High school is hard, been there done that.
I don't know your situation entirely so I can't give specific advice, but I'd say to try contacting the friend, but don't harass them. Maybe you have a mutual friend who can foward a message to him? I'd limit myself to just one that would go along the lines of ''I'm sorry about what happened and would like to talk about it, once you feel ready give me a call/text me?'' and nothing else until you get a response. If there is a way to fix what you've done, try to: sometimes actions speak louder than words.
You've been speaking about rumors: how fast are they spreading? Of what nature are they? How accurate are they (are they half truth or complete bs?). These are aspects you should take into account when figuring out how to deal with it.
Sorry your thread turned into a dumpster fire btw. I guess some were bitter and others were trying to protect you from poor advice that would just mess you up more, but honestly you seem mature enough to make your own decisions, from the way you've been reacting.