Am I in love with my friend?

So there’s this girl (17F) who I’ve (16NB) been friends with since the start of last school year. She’s genuinely one of my best friends and I care a lot about her. She is the only person who will hear me out and treat me with kindness and compassion when I vent. I have so much trust in her. However, the second she has to leave, my whole world feels like it’s falling apart. I’m kind of a mess without her and constantly have her on the brain, but things just feel… right around her. I’ve never felt like this for a friend before or even with my past girlfriends. It’s just really strong… is this love?