How do I talk to a guy I like A LOT but I'm very shy?

Okay, before anything even happen. I started sitting at his lunch table not actually by him but like 7 seats away. Whenever I would eat or look down there he would be staring straight at me. I’m 100% sure he was staring at me because whenever I looked back he’d turn his head quickly. Whenever I go to the bathroom and came back he’d watch me walk back to my seat. My friend and him use to run track together and she was like “oh yeah, he’s an asshole, he’ll make you feel dumb about yourself, because he thinks he’s so smart but you do your thing” She didn’t tell me but she went to go talk to him and tell him I liked him. EMBARRASSING! But she said he smiled and asked what my name was and I walked off to the bathroom so I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. He’s always staring at me at the lunch table, but our lunchroom switched it’s seating around so the tables are facing downward so he has his back to me now. Whenever I look he like turns his head sideways to see me. The only time I have ever talked to him was when I was like “Hi” and then he waved back. It’s easy for me to talk to guys, but when I suddenly have a crush on you it’s hard!

I’m super shy, and awkward, but people say he’s awkward too so it’ll work out. I can’t approach him because I always feel like I’m going to get rejected and I feel like I’m running out of time. I really like this guy, he can be the REAL deal, haha.He’s gone in a couple of months, and I’m so scared because what if I read the messages wrong and he’s not really staring at me or maybe he just likes to stare at people? Or I don’t know what to do.