I'm not quite sure what's happening.

[dantcg]

I'm going to keep this concise:

I've been studying a lot with this girl lately, not as dates, just because we both knew of each other and we're at the same library every day in this exam period. I'm gonna call her "Rachael". I feel like we made a connection and have been talking heaps since, we always sit next to each other etc. It gets flirty at times, but I try not to push it too much because she's really shy and doesn't talk to many guys, so I'm trying to just be nice. She even asked me to get some messaging app just so we could talk at home (saves credit, I suppose), which I thought was a good indication.

Yesterday I asked her to my formal and she said yes - I know, doesn't really mean that much, but its context.

There's a mutual friend of ours that studies with us, but Rachael finds her slightly aggravating, although well intentioned (something she's complained to me about a lot). Today on our lunch break, I was talking to Rachael and the other girl was sitting next to me and doing joking kissing faces to Rachael opposite us.

Skip to six hours later when we're all back home.

Rachael rings me and through nervous laughter tells me that she wants to apologise on the other girls' behalf and that "she always does that sort of stuff, I'm sorry, I don't want you thinking the wrong sort of thing". We continue talking and joke around about stuff and then we end the conversation. Ten minutes later she rings back laughing nervously again and says that she feels like she didn't "phrase it right" last time and goes on to explain basically the exact same thing. Its obvious that she's flustered. I assure her everything's alright and we joke around again and then we finish talking.

So, here's what I can't decide between:

(I) She doesn't like me, and doesn't want the other girl to make me think she does.

(II) She's just being typically shy and nervous and thinking that I will get scared off her because of the other girl.

I'd like to think the second, because apart from tonight's phone call every other indication has been that she likes me. I really can't ask her out or anything at the moment because we're going through our exams and its just not a good time. But, I feel like I could just be ignoring obvious signs and would appreciate the opinion of non-biased people. Cheers!

EDIT: Rang her again to try and get more details about what she was so worried about. "It just seems that people at my school think that people asking you to formal is the same as people asking you to get married... I told her not to do anything today!"

EDIT 2: Then she just messaged me, "Hey, ignore everything I've said tonight... my brain has been overworked Sorry"... EDIT 3: And then, "sorry for confusing things.. sorry for putting things onto you... I'm so sorry.. I'm more worried about me affecting your exams than the other way around... sorry"

[DalM0m]

I think the other girl's kissy face thing -- which is bizzare by the way -- upset Racheal for reasons I don't fuly understand & you shouldn't care about it. I can only come up with 1 of 2 explainations. 1). It's the action version of singing "Dantcg & Racheal sitting in a tree, k*i*s*s*i*n*g . . . " which is childish & immature or 2). they are involved & the other girl is jealous that you are taking Racheal to the formal. I'm inclined to believe it's the former. I suggest ignoring it & pretending it didn't happen. Concentrate on your studies and on the formal. Have fun.