Dealing With A Shoplifting Charge

i am seventeen years old, and i live in texas. i recently was caught shoplifting an item of very little cost from a convenience store (by very little cost, i mean worth maybe one or two dollars).

i was given a ticket for around $500, but i can't really pay that right now. it's incredibly hard for me to get a job where i live, i have no car, can't really travel etc etc.

i asked for deferred adjudication because i was told it would severely reduce the money i would have to pay (or get rid of it), but i was rejected.

what are my choices now. if i plead not guilty, how can i argue against this? they caught me. and then i'll have to pay court costs too, right?

is there any way i could tell a judge or something that i am a student taking AP classes and working my way towards scholarships for college and that i screwed up once and really just want to not have my grades suffer and not be able to help around at home just because i made a stupid mistake?

what other choices do i have? i'm being treated as an adult and can't apply for anything minors can get. what can i do?

You need an Attorney trying to do this on your own is unwise