Is the age difference inappropriate in high school?

To sum it up, I (16m) reached out to a girl (14f) without knowing her age; she initially seemed around my age. She first told me she was 16, which I believed, but later confessed she was actually 14. Here’s the dilemma: I usually don’t care much about what others think, as long as I’m comfortable with the person I'm with, but this situation has me feeling uncertain. She’s aware of my feelings for her—I’ve told her I think she’s beautiful since we started chatting. I really like her, but I’m unsure whether it’s socially acceptable for us to continue talking. While I generally disregard others' opinions about my choices, I’d like to hear some outside perspectives on this.