Need Some Advice Please!?

So this girl used to like me and wanted me to ask her to prom a few months ago, so I did back in January. She seemed excited at first and clearly liked me, but we both have been busy last couple months and havent really talked or hung out aside from texting and the casual hi.

I think it was my fault because I wasn't too upfront in telling her I liked her when she liked me, so we never really communicated that directly to each other. So recently I told her I liked her, and she responded right away by saying she likes me, but as a friend.

Now generally this would mean she never had feelings for me in that way, but she is kinda shy and seemed really interested in me. And the even stranger thing is when I told her that, she replied right away saying she likes me as a friend and smiling about it too (generally a girl says that to let the guy down easy). Also, right afterschool she came upto me and was talking to me and even flirting with me a bit.

So I don't know how to take this? Half of me says she just wants to be friends, but the other half says she was just shy and everything (I don't think shes been in a relationship before, might have to do with her parents not letting her?) and she likes me but just can't be in a relationship with me. It's almost like me telling her gave her a sense of relief too knowing I felt how she did? If not im fine with being friends too, I just wanna know where to go with this and how to take it?