Doing the right thing might cost you a couple of friends. It also shows you which ones were real.

A few friendships are built on agreement and going along, and those cannot survive a call of your own. When you decline to cover, or say the uncomfortable thing, a few people drift, and it can feel like proof you did it wrong. It is closer to a sorting: the ones who stay were attached to you rather than to your usefulness.

Expect the cost and do it anyway, then watch who is still normal with you a fortnight later. Those are the ones to invest in. Say yes to them more often than you say yes to the wider group.