need advice!!

so i like this guy and i’m a freshman in high school. i want to start talking to him just as friends, but i don’t want to just walk up to him because that would be awkward, and also i don’t have a snapchat and can’t get one. i wanted to start talking to him through like instagram dms, but i’m not sure how to start a conversations. should i say this? “hey so we haven’t talked in a while, but how are you?” or does anyone have any other conversation starters?