Crush? Help!

I think I have a crush on this guy, but everyone at my school don't like him, make fun of him and stuff that. My friends tell me I shouldn't date him because then I will get made fun, but that shouldn't matter of I like the person and he makes me laugh and just forget all of my worries, but it's hard to think of the down side of being with him, you know? He also lives the next street over from me, so I see him a lot and we text and stuff. When we text he tells me all sorts of stuff like how he misses having a girlfriend and how misses making out with a girl and stuff like that. I don't know what to do, should I go for him or not?