Hi Dan!
It makes me feeling sad to read what is (or was) going on in your mind.
You are in a very difficult phase of life right now and your apparently difference from the other children/ young adults surely doesn't make it easier for you.
Being sad about all that what is happening in your life is absolutely "normal" (I don't realy like this term), so you don't have to worry about that.
I made the experience that having contact with other young gay people and changing thougts with them really helps becoming more self-confident.
I am bi and had my coming out when I was 13 and had my first girlfriend when I got 15. I think it was my outgoing kind of handling the whole thing as if it was "the most normal thing in the world" what made it easier to other people get in touch with me and "it".
Furthermore I had other personal attributes the people learned to appreciate.
Often people make fun on each other, because they just are insecure how to get in touch otherwise.
Sometimes it helps to remind that they are all just little humans that probably have the same problems that you have.
Let them find similarities so they don't fear about any differences.
If you anytime need somebody to talk to... just write an email to me.
Best regards,
Charly