[HickMan]

I thought the same thing. I know a wonderful girl that I am going out with since the beginning of the school year. I thought she was on a higher level too. She liked me as a friend, too. It sounds like we were friends longer than you were with this girl. But I still asked her out and she said yes.
If I were you, I'd become better friends with her and then ask her out. And talk to her. A lot, if you have her AIM name or something like that. :/
But hey, eventually, go for it. You got nothing to lose aside from a small friendship. And if she gets pissed at you just for asking her out. Well, the way you described her, she wouldn't get mad.