What should I do? -High School

[Zangash]

Well, I don't have much experience with girls. I've always been a quiet guy, keeping to myself, and was always pretty small for my age. Turned out I had IBD, and ultimately had to have surgery for it. When I came back, I was a new guy. I was far more muscular and talkative, although even to this day I'm working on my conversation skills. I got really into soccer, and focused on that, managing to make it to Varsity at my High School.

When school started, I went into one of my classes, and saw that I didn't know anyone in there. Instinctively, I sat by the only person there who didn't look hostile to everyone they don't know. A week or so went by, with me and this girl not really saying anything to each other. Then, I found out she played soccer. She was surprised to find out I played it, too. Then, we started talking in class. She turned out to be a really nice girl, and we actually had many things in common. At first, when we started using the computers, she sat on one side of the room, while I sat on another, with a couple of new friends I'd made during the year. After a couple days, I asked her to sit next to me when we used the computers (My new friends all knew I was talking to her and were more than willing to let her take their spots), and she asked me if I wanted her to. I said yes, and she started sitting over there with me. Now, we were talking almost all class long. I knew I liked her, but I didn't know what to do about it.

When it started out, we would walk in opposite directions after class, as she had class and I had lunch. One day I walked with her to her class, not having any money for lunch that day. The next day, she walked with me towards the front of the school, and has done that ever since. A couple friends were saying she likes me, but it's hard to tell if they're teasing or not.

She recently added me on Facebook, and I looked at her page. It's full of her friends (Both male and female) telling her how pretty and nice and how awesome she is, and she often goes out and does things with them. I'm willing to do these things, but I'm not very good with meeting new people.

I just need some help on where/how to move forward with this girl, if at all possible. I'd thought she'd been giving me signs that she might like me before, but it just turns out she's a really nice person.

[Agape]

This sounds like a good situation. . . just keep on going with this and gradually increase intimacy.

Get some more confidence, it sounds like you're doing the right thing already - now you've just gotta be a bit more assertive

[sparkle_jello]

I have also had trouble my whole life with new people. I'm 28 and still when I am invited to an event with a lot of people I don't know I either talk to the people I do know or stand by the wall looking hostile. I haven't found a way to get comfortable, but I can offer a suggestion. Try seeing if you can meet her friends one at a time instead of in a big group. If you meet in a big group they may all talk to each other, and you could feel ignored.

[Zangash]

This sounds like a good situation. . . just keep on going with this and gradually increase intimacy.

Get some more confidence, it sounds like you're doing the right thing already - now you've just gotta be a bit more assertive

Assertive? Can you please elaborate?

[Agape]

Assertive? Can you please elaborate?

In original post: "1) I don't have much experience with girls. 2) I've always been a quiet guy, 3) keeping to myself . . ."

1) Well you get experience by putting yourself out there. Socializing isn't something you 'study' it's something you 'do' . . . you need to be in the same place and time as with girl, you've got to take her out . . .make the dates more exclusive and increase intimacy

2) Quiet guy? . . . nothing wrong with being a quiet guy but don't be quiet around her. You like her, she likes you . . .this is the time you should learn about each other and see how far you can take it

3) Remember when you talked about soccer with her . . . it was a personal connection, it was a mutual interest and you too bonded because of that - sure it might have been a friendly bond but with enough of these links a relationship could happen.

Assertive, what does it mean? Look it up in a dictionary, and besides, whatever it means to me doesn't matter anyways - what does it mean to you?