The fact that you have to go out of your way to join extracurricular activities, clubs, groups, church, in order to have a semblance of making friends, shows that Homeschooling is hardly a social-ready environment rich with the ability to still make and maintain friends when not in the school system. The school system readily provides the environment for you to be near hundreds of kids your age to find people with similar interests and personalities to make friends with, Homeschooling makes that an exceedingly more difficult process that in most cases doesn't lead to equivalent social activities or number of friends at all.
Uhh.
I'm plenty busy throughout the week, and have plenty of friends I talk to daily and meet up with regularly, and I'm homeschooled. It gives me more time to be with friends, honestly.
Then again, I'm highly active in activities at my church, so I'm always around my closest friends and doing the things I love.
There are plenty of kids in the public school system that aren't exactly the best influence or the people I want to get close to.
Anyway, that's just me.
So, my advice, is this.
Those brutes can't show respect and kindness to you? Show them what it's like. I'm not saying let yourself get beat up, but always speak with sincerity and respect. For one, that will show them what they are missing as a part of themselves, and what you yourself have and can show them.
If they really can't leave you alone, go speak to the principal. Trust me, it will get resolved VERY quickly. They're just stupid teenagers. They don't rule your life unless you let them. They all have a mommy or daddy they go home to and they all have alone time in their rooms where they ponder the misery of their own lives. They're humans, not supernatural torture devices.
Tell the principal that you are getting physically and verbally abused, and tell him/her who. If that doesn't resolve anything, there's gotta be a cop somewhere on your campus. Tell him what's going on, because frankly, the way they have treated you is illegal. You could press charges if you want to.
Nothing stops a stupid teenager in his tracks quicker than some juvy-time and a huge fine his parents make him pay.
There might be a period of more teasing, or ganging up on by their friends, but don't take it seriously. Like I said, they're just dumb kids who don't understand what they are doing. If anyone else starts a problem with you, go to your parents, their parents, the principal, the police, anyone. There are so many people who can help and WILL help. Eventually, people will get the idea that if they mess with you, their butt will get kicked out of school, and I can guarantee you will be left alone. If all goes wrong and people try to go after you, just play it safe and have your parents pick you up from school, don't walk home, and be sure to report to adults what other kids are bothering you.
It's better for both the school and you that kids like that don't remain there anyway.
Just my advice, though.