#!/bin/bash

echo "john
jeff
jerry
tom
tim
sam
andrew
kris" > /tmp/names


let x=0

cat /tmp/names |while read line
do
  if [[ $x == 0 ]]
  then
    name1="$line"
  elif [[ $x == 1 ]]
  then
    name2="$line"
  else
    echo "$name1 is before $name2 and $line is after $name2"
    name1="$name2"
    name2="$line"
  fi
  let x++

done