I have not been in many serious relationships and I have a very hard time reading women. I seriously can't take any hints and I'm pretty sure I'm just in the friend zone..

We met during winter break as she is a very close friend to my very close friend's wife. She recently went through a bitter breakup about 2 months before that and moved back to our town since graduating.
Since then, the four of us have been going on a number of group 'outings' not really dates, to the point where we became friends and she gave me her number.

Here's some $hit that confuses me:
We have similar interests and regularly text each other.. pretty much on a daily basis which include a lot of winky and smiley faces.
She has offered to give me a ride home numerous times when I get drunk (usually after long drunken texts sessions which she said she finds cute) which I've never taken her up on since I always just crash at my friends house.
She is amazingly beautiful inside and out and because of this, she gets hit on a lot. But when I've been around her and guys buy her drinks, she doesn't drink them.
She has repeatedly called me sweet and cute, grabbed hold of my arm, and even tickled me once. Also comfortable enough with me to share drinks/straws and she has fed food to me too.
She has talked to me about some unnamed boy that she liked but he didn't like her back. Of course I comforted her about it saying he doesn't deserve her, etc.
She has also talked to me about the kind of girls I should date where she pretty much stated qualities that she had.
When she told me about how she loves the new car she got, I told her she should just go cruisin' and she replied by saying she didn't wanna go alone. Was that some kind of opening?
Most recently she told me that she had a dream about me. We were ballroom dancing and she said she thought it was cute that I surprised her of how good a dancer I was.. wtf does this dream mean?
She does have more guy friends than girl friends.. so I may be just another one of them.

I'm pretty sure she just thinks of me as a close friend and nothing more, but what do you guys think?

She probably does think of you mainly as a friend but I think she's also thought about being more than that. Not saying that she likes you but if the thought is there, you have a chance. Just stop being so.... for the lack of a better word, your being a pussy. Yes when she said she didn't want to go cruising a lone, that was an opening. She probably has given you more openings but you just miss them or dont take the initiative.

Better jump on it soon before she finds another guy. If you want to rush it, you could always just tell her how you feel and see what her response is.

I can see where you would be confused.. We can send mixed signals sometimes... haha alot of times... But idk it sounds like you may have a chance, but like Gideon said you better jump on it before she finds someone else... or even sees you as more of a friend... Take her out and call it a "date" see what her response is to that...
or hey buy her a flower... i know thats old fashioned but girls will always be the same... try it out! you dont want to have any should have could have would haves right?

I'm sorry but you are definitely in the friends zone.
After so much time and so little effort to have a romantic relationship,
You are now doomed to be just friends.
When she didn't want to go alone, it meant she wanted a friend to go along ... not a lover.

Romance with a woman needs to start before she learns too much about you
otherwise she will know how inept you are as a lover ...
Forms an opinion that you are just friend material

Women want their men to show interest in them first
They want to choose. So you need to preen and strut your stuff for them
Show them that you value yourself and are worth their time

With men, any woman they know .. it is always ... "I could do her" ..
You really need to step up your game if you want a chance at LOVE.

Except that the one who was drunk is reversed, I would swear we know each other!

She may still think you are just a close friend, but she is clearly considering the possibility of things moving beyond that. She may not be looking to encourage the shift, but my sense is that she is definitely curious about whether it would work out well.

Take the drive with her, and like was suggested before, jokingly asked her if this is your "first date". If she laughs and says yes, believe it. If she laughs and says "no", I would give it 50/50 odds. If she recoils, keep joking with her about it and enjoy having a good friend.

hmmm .... since when a regular friends text each other on a daily basis ?

I text my best friends a lot but the thought of sending "winky and smiley faces" to them is kinda yucky.

I don't have any suggestion for you as I'm no expert like some regular members in this chatroom above

but being a girl myself, I reckon she places you a little more special than just a regular normal normal friend.

Er you're definetely over-thinking it. I mean you've came on here and typed it up and stuff..I doubt she even gives a second's thought into the "signals" she's conveying to you. Just go with your gut instinct, the only person who knows is you.

One thing I gotta say is that, don't be so hung up on one person. trust me. have some other options. let them chase you a bit

Perhaps you should just ask her directly? If it doesn't go your way, on to the next one.

The faster you get this over with the better.