Being in the wrong crowd once doesn’t lock you in. You can walk out the same door you walked in.

Groups feel more binding than they are. There was no contract, just a series of Tuesdays, and the sense of obligation is mostly built out of not wanting a scene. Drifting out is a real option and it is usually quieter than you imagine: fewer messages, other plans, a slow decline in the amount of you that is there. Most people barely comment.

Start with one evening: say you are busy, and be busy with something else you actually want to do. Then do it again next week. If leaving feels unsafe rather than awkward, tell an adult you trust.