From the way you describe this, I get the sense that she would really like you to ask her out. Being a girl myself, (I am in high school as well) I can understand what she was doing, or my impression. Maybe just ask her out...It couldn't really hurt, even if she says no.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.