It seems like a sudden shift of direction has moved the attention of your friends away from you and onto something or someone else.
However that happened there are ways to shift the attention back so that you are once again included as part of the group.
No one likes to think that they are being ignored.
Perhaps you said or did something that the members of your close group of friends were not comfortable with.
If this is the case then they will usually indicate this to you.
The method that this communication may take might come across as criticism.
A group dynamic is very different to one-on-one friendships.
When the group dynamic is in play then a pecking order or hierarchy will develop.
If you feel that you have suddenly reached the bottom of the list and been pushed out the side, then have a think about these issues.
Consider the friendships in the group.
Who is closest to who and what is it that friend A finds comfortable about being with friend B.
How does that differ from the friendship shared between friend C and friend D? Has someone jumped on board an opinion to gain more acceptance by the person they consider the most popular.
The age old question of what is in it for them.
See if you can identify what the needs are of each individual.
Understanding yourself and what it is that you value and honoring yourself is not always an easy path to take.
Understanding about what motivates your friends is critical to spending quality time with them.
The person who is perceived to be the most popular and has the most influence may be the most difficult to reach so easier to approach the group of friends by talking to any other member separately.
Choose the friend that you normally have the most in common with or who makes the most effort to understand others.
Invite them to share an activity that you know they would really enjoy.
This is not about justifying yourself.
Rather the focus is on letting them experience again what a great time they have when in your company.
When someone feels safe, secure and have enjoyed a good time with you they are more likely to defend you or at the minimum, not pile on if someone criticizes you.
When you and the friend you selected are once again communicating well, move on to include one of the other friends in the group.
In time the order of popularity will shift naturally as you and friends enjoy each others company.