Does he like me back?

I have this crush and I'm usually good at reading people but I just can't figure it out. I've checked his social media like facebook but he doesn't have a recent picture or posts at all although I see that he uses it on his phone.

Recently he sits near me when he can and he takes any opportunity to talk to me but I'm thinking it could just be because I'm a friendly person who smiles a lot (in my opinion) and he doesn't seem to have a lot of friends in our school I don't know about outside though...I've noticed too that he stands very close to me when we're in a group and when he talks to me he leans in and talks softly most of the time and on a few occasions he's picked up things I've dropped and once offered to fetch me something I needed. In addition he always seems to notice small things I do or say that I thought nobody would pick up on or care to remember. He even teases me sometimes but that could be just friendly banter and my reactions might amuse him.

What throws me off is that he's usually on his phone a lot and once his female friend made a joke that he texts a lot of girls and he's such a flirt. Now I can't take her word as gospel because she's always joking around but I can't help but think there's an element of truth to it... Once she even made a sexual joke about us and he laughed at her comment - not a mean laugh but how guys usually react to perverted things. I mean, I would think if he wasn't interested he would look at her strangely for making that comment but I don't know how guys operate. In addition sometimes I try to make a joke with our group of friends (albeit dry humour) and I look to see but he doesn't react. Then again, he seems reserved and doesn't make many expressions. I texted him with an emoji to break the ice when I got his number and he replied with an emoji and a short sentence but that was the end of the conversation.

The inconsistencies are torturing me and I don't know if I'm just seeing things I want to see or if he's playing me or what. He's a generally friendly and nice person so I can't figure it out. Can someone please give me their insight and advice as to what to do. I'm far too shy to admit that I like him so that's not an option.