugged him. He came from a family of huggers. Mom hugged. Dad hugged. His siblings hugged. They were undeniably friendly in a way that could throw people off if they weren't expecting it. If Max's yearbook could have thrown him a new superlative, it probably would have been 'Most Likely to Hug You'. Instead, he'd been voted 'Most Outspoken' which was probably true, too. He was a lot like his mom. That wasn't a bad thing.
He felt a little bad after because Blaze was English and they had a stereotype of being proper and unfeeling and maybe he didn't like being hugged. But they were both dead and no one had hugged him yet, not really. So maybe, just maybe, Blaze needed a hug, too. Even if he wouldn't like it. Or would say no.
"I really liked that movie when I was a kid," he explained. "When I was little, I wanted to float. But now I'd just like to tell Zoe that I love her and have her hear me."