Female crush

Beth and I have had the same classes in my teaching credential program, and we both started at the same time. We are the same age and get along pretty well. She is getting her teaching credential in art. She and I sit next to each other in our classes. She is a good Christian girl, and avidly brags about that. We have the same tastes in music for the most-part. She doesn't understand my tastes for country, but we have the same radio presets we've discovered: KOLA 99.9, STAR 98.7, 931 JACK FM, and we like Foreigner, Hall & Oates, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Queen, and REO Speedwagon.



We sit next to each other in classes, pay attention, make side comments about what we don't like/disagree with/whatever amuses us at the moment. We even pass notes back and forth to each other like little middle or high school students. Our notes are about random stuff like drawings, how our week was, and about our day. We both got in trouble in my current class for passing notes because the teacher saw "too much activity going on around our desks." She said that she can't concentrate and we obviously aren't participating- which could not be further than the truth, especially when this teacher bothers me to no end, and I make a comment about everything. That night we got in trouble Beth texted me the whole way home telling me how annoyed and sad she was at this class, and that we could no longer pass time in class like we had before. This was 4 weeks ago.

Since then we still make comments about each other, we text back and forth, and we've planned out a Disneyland trip in a couple weeks. We still whisper comments back and forth to each other. We have had seminars before the start of each class this quarter, and each week Beth texts me to remember to come early, to tell me she has saved a seat next to her, or reminding me to do the homework (as if I need a reminder- I post the homework on time- she doesn't.)

Beth keeps saying that we need to hang out and talk. I have agreed because she is cool, and I think we could be good friends outside of school. That's why I agreed to Disneyland. Then last week she said we needed to hang out and talk. She said she was frustrated with her master teacher. I said sure. She texted me twice this week telling me how excited she was that we were going to hang out, she didn't know where we should go, and asked me about my day, what I was up to. I didn't think too much of this...

So we hung out yesterday. We met at 12p.m. at Coffee Bean, but then she recommended we go to her favorite sushi place. She offered to drive, and we cruised over to it. We talked about work, school, family, and people in our class while we ate sushi. We talked for 2 1/2 hours at the restaurant, then drove back to Coffee Bean where we met. She suggested we sit outside and talk, and we did. We talked for another hour. I then insisted that I needed to get going. She invited me to go out with her and her friends today for dim sum. I don't know her friends, but it was nice she invited me. I had been thinking though, that it seems like she likes me and maybe was thinking there is more there than friendship. She went on telling me how she wants to introduce me to her friends, how they would love to meet me, and I scrambled for an excuse. I said I was doing breakfast with friends. She told me how sad she was, and how much she wants to hang out with me again and get to know me better.

Last night I get a text from her about 10p.m. asking me what I did after we took off, how she wishes we could have hung out longer, and how she can't wait to see me Thursday. I haven't written back yet...

So maybe she's just being nice, but I was thinking about maybe she thinks there is more there, and she has a crush on me. I get that, which is why I backed off and turned down her offer for dim sum. I know that I can be very flirty, and I am wondering if I have sent the wrong messages to her.

I have not exactly hid my sexuality to her, and my class knows since I did do my presentation on sexuality several classes ago, and basically it was evident to the class that I was gay. I haven't hidden it, and when we've discussed things related to sexuality I have said things like, "speaking from personal experience..." I am not sure Beth has picked up on these clues, and I would hate to lead her on. I don't know if I should say something or not...

What to do...