How do I date my crush and how do I ask her alone?

[That]

Hello guys, I´d like to ask you something:
I am rather inexperienced when it comes to talking to or even dating crushes, and well, currently I have this in my head all the time and since I often talk to her and I really grew to like her over time, I´d like to date her. But the problem is, that this girl happens to be around her friends almost all the time, which scares me to ask her directly.
I also don´t even know if she likes me as much as I like her, but I guess I´ll find out when I ask her out. She called me cute one time when we talked (And thrust me, I don´t really look like a child or anything that could be called "cute"), she often looks at me and she often smiles when we talk, but I am never sure if she likes me.
So guys, do you have any ideas? Should I walk directly to her and ask her out, even when her friends are around?
(Which would make me so nervous, I´d probably fall unconcious...)
Or shall I talk to her in private and if I should, then how?
I could also ask her friends to talk for me, since I happen to know those people rather well, but I´d like to do this on my own, personal and well, not with the help of facebook, friends and that stuff.
I don´t have facebook, and I won´t have an account there, so that´s not an option.
The problem is that I can talk to her all the time, I even sit next to her when we have a break in school, but I just can´t bring myself to ask her

[Francesca]

maybe you should message her on facebook first, just to get an idea if there's any chemistry then when the times right you could get her number and by then - you'll be on close friends terms so you can talk to her in real life - which would basically be the answer to your problems because being friends is the best way to expand into a relationship.
so all in all - don't be too full on encase she doesn't like you that way and then you'd end up embarrassing yourself! Take it slow, start at friends, start to be flirty and see what happens!