Fry emerged from the planet express building and walked into the sunlight outside. At the end of the leash he was carrying, nibbler followed along. Fry was annoyed, and hurt. He wanted Leela to notice him. To care that he was struggling with the fact that she was going to leave. He hadn't slept since he heard the news, he had barely eaten, and stubble was growing unkempt across his jawline. His bright orange hair was messy atop his head, and his clothes had the unpleasant aroma of week old pizza slices.
He howled curses as a passing motorist ran through a puddle near him, splashing both Fry and Nibbler with muddy water.
"Ahhh, look where you're walking, jerk!" The motorist cried out, swerving sharply to the left before disappearing into the distance. Fry shook his head in disgust and kept walking, figuring there was little point in following him. Not like this day could get much worse.
At that moment he felt resistance on the leash. He stopped to see Nibbler sitting, a round black rock sitting beside him. Great. Perfect. Just what he needed, Fry thought bitterly. He pulled on a plastic glove and was kneeling down to do his civic duty, when a thought occurred to him. This was what he was. A crap cleaner. A guy who picks up other people's messes, and never complains. This was why Leela didn't care about him, this was why she was leaving the surface! It wasn't because of her parents, or not entirely anyway. It was because of Fry, and the fact that he let himself be pushed around so much by everyone. This was why she didn't like him.. didn't respect him... Well, no more! he decided firmly. He threw down the leash and stood up, peeling off the plastic gloves and throwing them far off into the distance, where the motorist had raced moments before. Fry wasn't going to be anyone's crap cleaner anymore, not Zoidberg's, not Bender's, not the Professor's, and certainly not some mangy little runt who couldn't stop chewing and pooping if his life depended on it. Nibbler was now chewing on Fry's boot, just as he had Leela's.
"You're a waste of space, you know that?" Fry muttered to him. Nibbler purred affectionately. Fry shook the little alien off, then paced towards the supermarket. He had some milk to purchase.
Nibbler trudged behind him, laughing.