Okay, so seven years ago, in the third grade, I met my best friend. We'll call him J. About a year later, I moved out of state and J and I kept in touch while I was gone. When my family moved back almost four years later and I saw him in person for the first time in years, nothing had changed. But all of a sudden, he was tall, dark, handsome, on the crew team, and the only guy in the school that I could actually talk to. I didn't mean to, but I fell for him. This wouldn't be a problem if I could be sure he either felt the same way or didn't. But I can't, and that's the problem.
He has a lot of female friends, so I don't want to assume I'm any different. But he's actually a lot more touchy-feely with me than he is with the rest of them. He's constantly hugging me and sharing seats with me (when there are perfectly good seats right next to me, I might add) and using my leg as a pillow without asking and he seems to make up excuses to be alone with me ("Beth, should we go back to the computer lab? We'll have it all to ourselves..." and "Oh, you're stuck here until 3:30 too? That's great, come sit in the cafeteria with me; we'll study for your learner's permit test"). And there are moments when I feel like it's so much more -- like when he protested my eye color three times and sat there staring into my eyes for pretty much the entire Latin period saying, "No, but I really think they're green! Just give me another minute." But then there's all the other female friends and the fact that we've been friends for years on years on years and even if we did feel the same, I'm not sure I want to ruin it.
So basically, my questions are:
a) do you think he might have deeper feelings for me?
b) should I risk what's been the most consistent thing in my life for seven years on a relationship that does have the potential to be great but could also ruin everything?
He has a lot of female friends, so I don't want to assume I'm any different. But he's actually a lot more touchy-feely with me than he is with the rest of them. He's constantly hugging me and sharing seats with me (when there are perfectly good seats right next to me, I might add) and using my leg as a pillow without asking and he seems to make up excuses to be alone with me ("Beth, should we go back to the computer lab? We'll have it all to ourselves..." and "Oh, you're stuck here until 3:30 too? That's great, come sit in the cafeteria with me; we'll study for your learner's permit test"). And there are moments when I feel like it's so much more -- like when he protested my eye color three times and sat there staring into my eyes for pretty much the entire Latin period saying, "No, but I really think they're green! Just give me another minute." But then there's all the other female friends and the fact that we've been friends for years on years on years and even if we did feel the same, I'm not sure I want to ruin it.
So basically, my questions are:
a) do you think he might have deeper feelings for me?
b) should I risk what's been the most consistent thing in my life for seven years on a relationship that does have the potential to be great but could also ruin everything?