I lied to my online friend of 3 years about the school year I was in.

I met this online friend 3 years ago, at the time we were in middle school and quite young. During the first few days of us meeting they assumed we were in the same grade due to our age. I had to repeat a year so I was in fact a year below them but because I was so ashamed and embarrassed to tell someone who I just met this, I didn't correct them. I didn't want them to base who I was off of this and had really bad anxiety about how people viewed me at the time. I was stupid and wanted to fit in. I also believed that it wouldn't matter and we would never be that close anyways because we were online friends.

I was very wrong about this and as the years have gone by we got really close, maybe even more than just friends kind of close. This past year the guilt has really hit me. It consumes my day and I feel so much shame anytime school is brought up especially. I know I have to tell them I just don't know how and I'm so scared to lose them part of me wants to keep it going despite knowing how wrong that is. I never meant to harm them I was just young and stupid and lying online was something I perceived as normal. I could really use some help on how to come clean and I'd like to hear from other people in similar situations.