Need A Push?!

Hi April!
Fantastic idea this forum thing, couldn’t have asked for anything better!

I’ll get straight to the point now then. 🙂

I’m a very happy 15 year old girl and completely satisfied with life. I don’t mean to sound self-absorbed, but I think you should know a little bit about me: I try to always be spiritual and happy, but not so optimistic that things are just unrealistic. I also try to be logical and principled, but I’m still fun-loving, curious, reflective and other stuff. I’ve never had a real boyfriend before, but I have had several admirers which can be awkward, but its life and I deal with it!
At school, there’s a boy who is in almost all of my classes. He’s quite a good friend of mine, maybe even one of my bestfriends, but then again I have many bestfriends so what the heck. We talk a lot in and out of school hours about anything and everything and we have many common interests. He’s supportive and nice and caring and sentimental, but also shy and not confident and undecided and sometimes a bit superficial, but he’s still my friend! Nobody’s perfect. He’s been around since primary school, but I’ve only got to really know him well around a year ago when he was in my classes and we went on the same school trip together. After that I tried to spend as much time with him as possible. We’d stay after school together or go out and watch a movie sometimes. Or just chat online or on phone at home.
He has had a girlfriend before. They broke up a year ago after dating for 4 months. She dumped him. He’ll talk to me about it sometimes. I think he still misses her a bit, but he tells me he’s completely over her.
Sometimes when we talk things can get just a little bit physical. We might cuddle up or something or one of us sitting or lying in each others’ laps. Or he might bury his face in my hair and sort of press his lips against it. But we’ve never actually kissed. But then again I’ve never actually had a boyfriend.

Last week, he went on a trip and he hasn’t come back yet. And I’ve realised how much I miss him. And it’s not the way I feel when I miss another one of my good friends, this is actually like intense stuff, and all I want to do it talk to him! I’ve tried calling him and stuff but he probably didn’t switch on his phone. I didn’t want to waste money or energy or appear annoying so I stopped trying. But the thing is I think I might feel just a little bit or that more-than-friends feeling if you get what I mean.
All his friends tell me that he likes me in that lovey-mushy way. But if he did, I’m only going to believe it when he tells me from his own lips. He has told me that he loves me, but we’re not even dating or anything so it shouldn’t count!
But recently he tells me he’s starting to like a girl a bit. He won’t tell me who she is but he says she’s in many of his classes, she’s very nice and very pretty. Really, that could be many people but I’m just thinking…what if it were me!
If he felt that way about me, he’d never ask me out if he knew I didn’t feel the same way. He’s just not confident enough and maybe scared of getting rejected. But maybe this time could be the right time! I know him and he knows me, so dating wouldn’t be too awkward, would it!?
My question to you is how do I sort of hint to him how I feel, and find out how he feels. I don’t want to seem desperate and annoying, and I don’t want to just ask him or tell him directly. That might drive both of us insane and flush our healthy relationship down the toilet. And anyway, I’m not entirely sure wether I want to go out with him, let along go out with anyone at the moment! I’ll need time to figure that one out!

Okay, I will now end your pain and not write anymore. Advice would be most graciously accepted!!
Thakyou April!!