If you are "always the friend" it's probably just a matter of time before you have a boyfriend, because you're clearly a likeable sort of person. Of course that may not make you feel any better if you think you're ready to be the "girlfriend" right now!

Some guys can be weird about dating: sometimes they seem to divide girls up between buddies and girlfriends (although not necessarily on purpose). That usually changes later, when they start to see that girls can be both things at once--and that friends sometimes make the best partners for dating.

So what to do in the meantime? Pretending to be someone you're not is pretty much always a recipe for unhappiness. I also recommend avoiding comparisons between other girls and yourself, if possible. Who knows how happy those girls really are? In your situation, having a good sense of yourself, which you seem to, is probably the best asset.

Maybe instead of an overall strategy of some kind, you might think about who exactly you're interested in, and work on starting up a relationship with that particular person. Is there someone you have your eye on? If you like one of your "friends," maybe seek out a situation that feels different and new from the way you usually see him--maybe even a little romantic.

Have fun with that; who knows what will happen?