I am an autistic person so this is hard-won knowledge and you should take it seriously.
Look at whoever is speaking to you. Also, contribute to the conversation.
If you sit there in a group and you never speak or engage with the conversation, there is nowhere you can put your eyes to prevent awkwardness.
If eye contact is hard for you, suck it up and practice.
Human culture does not give you a pass just because socializing is hard for you. What is expected is that you make the effort even when it is painful and difficult. That effort is appreciated by those around you, far more than fluidity of interaction.
People like fluidity because it is a marker that someone has put in the work. The work is the important thing. Making an effort is a signal of devotion to the group.
That’s why special occasions call for high-effort clothing. That’s why neckties are a thing. The effort is the signal.
If you do not send the signal that you are making the effort, it will be awkward, people will resent you, and your life will be much harder.