I love this guy and he said he doesnt like me but he flirts alot with me?

Okay so lets say his name is tom. So last year we had a dance and i was leavin on an early spring vacation so i asked my bff to ask him for me and i also told her to ask thiis other guy which i also liked before. Whwn i came back my friend said they said no so i was like all sad and stuff but i didnt cry. Now this year he gets all flirty with me and he is in my homeroom so he is always talkin to me and really close to me and making me laugh and lookin aat me. When he tells a joke or someone else he has to see me laughing for him to laugh. He is always so close to me not even arms length apart we are touching shoulder thats how close together we are. And now he is gave me a nickname fyi a shorter version of my name which only my friends used to call me. And he tells me all he secrets and he told me who he likes but i want to know if he also likes me. If theres a possibility we can go out cuz he is single right now but he is so cute im scared he will be taken.