Dude, I have been in your place. Don't listen to anyone telling you it's not love, you know in your heart what's real. The hard part is when they don't feel it back... you hold out hope, "maybe if we stay friends one day she'll see me for who I am", thinking of some way to prove to her... etc, etc

It is the worst feeling in the world, and at the same time it's the best, because you are totally consumed with this overwhelming feeling towards someone.

Been there more times than I care to admit. Here's my advice. Don't try to stay friends, it will just hurt too much. You're going to hurt anyway, may as well get it over with as quickly as possible. I tried the "staying friends and hoping" thing, twice. Once for over a year. I was freaking MISERABLE the entire time. Then come to find out, the whole time I was pining over this girl, a different girl was pining over me! Go figure!

Anyway, good luck dude. You have my sincere sympathies.