Rejection by copout: What she means by "talking to someone else":?

JHNS98
So I got a crush on a girl in class two months ago, told her she was cute... She told me that she already was talking to someone else.

I've heard that girls sometimes say this rather than just "I'm not interested". Is this a common way to reject peoole? Are there any ways to anticipate this response in conversation?

I have recently begun to be interested in another girl in class. I intend to withhold expressions of interest, gradually intensifying as we get closer.

Is there any way I can ensure that she answers genuinely and doesn't say she's "taken" as a copout? Can I say something in conversation when asking the initial question?

I'm going to start by asking to "get to know her better", then ask her out properly after some time.
Updates
1 y
Turns out she was taken, or at least she said she was... There's no way around this though... Asking about "him" might come off as creepy, and starting off by asking if she's single is also just weird and wrong.
Rejection by copout: What she means by "talking to someone else":?
2 Opinion