For years I have had a particular group of small group of maybe 4 friends in the group. Friend A & B recently decided I was a bad influence, am negative or whatever their retarded beef is. I found this out through the grapvine, and still am not sure what they are even mad about. We had all hung out normally up until this shit started almost 4 weeks ago. Instead of confronting it to me, they hide in the shadows and gossip about it while hanging out with our other friends while I am not around. Today, friend C threw together a board game cafe plan and I saw the chat in discord where he was inviting all of our friends, plus a few acquaintances we all know. Nowhere during that time did I receive an invite, in which normally I would considering I've always been a huge supporter of playing board games and have done so with them on many occasions.

Judging by what I've seen in the past, I am sure friend A or B at some point told friend C not to invite me. I know friend C does not have any issues with me (I saw him recently and it was a good time) so the fact he capitulated to friend A or B's demand to exclude me has made me angry.

I sent friend C a text message asking what the details of the event were and if invites were closed.

Saying/doing nothing about this I feel would enable or validate their, in my eyes, wrong behavior. Friend A & B are both depressed and negative in their own problems and hypocrites, so at this point I'm confident they are just targeting me as an outlet instead of dealing with their own real issues.

I feel I have to defend myself in someway either confronting Friend A & B directly or Friend C for purposely excluding me when he has no problem with me which is kind of like he's playing favorites. If I had no issues with someone and it was my event/house/plan, I would straight up tell Friend A I'll invite whoever I want and if he has a problem with a paritcular person that's his problem to work out. A part of me wants to show up to the cafe anyways and ask Friend A or B what their fucking problem is and ask why they are being such pussies.

tl;dr: Friend A & B decide to gossip talk and avoid me for (seriously) no reason as we had been fine. Now it's gotten to the point where when Friend C or D hosts plans, I am being excluded from any invite to accommodate the demands of Friend A & B. Not sure the more alpha/mature way of handling this is.