What was Steve's motivation for participating in the robbery?

Steve Harmon is a good kid who excels in the classroom but wishes to earn some credibility throughout his neighborhood. There are several scenes throughout the novel that depict Steve's motivation for joining James King's crew which robs the drugstore. During a flashback scene where Osvaldo Cruz makes several derogatory comments towards Steve, he calls Steve a "lame looking for a name." In another flashback scene, Steve is hanging out on a stoop with James King when several other neighborhood friends show up. A guy named Johnny asks Steve who he is and says, "Since when you been down?" (Myers 56). In another scene where Steve Harmon is sitting next to James King before they enter the courthouse, Steve mentions that he used to want to be tough like James. Steve's motivation for participating in the robbery was to earn some street credibility. He wanted to be considered tough, so he chose to associate with criminals and participate in the robbery.