Inn i'm losing hope

There's nobody around me I have anything in common with. I'm not the best but I'm not useless at socialising. I have tried joining places of similar interest but I'm starting to wonder whether it's everybody else - or me... as a result, I look for ways of becoming more self-sufficient. I find myself preparing for a future of being forever the loner. Even when I do find a potential friend, they have other people they are content to hang around with. This alone is a minor problem, except they always change around them, or I don't get on with the others.
Other times, people mainly hurt or annoy me.
The people I would like to be friends with are difficult to get to know since most happen to be popular - they are always surrounded, and I find the transition from general chat to personal questioning/hanging out difficult.
I really don't want to turn into a misanthrope because people can be really nice and sometimes it's just a matter of being different; no one is to blame. But I find myself becoming bitter and critical about other people when alone, as well as myself.
I used to tell myself I simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but then I moved to a sixth form and the same happened again.
I'm usually happy enough alone and feel more lonely amongst others. However, when I think of a bleak future wholly alone, assuming this always happens, I feel hopeless. I never wanted to a self-centred, selfish person just living for themselves. I have friendship and love to share and it feels wasted.
Is this normal?