From a personal viewpoint as someone with an ASD, I'd say that the friends are more likely to calm her down. She's desperately looking for enough "handholds and footholds" to get through this new social landscape. Think of a climber making their way up an unfamiliar mountain by clinging onto the rock face, feeling their way for something to hold onto. They're taught to always have three points of contact - at least two hands and a foot, or two feet and a hand. Without it, there's every chance they'll plunge to their doom.
So it is with us. We need the familiarity of our "main person" around us (main parent in the case of children), the familiarity of our surroundings, and a familiar routine. Those are our 'three points of contact'. On holiday, she only had one - you. In the new school, she'll have none of them. She's desperate to say how unsafe she feels, but has no words to explain it, so she's reacting with anger and insecurity. Even I struggle with the right words, and I'm a mature adult. Asking to have familiar friends round is one way to gain a tiny foothold on what is changing around her, perhaps?
What are her hobbies? How does she spend her quiet time when she's relaxing? We forget to do them when stressed out. Remind her, give her the space to do these, give her all the reassurance you can about what will happen in the new school, what it will look like, that you will be there at the end of the day, etc. I wish I could describe what a change of school is like for us. Vital in her case, because of all that's happened, but it's scarier than hell.
You're a great parent. You care, you want to help, she can ask no more of you really. Just be aware of how scared she is right now.