Branching out in a clique-y school.?

O.K., well lately I’ve been hanging out with my BFF. She is really cool and all, but at recess (middle school) all she ever does is hang out with these really boring people. Since school is really clique-y I only hang out with her and the boring people. There are these girls that I’d like to hang out with though, only problem is they’re a “group”. Some of them are popular too, so I feel really weird talking to them. Most of them don’t even know my name!!! Some of them I do talk to in cl, but ONLY in cl. I would really like to talk to them, but every time I get near them I get all nervous and stuff. I feel like the alien, help!