I am a Sophomore in highschool. Throughout my life, I have been a really quiet person. My closest friends, whenever I see them with their other friends, or when we are hanging out as a group, they are always having these interesting and live-full conversations. But I can't seem to do the same thing. Whenever I try, it always ends up being dull and uninteresting.

My preferred way to counter this is to act like a complete clown/idiot. It is not the best way, but the only way that I could think of, which is frustrating.

Because of above, I could never grasp the interest and attention of a girl that I like, thus results in myself never having a girlfriend, or even an elementary Valentine. Like I would have absolutely nothing to talk about with them, and with girls that I do happen to meet, I get friendzoned by them.

I have been told that I need to be more assertive, but it is very hard for me to be if I can't even talk to the person.

How do normal people talk? I never quite understood this. Even now, I don't think that I am expressing myself fully.

I don't know how to communicate with people. What can I do?