Girls

I'll have to agree with what Felix said. Girls who are bad in high school generally won't get any better, but there are also girls in high school who are nice, and will stay nice as they get older. As for talking to them, just relax and not worry about it. They're people, just like boys are. If you look at them as if they are people, rather than potential relationships, then you're going to feel a lot more comfortable around them. Don't let anyone make you think boys and girls can't be just friends. Also, once you are friends with a few more girls, and your confidence with them has grown, maybe you'll feel a lot more comfortable when you're talking to your future special someone =]

(Also, a hug doesn't have to mean anything. You can have friends that you hug all the time).