How can I become friends with this girl?

Theres this girl that Ive had a crush on since I was in 10th grade. We're now going to different colleges this year, in the same state but the colleges are 3 hours away. I never got the courage to ask her out before she left. I talk to her on Aim sometimes, but shes not online much. How can I become more friends with her and then eventually ask her out? If it helps me and my friends sometimes go to her college to visit some old high school friends. Im not putting my life on hold for her...im looking at other girls..but im trying to have as many options as i can. Besides i really like this girl. Should i keep talking to her in case she comes back to our high school town this summer? We could get together then maybe? So what should I do?How can I become friends with this girl?
well im bored so i shall anw. this.. first of all dont like talk to her everytime she gets on cuz that looks like ur stalking her.. just one day ask her if she has facebook or myspace... then u just talk to her like twice a week through facebook... like say stuff as in ';i saw one of our old teachers in this mall yest..'; just bs. try to be funni and causaly use her in one of ur jokes... and when i say joke i dont mean stuff like wut happend when the chiken talked to the banna.. those jokes are retarted.. just watch sum stand up like russell peters( he is funni) then just use one of there jokes.. dont use jeokes from dane cook cuz most probably she will kno.. then just talk to her and then flirt in a kidding way.. as in ';damn girl do u kno karate cuz UR BODI IS KICKIN..jk.'; say stuff like that and talk to her about stuff.. then ur friends and then one day invite her to a party...How can I become friends with this girl?
Unless you feel that there may be something special about her that differs from the other girls, then would it really be worth your time to worry with one so far away? I say to get a girl closer to home, and if you're single when and if she visits

then you can ask her out.

losing hair