Title: how can i improve my situation?

By: rainmaker2015

Alright, I'm looking for advice on a situation that is driving me mad. There's this girl at school that I have a huge crush on, but, like, it's almost more than just a little "crush": I truly feel that this girl and I can have a long lasting relationship.
I started to like her a little about 3 years ago, but nothing really big. Then it sort of "wore off," if you will, until the end of last year when I began to really like her a lot again. Yet last year I hardly ever saw her, but nevertheless when I did I sort of instantly fell in love with her (I know it sounds chessy, but bear with me on this).
So, after I had talked to her a few times online, but not much more than a "hi" in person (since I rarely saw her), I sent her an email over the summer, in a manner which I thought I was casually asking her if she wanted to see a movie with me that Friday night (my intention was to have it sound casual). But just my luck, she sent an email back to me saying that she was leaving the next day for vacation, and wouldn't be back until August, which was exactly when I was leaving for vacation (I sent the email in June). This was legit, she really was on vacation, so it's not as if she blew me off or anything. I had replied to this email and said that if she wanted to do something later in August or something when we were both back, she could give me a call. She never did, but I was okay with that because she probably didn't remember...it had been two months.
I didn't pursue it any further, because I didn't want to sound desparate, and I thought that maybe I had jumped into things a little too fast, so I wanted to try to get to know her better, sort of become her friend first before we went to a movie or anything. A friend threw me a surprise party in later that summer, and she was invited because he knew that I liked her and was trying to have us maybe hit it off. Unfortunately though, she was away that weekend with her family (once again she really was away, not trying to avoid me or anything), but had said that she had really wanted to come.
So then school started up again, and I started to see her in class, the hallways, etc. However, I have just one problem...whenever I see her in person I just freeze, and am at a loss at saying anything. What I can't understand though is that this doesn't happen with me and other girls, even with girls that are better looking than she is.
Yet lately I have begun to break this barrier, and have started talking to her just a little in person, not that much though, and sometimes online, but I can never really get past the "small talk". At our homecoming I danced with her twice, but nothing more than that really happened...she just sort of smiled and went back with her friends. I think about her all the time though...I can just look at her and know that we could really hit it off, because I know that she is almost identical to me in every aspect. We're both smart, athletic, nice, and have similar friends. She is definitely good-looking, and as for me, well, I know I fall somewhere in between Brad Pitt and the average joe, wherever that may be. I can't get a read on whether she finds me attractive or not however.
I guess my real question though is, how can I really sort of start to get to know her and break that small talk barrier, not to mention my chronic "freezing" problem almost every time I see her? Are there any ways of knowing that she is definitely interested or disinterested in me? Should I try casually suggesting doing something with her again? Oh, one more thing...
We have one class together, which I think is the best time to talk to her, and she usually sits in front of me. So sometimes I have tried to take the seat that is open next to her like before she comes in, hoping she'll sit down in the same seat and maybe we can strike up a conversation. Yet every time I do this, I guess she sees I'm sitting next to her seat or something and she'll take the other open seat on the other side of the room. But if I go and sit in my regular seat, then she'll walk in and take the seat right in front of me, like normal. Also, if other guys take the seat that is open next to her, she has no problem with sitting down next to them, although she doesn't necessarily talk to them or anything. So I basically want to know: a)is she doing this because she thinks I'm sketchy or something? and if yes, then why would she take the seat in front of me if I was so weird? b)is she doing this because she kind of likes me too but is nervous being near me or talking to me? (I can sense she's shy around guys, sort of like I am around girls) or c), am I reading into this way too much?
This girl really is the girl of my dreams, and she has in my eyes all the characteristics I look for in a girl. I know it sounds corny, cuz I'm only a teenager, how would I know if she's perfect? But I've had crushes on girls before, and nothing has ever felt like it has with this one girl, so I really sense something special about her. Is there any possible way I can convey this love to her, or is it still too early and arguably straight-up sketchy for me to do that? Also, was that email over the summer a possible turn-off, and something I should apologize for or anything?
I know this is one damn long question, but I felt that for my question to be answered completely, I should give you guys all the background information. Please, please help me with this situation, because I know there is something I am not doing right and something I can do to get our chemistry flowing. Thanks a bunch.

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Sunday, December 12, 2004 -
Answer by: Sara