walkin' the dog

i was about to walk into a crowd of people and i had sagan on a leash. sagan is my friend j's sweet dog who is apparently dog-agressive. the leash was pitiful and i could not get a firm grasp. we headed into the crowd of people, sagan excitedly leading the way. i was concerned we'd encounter dogs while on our walk and that i'd find myself in the middle of a bloody dog fight. i looked back at j and g who stood side-by-side watching sagan and i head off. i was very nervous. they looked stoic. 'aren't you nervous?!' i yelled back to them, but they stood like statues, unresponsive, trying to hide the fear i assumed was just barely below the surface.