Karma

I think it's karma.  That's why I don't have a social life.
Unless I was reading all the signs incorrectly there was actually a girl who liked me. I will give one example of it she held my hand. It felt nice but something on my end just didn't click. It was never discussed or expressed and when both people are amateurs at dating it probably will simply remain a mystery.  I suspect her friend had messaged me to try to figure it out and I think I could have expressed things better. I avoided hanging out a few times and a strange combination of busy or just messaging at the wrong time seems to have set it in stone.
If all those assumptions were correct then it would make her sad and I feel bad for that.  But it would be far worse to play along and see where it goes and end it further down the road...