Hoping someone on here can offer a few specifically avoidant perspectives as I'm kind of stuck in a rut?

I was dx with Autism many years ago so relationships and social rules aren't a strength for me anyway. But as a part of this I can be very avoidant particularly when challenged.
Basically I had a 'friend' from years ago when I was in a better place mentally, we had stayed in touch but recently seemed to be drifting further apart. After I seemed to no longer be on her friends radar (I'd been left off an important life event mentioned to everyone else on social media and others in private beforehand) I took it she no longer saw me as a best friend but she still seemed to want to visit so I allowed it but seeing her more of an acquintance in my mind.
Anyway last year I was in a bad place mentally had no desire to see anyone so we hadn't seen each other for 6 months. When we did finally meet up, their last words were 'it better not be 6 months next time' ... not the best thing to say to me with the way I was feeling towards her anyway and the fact neither of us had really seemed to agree on anything during the chat I took it as a threat challenge 'it had BETTER NOT be 6 months next time'
Before they'd left the property I'd decided it was going to be at least 7! ..now sometimes I can talk myself out of these moods and realise I'm possibly been 'unreasonable. but as it happened by the next time we were due to meet up the country was still in early stages of strict lockdown anyway so it had to be cancelled.
At first I answered messages but then as its gone on, its like they try to trick me into answering to start a conversation, wait till we've been chatting for a bit then start demanding to know when they're going to be able to see me again! I had told them I was in the shielded group, this is only going to work until the end of this month when shielding is relaxed from 1st august.
I've counted the exact days and it won't be at least 7 months until second week in Sept so just avoiding answering any messages at all cos they won't stop friggin nagging me and will mention someone they know whose also been shielded but starting to meet people outside again etc and I'm running out of excuses unless I tell them I'm texting from hospital and unfortunately got it so in isolation (which I may do if I get absolutely desperate and cannot face having to meet up at all).
Does anyone else experience stuff like this when faced with 'demanding friends'. The fact I know they're EXPECTING to see me and expecting me to conform to their wishes (whether I actually want to or not!) is making it worse. I've completely lost all desire to see them and starting to feel like I'm being bullied into it now (which I'm quite sensitive to having been severely bullied in the past & also possibly have C-PTSD). I really do feel like I'm been FORCED to do something ..like when you know you have to force yourself to go to the dentist or through surgery even though you really don't want to have to deal with it..it;s that kind of feeling for me.
Do you tell anyone you're friends with that you are avoidant and warn them if they get too demanding you'll be unable to co-operate? It causes intense anxiety for me. Not sure if I have PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) - a subtype of Autism or AvPD on top of Autism, as PDA wasn't known about when I was orginally dx many years ago.
I don't know whether to end the 'friendship' completely and eliminate all future demands from them instantly or how to deal with it. I have a feeling if I said I wanted a year's break from them they'd be constantly demanding why and I'd end up totally unable to answer the phone at all incase it was them.
I'm finding myself praying for a second wave (and I know this sounds awful) but they would get it so I get a break from their demands to see me for a few more months!
Any advice welcome???
Kit