I beg to differ. A few lifetimes is more like it.
nah, not even then... as my 26 past lives and 30 past wives have taught me

:rofl:
If its gonna work at all then you'll know, cos she'll give you signs - look for lingering looks from afar, eye contact, smiles (but don't go nuts and keep staring or anything, look away first, perhaps with a wry smile. heh.. too much and she'll be creeped out) play it cool, and if she wants to be with you, she'll at least make herself available to talk to.
Just try not to worry about it too much, try and enjoy your life and your own interests, meet as many people your own age as you can, be nice to people at parties but don't be too nice all the time... you're allowed to put yourself first when necessary... nothing will put a girl off quicker (assuming she likes you a bit to begin with) than you seeming to be desperate for her attention.
also, although you wanna be cool about it, you need to make your move sooner than later -tell her how you feel, and if shes not into you then get over it and move on... don't get sucked into the 'friend' trap... ugh... i've been there a few times and thats happened to everyone i know at least once. Like the others said, you'll have more misses than hits.. esp at your age, dont worry, it gets easier as you get older.
As for internet tough guys, they're mostly complete p****ys in real life... just block it, ignore it, dont let it get to you, thats the best way, i've had tons of internet abuse and it's all from pretty pathetic individuals.