wow, i definitely didn’t see that ending coming. My only comment beyond the shock ending, would be the references to god. In the first two, in seems very loving, but the last one the narration turns cold with ‘intractable unknowable All-father’, but the dialogue from the character is still warm. This kinda broke up the story for me.

.. sorry I didn’t squeeze this into one comment. I guess I am suggesting the narrator seems like it’s building sympathy, then the whole line: ‘So there was a certain final irony that even after a full school year of silent exhortation, that his final words in the study hall were to that intractable unknowable All-father.’ breaks that feeling, maybe it’s just me – but that’s my take. otherwise I like it.