I think I'm in love with my best friend, help...?

My friend Stephen has been my best friend since 2nd grade. We're in 9th now, and go to different high schools. He likes me, and I like him too. I love everything about him, and now that we are seperated, it's really hard to find the time to see each other. (In middle school we would ride the same bus after school to our moms' school; they both worked at the elementary schools). Every afternoon for the past 7 years we have hung out together, and now we can't. The pain is horrible. I honestly think I am in love with him. I don't want to get into another relationship because they all end in pain. The last one I had (back in October 2009), Stephen ended up holding me while I was crying on a Halloween hayride because my boyfriend, Michael, was hiding from me, thinking I wanted to play "hide and seek". Stephen is everything I want in a boyfriend and, eventually, a husband. I'm not saying we're going to get married, I'm just sayin I wouldn't mind if we did. Both of us are wary of having a relationship because we don't want something to happen, then we don't have a best friend anymore. I love him, but we hardly talk anymore and when we do it isn't deep. Still, he's the only one who truly knows me, and he loves everything about me too. :) <3 Everyone says we are perfect for each other, but we just don't see each other. Do you have any ideas on what to do, or how to ease the pain and get myself into another relationship? I'm just kind of nervous... I don't want to throw myself into a relationship, then just get hurt even more---which is inevitable. My mom says it's important for you to have relationships in high school, so you can see what type of person you're connected to, but is it bad that the only one I want is him??? Please only serious answers.