Describe Steve as a character

At his core, Steve is a good kid, and specific people know this about him. That's why a teacher of his can make a statement to that effect during the court proceedings. Mr. Sawicki calls Steve "an outstanding young man" and he states that Steve is "talented, bright, and compassionate." Despite feeling that these are truthful words, Steve is still a completely conflicted young man. He wants to be considered good, but he fears that he really is the monster that the prosecution is trying paint him as. Steve can't outright dismiss this possibility either. This is because he knows the kind of guys that he hangs out with and looks up to are definitely more like gangsters than he is; however, Steve also knows that he isn't a hardened criminal and doesn't want to be. Jail scares him a lot. The people there are horrible. On the whole, Steve is a good, smart, and talented person, but he lacks enough self-confidence in himself to stand up for himself and really let the world see it.