I Need Help

I have been a role model in my Auto Tech class since the beginning of the school year and my team has really looked up to me because I have always helped them out whenever they needed it and I always tried to be as happy as possible but lately it’s getting real tough. Even though I might seem completely normal to them I am not, at least I feel that way. It started ever since I was 9 years old that I had the feeling the way I looked on the outside was the complete opposite of what I felt on the inside. I’ve always felt more like a female than a male, and of course this created some problems for me because I didn’t know if I should tell anyone but I’ll just skip ahead a bit closer to the present. Recently I have been dealing with more feminine feelings and they’ve been stronger than ever but here’s where my problem is just beginning, because I was forced to make such an impression as a male in high school which was no where near being easy because I had to get some help with that, well due the impression I’ve made as a male I don’t know how/where I would even begin to start telling my closest friends of who I truly am. I could really use some help from people who have gone through the exact same thing. Any help would be truly appreciated.