I was at a friend’s birthday dinner (5 of us in total) last friday, which was the end of an extremely exhausting week at work (im a primary school teacher and it was the end of a 6 week term). I’m usually anxious when I am in a group of more than 3 and tend to just listen to conversations and not talk too much, but combined with the complete exhaustion, I barely spoke at the dinner. A few days later I was thinking about it and started to think I had come off rude, so I texted one of my friends who was there, and told her that I think I came off rude. I don’t know what I expected her to respond, but she pretty much went in on me and how “it wasn’t my finer moments” and how my “behaviour wasn’t really ok” and how I could have just “been happy for my friend or pretend to be happy for at least 2 hours”. She also said that we knew our friend’s birthday was coming so I should have been prepared. As our conversation went on, it felt more like she was teaching me and lecturing me and there was little understanding for my circumstances and situation and she told me that I am the problem that’s stopping me from being more social. Honestly, the most I could have done at the time was show up as I was completely mentally and physically burned out. I felt horrible as I didn’t mean to come off like this so I texted the birthday friend to apologise if I did come off that way and she said she didn’t notice it at all. I was talking with another friend who was also there and she said she noticed I was really tired but it didn’t come off rude. I could have not gone at the last minute, but I hate to flake and just felt like I needed to go. AITA for not talking as much at a bday dinner?