Why won't he ask me out!!!?

Okay. This guy I’ve liked since last year is one of my friends. not really my CLOSE friends, but we can always rely on eachother kind of friend. there isn’t very many sweet, patient, honest and caring guys at my school, and he marks the spot! So at the first dance of the school year, I told him how I felt about him… of coarse, he did not feel the same way… I knew I had it coming, but I needed to tell him, and get him out of my system. we grew apart I forgot about him, and didn’t talk to him much anymore. it was kinda easy, there are few times in the day we see eachother. He was out of my head, well, at lease 4 a while. I don’t know what happened to him, whether he noticed as everybody else has, that I am letting my natural curls down, and wearing my makeup well [thanks to my best friend =)] he has been paying close attention to me. Such as it appears he goes in awe whenever I pass him in the hall, can’t take his eyes off me. Even when he is talking to his best friend, he keeps his eyes on me. not that ‘’check out the hottie’’ look her up and down stare. but an admiring, distant but so close eye contact. And as every girl would feel, I felt beautiful and special. Especially when he began following me. he is not creepy or scary at all, although every guy knows not to mess with him,its a very protective following. often before school starts I talk to my friends, and he is with his, he moves singularly to a location where he can keep an eye on me. This all started the same time when he waited for me at my bus. he usually hangsout with his friends untill when he has too leave, then goes to his bus which is directly opposite of mine, the bus loop is the shape of a U. It happened only twice. I ofcoarse fell head over heals for him. then he began confusing the hell out of me when he never asked me out. I mean, does all of his actions mean he is interested? I need help on this one, I don’t know if I can take another month of this.