Search Results: what is being mature

So we're both 17, very close friend, she is very shy, we go home together almost every day, now she wants me come with her in the mornings too cuz we get in the same bus.

So, when we first met 3 years ago, she used to touch my shoulder every time she told me something, pulled my backpack to let me know she was there. She also fell on me by accident quite a lot. We were awkward at that stage and she once talked about exs to let me know she never dated, then asked if sb in my old class was my girlfriend (she wasn't). She also tried taking a selfie of us just as she said she doesn't have enough storage and hugged me when I was down. She also threw a surprise party on my bday.

One year passed. We could now talk about anything. This time, she was more confident and also shared more info about herself. She stopped bumping into me, pulling my backpack. Now, she was twirling her hair or playing with her straps when she saw me. She also pretended not to see me when walking close to me but slowed down a lot until I reached her to go: "Oh, hi!". She got me an eclair for my bday.

Yet another year went by. She is always very interested in my well being, always over-apologizing. She once did something bad after I helped her and went 2 hours over her bedtime texting to make sure everything was ok. After I said that I was happy to have spent the day with her and that life is about choosing what makes you happy, she texted "If life is about choices", "You chose well 🙃".

She is curious about my past. When she sits next to me, her legs are crossed, one of them towards me, wiggling it. Her head on her arm resting on that leg. When we're together, we're close enough for our hands to touch and she always compliments me saying "You're very smart" or "You're really mature compared to me". Recently, she got all hyped up (blushing, asking if she can tell her family, smiling a lot) when I told her about sb in love thinking it was me to then go nothing u can do when I told her it's a friend.

Okay, so..
This is the context and then situation:
I'm going to school, I currently hang with a bunch of girls in class (hot, smart ones). Outside of class I know most people by name (~80p) and have talked on shallow levels. I am applying myself as a support-role to most and give/reccieve respect from many, I have high social status and reccieve lots of attention from girls and guys. The common way where girls can be picky don't really apply as I am the sought after and they are chasing.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not very experienced with girls at all, though I am well versed in bodylanguage and used to networking friends and analysing social group-dynamics. I am used to navigating crowds and leading with respect, care, well-meaning, long-term intention. When you give respect without judging you also reccive it, which adds up and twists in positive rumors.
I am not a "white knight", but I am also not a bystander, I speak up for my views and call out people without making a scene.

The situation:
So in my friendgroup, well there's no girls that ain't orbiters (friendzoned) right now but I really like this one girl in group, she likes me too, she's really a great balance between ratiinality and intuity, she's really smart and mature, we're both extroverts and naturally flirty so it went on well at first then I found out she has a boyfriend.

I appologized (outed myself as an admirer) and reverted to friendzone because I am trying to be principled (maybe not to a fault). Which she obviously said she appreciated and denied even noticing (obvi) and then we just went on being great, playful friends, knowing we're just being natural. But since then she's been brushing up beside me (forcing skin-contact) at the gym and while studying.