6 Rising Anger (2/2)

”Hey, I'm sorry, Ashy. I didn't think you'd get so mad. We were just teasing.” Celia said softly.

Isabelle looked at Ash with concern. Ash had an easy-going attitude and almost never lost her cool. Out of all of them, Ash had the most sarcastic and cutting humor, so it surprised her that Ash had taken offense to their teasing. She sensed that something else was bothering her friend.

Ash took a deep breath and exhaled the air out of her mouth with a whooshing sound.

”No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to sound like that. I was just kidding too.”

The group stood together in an awkward silence. Isabelle opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything a group of girls rushed past them, one of them bumping into Celia and knocking her aside.

”You were in the way!” A red-headed girl in the group shouted back to them; it was a statement and not an apology.

Celia raised a fist and faked a punch in the direction of the red-headed girl. The group had kept on walking and hadn't even bothered to look back at her. Ash had calmed slightly after the teasing, but she felt her friend's anger add to her own and fed off it. She felt the blood rush to her ears. It gave her a hot feeling in her chest. Her face twitched.

”Do you want to go upstairs and rest, Ash?”

Ash's eyes darted to Isabelle who was looking at her with concern. A hot rage was still bubbling inside her body, but her friend was asking her a question. It took her a second to process what was said, but even as she understood, she still didn't answer.

”I'll take her.” Celia said. She hadn't seen Ash's face yet; she was still staring in the direction of the red-headed girl, shooting daggers with her eyes.

”I'll see you both later at dinner, okay?” Isabelle said in a soothing, almost motherly tone.

”I thought we were going for a run together?” Celia asked, puzzled. She looked at Isabelle. Celia still hadn't seen Ash's face, so she hadn't noticed anything changing.

”Yes, I'll meet you here in the lobby in a few minutes, after you get Ash to your room. I think she needs to rest.” Isabelle's eyes were locked onto Ash's face. She kept her expression soft and her voice soothing, as if she were negotiating with a crazy person or a rabid dog.

”Okay, cool.” Celia replied, casually.

Ash blinked. She understood that Isabelle wanted her to rest. She nodded and headed up the stairs like an obedient child. Celia followed behind her.

Isabelle watched as her friends climbed the stairs. She bit her bottom lip, thinking about what she had just seen in Ash's face. Ash had looked angry, very angry. No, not angry. It wasn't just that. She looked . . . almost . . . savage? Her expression had been practically that of a wild animal.

But more than that, Isabelle had seen something else. Something impossible. Just before Ash had blinked, she thought she had seen Ash's eyes change color. For a split second, her eyes had gone from a deep brown to an alarming golden yellow.